Where to Stay and Eat in Champagne and the Ardennes

First published: February 3, 2017 by Dominic Bliss

The best restaurants and hotels in the region, plus some hidden secrets only the locals know about.

TOP HOTEL-RESTAURANTS

La Maison de Rhodes

Right in the historic centre of Troyes, this former priory has been beautifully restored into a five-star hotel with a lovely garden, medieval courtyard and swimming pool. It’s now twinned with the four-star Le Champ des Oiseaux. www.maisonderhodes.com

Les Crayères

This beautiful château offers hotel rooms and a Michelin-starred restaurant called Le Jardin, where chef Philippe Mille aims to “put the world’s best-known sparkling wine back where it belongs, at the zenith of the gastronomic universe”. www.lescrayeres.com

Domaine Château du Faucon

In a 28-hectare park, between a river and a lake, this four-star château-hôtel has a sauna, jacuzzi, tennis, golf chipping green, bike hire and a great restaurant overseen by chef Christophe Quentin. www.domaine-chateaufaucon.com

Les Crayères, home to a Michelin-starred
restaurant, Le Jardin

Hôtel Jean Moët

This four-star hotel in Épernay offers an ideal base from which to explore the region. Its knowledgable staff can help in choosing your trips, and it’s close to the Avenue de Champagne, beneath which lie 110km of cellars. www.hoteljeanmoet.com

Au Petit Château

For an informal stay in the Ardennes, this charming B&B has five distinctive, grape-themed guest rooms plus a gîte. The renovated townhouse resides in Bar-sur-Seine on the Route Touristique de Champagne of the Côte des Bar. www.aupetitchateau.fr

Auberge des Moissons

During the autumn months you’ll be able to indulge yourself in the restaurant’s truffle menu, stocked thanks to the owner’s nearby Champagne truffle farm, where he and his trusty dog unearth the region’s finest tubers. www.auberge-des-moissons.com

Auberge de l’Abbaye

Many of the dishes on this hotel-restaurant’s menu, including the beef and lamb, are sourced from the owner’s organic farm. www.auberge-de-labbaye.com

Balthazar: Hôtel Jean Moët’s suites are
themed on champagne bottle sizes

TOP RESTAURANTS

Café du Palais

This wonderful Reims restaurant is an Art Deco treasure trove with a very impressive champagne wine menu. www.cafedupalais.fr

O Délices des Papilles

At this boldly named restaurant just north of Lac du Der (the name means something like, Oh! Delights of the Tastebuds) chef Denis Chatelet and sommelier Claude Hornero-Ramirez will do their best to deliver on the promise made by the house’s name. www.odelicesdespapilles.fr

Le Valentino

Le Valentino in Troyes, with lovely indoor and terrace seating, has a varied and adventurous menu that includes scallops, roasted John Dory, lobster ravioli, foie gras, pig’s trotters and roasted figs. www.levalentino.com