Restaurant in Boismorand, France · Inside Auberge des Templiers
Auberge des Templiers
725Pearl PointsWeekend escape that earns its drive from Paris.
About Auberge des Templiers
A Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux inn in Boismorand, roughly two hours from Paris, with a 17th-century dining room, a serious wine cellar, and a kitchen that holds a 4-radish We're Smart rating for its plant-forward approach. Best suited to overnight celebratory visits; book four to six weeks ahead for weekend dinner. Dinner over lunch, always.
Who Should Book Auberge des Templiers
If you are planning a celebratory weekend escape within two hours of Paris — an anniversary, a significant birthday, or simply a long-overdue splurge in the Loire Valley — Auberge des Templiers is built for exactly that occasion. The 17th-century coaching inn in Boismorand holds a Michelin star (2024) and a 4-radish rating from We're Smart, which signals a kitchen that takes vegetables seriously even within a traditionally meat-forward French canon. If you want a one-night-or-two-night Relais & Châteaux stay anchored by a serious dinner, this is the right address. If you want a quick bistro lunch on the way south, it is not.
The Experience
The building does most of the work before you sit down: half-timbered façade, pink brick, stone walls, and century-old trees on the grounds. Inside, oak beams and Gien earthenware set a register that is firmly classical without feeling museum-like. The wine cellar is a genuine draw , reportedly deep in exceptional vintages , and for guests returning after a first visit, requesting a guided cellar selection before dinner is the clearest upgrade available.
Chef Thibault Nizard leads the kitchen, with the cuisine spanning a concise menu and a tasting menu that run classical French technique against modern instincts. The kitchen's background in saucemanship shows: pressed duck with an intense reduction, lifted with pear and confit bergamot zest, is the kind of dish that justifies the detour. Red meat and game are consistent strengths. Seafood appears reliably, with red mullet tartare in a bold jus representing the lighter end of the menu. Importantly for guests with dietary preferences, every menu offers a plant-based path by default , unusual for a venue of this formality in rural France, and directly recognised by the We're Smart 4-radish award.
Lunch vs Dinner: Which to Book
Dinner is the intended format here. The setting, the wine cellar depth, the tasting menu length, and the Relais & Châteaux hotel context all point toward an evening experience where you are not watching the clock. Lunch is available and represents a more accessible entry point in terms of pacing and likely price, but the full case for Auberge des Templiers , the cellar, the unhurried progression through the menu, the grounds at dusk , is made at dinner. If you are driving through and considering a midday stop, the kitchen is capable enough to justify it, but you will be leaving before the venue shows its leading hand. For a return visit, book dinner and stay overnight.
Booking Window
Book at least four to six weeks ahead for weekend dinner tables, longer for peak French holiday periods (late July through August, and the Christmas-New Year window). As a Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux property roughly two hours from Paris, Auberge des Templiers draws a well-organised clientele , last-minute availability on a Saturday night should not be assumed. Midweek bookings in shoulder season (October, early November, February, March) are more forgiving, and if your schedule is flexible, that is the window to aim for. Contact the property directly via email at templiers@relaischateaux.com or by phone at +33 (0)2 38 31 80 01.
Ratings at a Glance
- Michelin: 1 Star (2024)
- We're Smart: 4 Radishes (plant-forward recognition)
- Google: 4.2 / 5 (733 reviews)
- Relais & Châteaux: Member
Practical Details
| Detail | Auberge des Templiers | Typical Peer (Paris 1-star) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Boismorand, Sologne (rural) | City-centre Paris |
| Drive from Paris | ~2 hours | N/A |
| Booking difficulty | Hard (4–6 weeks min) | Hard to Very Hard |
| Hotel on site | Yes (Relais & Châteaux) | Sometimes |
| Plant-based menu | Yes, by default | Rarely default |
| Contact | templiers@relaischateaux.com | Varies |
How to Get the Most from a Return Visit
On a second trip, move from the concise menu to the full tasting menu and ask the sommelier to build a pairing from the cellar rather than the standard list. The game dishes in autumn and winter are where the kitchen's classical strengths are clearest , if your first visit was in spring or summer, returning between October and January gives you a materially different menu. The plant-based route is worth exploring even for committed meat-eaters: a kitchen awarded 4 radishes by We're Smart is doing something deliberate with vegetables, not simply accommodating requests.
Further Exploration
For more options in the area, see our full Boismorand restaurants guide, our full Boismorand hotels guide, our full Boismorand bars guide, our full Boismorand wineries guide, and our full Boismorand experiences guide.
For context on what a Michelin-starred auberge experience looks like elsewhere in rural France, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern and Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse are useful comparisons. For ambitious tasting-menu destinations further afield, Flocons de Sel in Megève, Mirazur in Menton, Bras in Laguiole, Troisgros in Ouches, Assiette Champenoise in Reims, Au Crocodile in Strasbourg, AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, and Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or all offer points of comparison. For international modern cuisine benchmarks, see Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Frantzén in Stockholm, and FZN by Björn Frantzén in Dubai.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a first-timer know about Auberge des Templiers?
