Fodor's Expert Review Le Grand Écuyer

Editor's Note: This location is no longer in operation.

At this writing, news had arrived that Yves Thuriès's famed landmark could close, a shame since this perfectly preserved Gothic mansion—built as a hunting lodge for the count of Toulouse, Raymond VII—enjoys a dramatic hilltop setting, flamboyantly medieval decor (that isn't for everyone), and a superlative restaurant that kings and queens have favored. A stage-set filled with time-burnished ancestral portraits, suits of armor, and four-poster beds, the best guest rooms here—Planol, Horizon, and Ciel—come with views of the rolling countryside. Some insist on booking the Raymond VII salon, a favorite of novelist Albert Camus ("In Cordes everything is beautiful, even regret"). Yves Thuriès is one of the region's best chefs and chocolatiers and his table has drawn such celebrities as King Juan Carlos of Spain and England's queen mother. Menus begin at €43 and culminate in a seven-course "rotating" gourmet extravaganza that costs €84. Delights include the codfish demi-sel with chickpea puree, the pan-seared Brittany lobster with roasted pear and pink grapefruit emulsion, and the white-chocolate-and-pistachio-marbled velouté.