Hôtellerie du Bas Bréau

Hôtellerie du Bas Bréau Review

Princess Grace of Monaco, Françoise Sagan, and Robert Louis Stevenson are a few of the notables who have stayed at this half-timber former hunting lodge, which, with manicured gardens within three ravishing acres of parkland at the edge of the Fontainebleau forest, is an ideal spot for anyone who loves the outdoors—trophy heads, wooden beams, and a roaring fire in winter perpetuate the 19th-century lodge feel, while the old-fashioned, wallpapered rooms offer most 21st-century conveniences (including Jacuzzis), albeit with period antiques. The dining room is a picture of rustic elegance and the constantly changing menu focuses on whatever seasonal game is available from the surrounding forest: wild duck, partridge, pheasant, wild boar, and deer along with some excellent regional cheeses. A cozy wood-paneled bistro opens onto a pretty terrace overlooking the pool in summer.