Go in with the right expectations: this is a Relais & Châteaux property in rural Sologne, about two hours from Paris, built around a 17th-century coaching inn with serious architectural presence. The kitchen holds a Michelin star and a 4-radish rating from We're Smart, so the food matches the setting. First-timers should book the tasting menu rather than the concise menu to get the full picture, and factor in a room if you want to enjoy the wine cellar without a long drive back.
Is Auberge des Templiers good for a special occasion?
Yes, this is one of the stronger cases for a celebratory overnight in the Paris day-trip radius. The combination of a Michelin-starred kitchen, a Relais & Châteaux hotel, century-old grounds, and a wine cellar deep enough to impress serious collectors makes it well-suited to anniversaries or significant birthdays. It works better as a one- or two-night stay than a single dinner, so budget accordingly.
How far ahead should I book Auberge des Templiers?
Four to six weeks ahead for weekend dinners is a reliable minimum. For peak French holiday periods — late July through August and the Christmas-New Year stretch — book further out, as both the restaurant and hotel rooms fill together. Reach the property directly via templiers@relaischateaux.com or +33 (0)2 38 31 80 01.
Can Auberge des Templiers accommodate groups?
The venue's Relais & Châteaux hotel format means it can handle private dining or group stays more readily than a standalone city restaurant. For groups of six or more, check the venue's official channels at templiers@relaischateaux.com to discuss room availability and any private dining arrangements. The tasting menu format works well for groups when everyone is aligned on the format and timing.
What are alternatives to Auberge des Templiers in Boismorand?
Boismorand itself has no direct equivalent at this level, so the practical comparison is against other Michelin-starred country escapes within the Paris two-hour radius. For a similar inn-with-rooms format but closer to Paris, look at options in the Loire Valley or Burgundy. If you want Michelin-starred cooking without the overnight commitment, the comparison shifts to Paris destinations, where venues like Kei or Le Cinq offer comparable kitchen credentials in the city.
What should I order at Auberge des Templiers?
The tasting menu is the format this kitchen is built around, and the We're Smart 4-radish rating confirms that the plant-based menu option is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a fallback. The Michelin citation specifically references the pressed duck in an intense sauce with pear and confit bergamot zest as a signal of the chef's classical French technique. Ask the sommelier to build a wine pairing from the cellar rather than defaulting to the standard list.
What should I wear to Auberge des Templiers?
The setting — oak beams, Gien earthenware, crystal glassware, a half-timbered 17th-century inn — signals a formal-leaning dress code. A jacket for men and equivalent evening wear for women is appropriate and expected for dinner. The Relais & Châteaux membership places it firmly in the category where dressing down would feel out of step with the room.
Location
N7, 45290 Boismorand, France
Compare Auberge des Templiers
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auberge des Templiers | Modern Cuisine | Hard | |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
| Kei | Contemporary French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
| L'Ambroisie | French, Classic Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
| Mirazur | Modern French, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Boismorand for this tier.
Also Consider
- Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Creative, €€€€
- Kei, Contemporary French, Modern Cuisine, €€€€
- L'Ambroisie, French, Classic Cuisine, €€€€
- Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V, French, Modern Cuisine, €€€€
- Mirazur, Modern French, Creative, €€€€
How It Compares
Auberge des Templiers occupies a different position from its Parisian peers on the comparison list. L'Ambroisie and Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V both operate in Paris at three-star level, offering a higher ceiling of technical precision and service formality, but neither gives you the country-house overnight, the Sologne grounds, or the escape from the city that Auberge des Templiers is selling. If the meal itself is the entire point and you want the highest possible Michelin credential, those Paris addresses outrank it. If the context, the inn, the setting, the weekend format, matters as much as the food, Auberge des Templiers makes a stronger argument.
Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen and Kei are both three-star Paris destinations skewed toward creative and contemporary formats, more technically ambitious than Auberge des Templiers, harder to book, and significantly more expensive. For diners whose priority is the cutting edge of French or Franco-Japanese cuisine, those are the correct choices. For diners who want a one-star experience inside a genuine historic property with hotel accommodation and a wine cellar worth exploring, Auberge des Templiers is better value and more distinctive in format.
Mirazur in Menton is the most direct philosophical parallel in the comparison set, a destination restaurant outside Paris with strong produce credentials and a setting that is part of the proposition. Mirazur operates at a higher star level and is considerably harder to book, with a longer travel commitment from most French cities. Auberge des Templiers is the more accessible choice for a Paris-based traveller who wants a serious destination meal without a full southern France trip. For a weekend escape anchored by a Michelin dinner, it delivers the format more efficiently than any of the Paris alternatives.
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