Wanderful,
We will be in Chartres in October and anxious to have a nice lunch. Can you tell me about Le Vielle Maison's food, prices, reservations and any other tips on Chartres? Merci.

MAP:

First, you may want to take a look at how La Vielle Maison is characterized in both the 2007 Paris editions of Fodor’s and Frommer’s. Both are very positive reviews.

I don’t have the restaurant’s URL but I did google it before I left for Paris last month. It is in French.

La Vielle Maison is about a block from the cathedral. It’s in a 14th-century building. The quiet, sheltered dining room is filled with flowers and is centered on a narrow ceiling vault, which is crafted of chiseled 9th-century white stone blocks. There is ample room between tables, and the atmosphere is subdued without being mournful.

La Vielle Maison is expensive. I go there to splurge, opting for an a la carte approach. As I recall, for lunch, they have a pair of prix fixe options, one for 36 euros per person, another for 48 euros per person, if I’m not mistaken. As I mentioned, I went there twice last month. Twice I had there snail cassoulette as a starter (the sauce was so good, I almost exhausted their supply of bread), one time their veal with diced pumpkin and mushrooms in a wine sauce as a main course (the best veal I’ve ever had, without question), another time their roasted pigeon with peas and carrots (terrific), twice their lovely cheese cart, and both times their wondrous apple tart with walnut ice cream. They give you little pumpkin breads soon after you’re seated and follow with a small, complimentary melon soup. I always start out with an aperitif, exploit their varied and fascinating wine list, and always finish with an espresso and then a Poire William, a pear brandy indigenous to Alsace. My bill ranges from 125 to 140 euros for my solo lunch.

The service is warm yet utterly professional. The waiters appreciate my enthusiasm, without getting giddy themselves.

I’ve eaten there three times, and at the conclusion of each meal, while happily sated, I become a little melancholy, thinking that life will probably never get better than this. (So far, I’ve been right.)

If you go to Chartres, you should visit the International Center of Stained Glass (Centre International du Vitrail), a few blocks from the cathedral; the Musée des Beaux-Arts behind the cathedral; and La Galerie du Vitrail, a stained-glass gallery adjacent to the cathedral, where you can purchase stained-glass artwork and publications. I bought a 12-inch by 18-inch semi-abstract representation of the town and cathedral when I was there and had it shipped. It arrived a week after I got home, and I love it more than when I first purchased it.

Now if La Vielle Maison could only beam me Star-Trek-style the courses from their wonderful kitchen.

Hey thanks guys! I'm planning to be in Chartres from Paris either in Aug or in Oct. I've copied & saved this info. I'm planning to really savor this place -- sounds great!

s

Wow, sounds wonderful. Thanks for the info, will save for our April trip. Need to dress up for lunch?

this may have been covered in some earlier thread on Chartres but in case it was not, you should be sure to try to see one of Malcolm Mille's tours at Chartres. We took a tour with him many years ago and he is apparently still there after almost 50 years
http://www.vidimus.org/archive/issue...6_2007-04.html

One of our favorite meals in France was dinner at Le Buisson Ardent--10 rue au Lait in Chartres. It is in a 300 year old house near the cathedral. We were there in 2001 so it may have changed. Had wonderful prawns for an entree and poached pears for dessert.

A convenient place for a good lunch is Le Cafe Serpente just across the street from the cathedral. If you're standing in front of the cathedral, it's to the right.

A mini review found when I Googled "Serpente Chartres": Bustling brasserie and great people watching, right on cathedral square : Le Café Serpente - 2, Cloître Notre Dame - 28000 Chartres , Tel : 33 2 37 21 68 81"

This is such superb information, Wanderful, and I apologize for taking so long to respond. Life has thrown us a few curves in June and July, but we are still looking forward to our Paris trip and our Chartres experience. La Vielle Maison will help anyone forget his woes! Wow, what a place. Thank you.

I don't know that restaurant, but if you are going to google it, isn't the name really La Vieille Maison? Vielle is an arcane French word that I doubt would be the name of a restaurant (although one never knows--it is a musical instrument). You can usually find the best info by spelling it correctly, if it really is the word for old in French.

Christina:

I checked my restaurant bills from La Vieille Maison.

You are right. I left out an ”i” in my spelling. Sorry, everyone.

The above spelling is correct.

wanderful