Auberge du XIIème Siècle

Balzac used to wander next door to the château, and the half-timbered inn he'd have passed on the way still has its ivy, exposed beams, and stone fireplace. This is a Michelin-starred restaurant where the cooking is modern but quietly rooted in the Loire valley, with poultry, trout, saffron, and cheese all sourced from farms you could drive to in an afternoon. The sauces in particular tend to linger in the memory long after the bill.

One honor, in evidence: