I'll be in Beaune for only one day during our honeymoon trip to France. We are staying at the Hotel Grillon en route from Paris down to our next stop in Orange. Can anyone offer recommendations for lunch and dinner locations? We are also interested in which wineries are friendliest to American travelers. I speak just enough French to get by.

Thanks
Alyssa

La Gourmandin and Ma Cuisine are 2 very good restaurants in the main town square in Beaune.

La Gourmandin is right on Place Carnot and Ma Cuisine (a terrific little bistro on a sidestreet off Place Carnot) both specialize in the region's great dishes and serves good selection of local wines by the glass.

Near the entrance to the hospice de Beaune, a good 1 hour visit is recommended, is Marche aux Vins. You can visit the caves for a nominal fee and you can taste more than 12 decent selections of Burgundian wines, as much as you want, unattended and at your leisure and pace. Then you can purchase the wines at the wine store at he end of the caves. Well worth the visit if you want to get a feel of good Burgundies.

My husband and I spent 4 days in Beaune. We enjoyed La Gourmandin (casual) very much, but one of the best meals we have ever had was at Le Benaton in Beaune. RE wine tasting: We hired a private guide to take us to the wineries (amazing experience), but a nice place to visit and see the cellars is Patriarch in Beaune. The wines for general tasting are not of the best quality, but it is friendly and a fun experience. If you ask they will also take you to their back room for a private tasting of some better quality wines. The people are super nice as well.

Hello Alyssa:

If you have a car and don't mind driving about 10 miles south of Beaune to the village of Chagny on the N74/N6, by all means, have a meal at the Chateau de Bellecroix. It is a former commanderie of the Knights of Malta. I stayed there several yrs ago (when I was madly in love....sigh). In any event, the entrance is a lovely panelled room with replicas of old Masters painting and Louis XV furnishings. The place looks like a miniature castle, indeed.. as I recall, my room was accessible via a turreted, spiral staircase. Drop me a line if I can be of further help..

Regards.
Luis

For one day in Beaune I would not recommend you do anything but see the historic and very beautiful town. I would visit the cave and do the tasting at Patriarche Pere et Fils. I like the unsupervised feeling of the visit; just be ready for a proposal at the end of the visit that you make an investment in some fine wines. If you are buying wine, in town (near the Hospice and behind the Tourist Office) there is the Delagrange tasting room, a very good value and a different presentation from the other shops in Beaune, which seem to be a bit overpriced and pretentious. Be sure to visit the Hospice de Beaune, very unique and historic.