Restaurant Review: Origines, Le Broc

Alexander Lobrano seizes the day and discovers some of France’s finest kitchens. In this article, he visits Origines in Le Broc, Alpes-Maritimes. 

With its magnificent rural landscapes, fresh air and wealth of history, the Auvergne is the perfect destination as many people cautiously begin to travel again after the trauma of Covid-19.

And an ideal place to stay and dine in this welcoming region is Origines, young chef Adrien Descouls’ hotel-restaurant just outside Issoire in the Puy-de-Dôme. The rooms come with sleek contemporary design and most of them have beautiful views over the surrounding countryside, and the service is polished but warm and friendly.

Descouls’ suave, contemporary Auvergnat cooking has rightly won him a Michelin star, and it intrigues by infusing regional dishes and produce with an invigorating modernity. Stopping here for the night recently, the winter menu delighted with steamed foie gras with cabbage; omble (lake fish) with an elegant sabayon boosted by vin jaune from the Jura; three delicious riffs on pot au feu; a magnificent cheese trolley; and two desserts, one made with fermented carrot and the other with clementines and chestnuts.

The quality of the cooking here is outstanding for the money, and the wine list offers an excellent occasion to discover the lesser-known wines of the Auvergne. This place is an excellent stopping point when driving southwards across France, or as a destination all on its own – it is listed, after all, as one of the Plus Beaux Détours de France.

Origines, rue du Clos de la Chaux, Le Broc
Tel. (33) 04 73 71 71 71
www.restaurant-origines.fr
€85, €100, €145.

From France Today magazine