A French city break with amazing food, wine and hotels
Our food columnist and restaurateur Martin Williams takes a city break to Limoges in south-west France
Famous for its AOP-protected cattle, veal and lamb, along with the only apple to enjoy AOP status, the city is of Limoges is not just known for its food: it is renowned for producing some of the finest porcelain in the world, considered superior to bone china.
As one gets older, an appreciation for things like porcelain and wine can grow into a passion. There’s nothing like a vineyard visit to build knowledge and desire. To my surprise, I also loved my visits to the Bernardaud and JL Coquet porcelain factories – the latter a favourite of Gordon Ramsay – a dangerously expensive new obsession.
Here are three hotels I recommend for a city break. All are dog-friendly, as are their respective Michelin-starred restaurants – something we also celebrate in The Evolv Collection: Stars and Dogs.
A French city break in the region
La Chapelle Saint Martin
Only a ten-minute drive from Limoges Airport, this gastro-hotel is run by chef Gilles and his wife Aude Dudognon. The couple have lovingly converted a 19th-century house into a prestigious Relais & Châteaux property with 18 bedrooms, three restaurants and ‘beehive huts’ for picnics in the 40-acre grounds. Their standout restaurants are Jardin Extraordinaire and Dudognon’s Michelin-starred flagship. They also own a 12th-century canteen, La Table du Couvent, in the heart of Limoges, dedicated to a ‘fireplace cooking revival’. The menu proudly features Limousin beef, veal and lamb. We ordered a sirloin and a fillet steak, both cooked to perfection over the open log fire. The wild flames imparted a subtle smokiness that enhanced the extra-aged beef. “The most flavoursome of fillets,” declared Mrs Williams.
Jardin Extraordinaire offers simple but delicious dishes such as pâté en croûte, smoked trout and beef bourguignon – a green, tranquil spot with beautiful views for a rustic country spread. The gastronomic restaurant focuses on regional cuisine with flair. While ‘seasonality’ and ‘sustainability’ are buzzwords in hospitality, here they are a genuine philosophy, evident in a six-course tasting menu. Highlights included foie gras, langoustine with lardo, hake with grapes and a local veal roast with ceps.
A bottle of my favourite Cahors Malbec, the Vigouroux Château de Mercuès (£120), paired beautifully with the veal – a wine also available at Chophouse. The rooms are individual, spacious and homely. A kilometre-long walking trail circles the swimming pool and two lakes, perfect for a morning run or leisurely stroll. Separate cottages suit families, and the hotel’s warm, attentive staff create an atmosphere like a family home at Christmas.
Château de la Trayne, Dordogne
A little further from an airport, but worth the journey, is Château de la Trayne. To reach it, you cross a single-carriage suspension bridge. Halfway across the Dordogne, a magical turreted castle appears and takes your breath away – proof that fairytales are inspired by real places. This magnificent 14th-century castle, expanded in the 17th century, now boasts a modern pool, lush gardens and immaculate interiors.
Think Four Seasons luxury in a historic setting – no dust, damp or heavy curtains here. From the château, you can enjoy a riverside trek or run – ideal for a city break that otherwise involves plenty of hedonism. With stamina, you’ll reach a family property once owned by the late Sir Terence Conran, founder of London’s most prestigious restaurant group, now known as The Evolv Collection, of which I am CEO. It’s almost impossible to look past the panoramic view of the Dordogne, with swallows diving above the river bend. As Taittinger Rosé and petits fours – foie gras wrapped in sesame seeds, trout mousse, white fish soufflé – are served at sunset, the scene becomes even more magical.
The Michelin-starred restaurant Étoile Dordogne offers a Surprise Menu. It begins with what might be the world’s best tomato salad: perfectly poached lobster with a quenelle of green tomato sorbet and a clear tomato concassé so good I drank it. Further courses showcased French gastronomy at its finest – foie gras in a delicate vegetable consommé, river-fresh salmon, Limousin lamb, local cheeses with house chutneys, and a decadent chocolate mousse. A highlight was discovering a Burgundian gem: Pernand-Vergelesses. We adored the 1er Cru Domaine Rapet 2022 (£220), from a northern Beaune vineyard near Corton-Charlemagne. It’s a wine I’ll be hunting like a truffle pig when I return – and January, after all, is truffle season.
Le Vieux Logis
Finally, to Périgord and a stunning 25-bedroom hotel in the village of Trémolat, less than a 30-minute drive from Bergerac Airport and Monbazillac, home to France’s best dessert wines after Sauternes. Le Vieux Logis has been owned by the Giraudel family since 1955, but Bernard Giraudel recently passed the reins to four senior team members – a unique succession plan that preserves the spirit of a family home while ensuring professional excellence.
The Restaurant Gastronomique is run by maître d’ Yves (a Robert De Niro lookalike) and his assistant, who bears a resemblance to a young Ryan Gosling. Chef Vincent Arnould, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France and Michelin-starred since 2005, delivers cuisine of remarkable precision and heart. Amuse-bouches stimulate every tastebud: a tiny leek-and-potato vichyssoise with radicchio, a duck confit bonbon, and battered whiting that evokes seaside memories.
Arnould avoids the excesses of French tasting menus by balancing richness with lightness. A standout was the lobster salad, served three ways – perfectly poached, as a corn and lobster mousse, and as a delicate spring roll. Langoustine tartare with oscietra caviar and perch with courgette tempura and fresh truffle sauce were unforgettable.
Even desserts were finely tuned: a blueberry and basil pre-dessert followed by a hot chocolate and hazelnut creation. No gimmicks, just masterful cooking that makes you want to return to this picture-postcard village again and again.
Book a city break in the region
For La Chapelle Saint Martin go to chapellesaintmartin.com; for Chateau de la Treyne go to chateaudelatreyne.com; for Le Vieux Logis go to vieux-logis.com
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