Restaurant in Bernay, France
Michelin-recognised value, no fuss booking.
Le Moulin Fouret is the strongest value case for a special-occasion meal in the Bernay area, holding Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in both 2024 and 2025 under chef Cédric Auger. A converted Norman mill setting, easy booking, and a 4.7 Google rating across 607 reviews make it the default recommendation for visitors to the Eure who want credentialled modern cooking without the cost or commitment of a starred room.
Getting a table here is not the challenge — booking Le Moulin Fouret is easy by the standards of serious French cooking, and that accessibility is part of its appeal. The harder question is whether the drive out to Treis-Sants-en-Ouche, a rural commune outside Bernay in Normandy's Eure department, is worth the detour. For a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner in both 2024 and 2025, the answer is yes — but with clear conditions. If you are already in the region, or willing to build a day around it, Le Moulin Fouret delivers the kind of value-forward modern cooking that makes the Bib Gourmand designation meaningful. If you are driving from Paris specifically for dinner, calibrate expectations: this is a countryside restaurant that earns its recognition through quality relative to price, not through the spectacle of a destination dining room.
The physical space is the first thing that will shape your experience. A converted mill in the Norman countryside means low ceilings, stone and timber, and the kind of intimate scale that makes a meal feel genuinely removed from urban dining. The room is not large , seating at this type of converted rural property typically runs in the range of a few dozen covers , which means the atmosphere is contained and personal rather than grand. For a special occasion, that intimacy works in your favour: you are not competing with a loud room or a hotel dining operation for the kitchen's attention. The mill setting also means that the space itself does some of the occasion-making work, particularly for a celebratory lunch or a dinner marking something personal. If you need a room with visual drama, the mill aesthetic delivers it without pretension.
At the €€ price tier, the service question at Le Moulin Fouret is not whether it matches a three-star brigade , it should not, and you should not expect it to. The relevant question is whether the service style is proportionate to what you are paying and appropriate to the occasion you are planning. A 4.7 Google rating across 607 reviews suggests consistent execution across a wide range of guest experiences, which is meaningful evidence that the room does not fall apart on busy weekends or during peak season. For a special occasion dinner at this price point in rural Normandy, that consistency matters more than formality. You are likely to encounter attentive, unfussy service rather than choreographed tableside theatre , which, for most diners choosing a Bib Gourmand over a starred room, is exactly right. Chef Cédric Auger's kitchen operating at the Bib Gourmand level for consecutive years suggests the front-of-house has enough stability to hold its standard.
Where service genuinely earns the price here is in the proposition itself: modern cuisine in a characterful Norman mill, recognised by Michelin two years running, at a price point that does not require a financial commitment to justify the booking. Compared to the €€€€ rooms that dominate serious French fine dining, Le Moulin Fouret asks far less of your wallet while still operating inside the Michelin framework. That is a service of its own kind.
Le Moulin Fouret works leading for couples or small groups looking for a special-occasion meal that does not carry the formality or cost of a starred room. It is a strong choice for a birthday lunch, an anniversary dinner, or a meal that marks a visit to Normandy with something better than the regional average. Groups wanting a genuinely celebratory setting without the pressure of a tasting-menu-only format will find the environment accommodating. Solo diners or business meals where conversation matters will benefit from the intimate scale of the room. It is not the right call if your priority is the full ceremony of French haute cuisine , for that, you need a starred address.
| Detail | Le Moulin Fouret | Typical Bib Gourmand peer | Typical €€€€ French fine dining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | €€ | €€–€€€ | €€€€ |
| Michelin recognition | Bib Gourmand 2024, 2025 | Bib Gourmand | 1–3 stars |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Easy–Moderate | Difficult–Very difficult |
| Setting | Converted mill, rural Normandy | Variable | Urban or hotel dining room |
| Guest rating | 4.7 / 5 (607 reviews) | Typically 4.3–4.6 | Variable |
| Leading for | Special occasions, regional visitors | Casual-smart dining | Destination dining, corporate |
Booking is direct. No multi-week lead times, no release-day scramble. Contact the restaurant directly to reserve. Given the intimate scale of the room, booking ahead for weekend dinners and any special-occasion visit is sensible , not because demand is crushing, but because the room is small enough that a full house is reached with fewer covers than a city restaurant. Confirm your reservation before travelling if you are driving a meaningful distance.
The Bib Gourmand is Michelin's designation for restaurants offering good cooking at a reasonable price. Consecutive recognition in 2024 and 2025 under chef Cédric Auger confirms this is not a one-cycle anomaly , the kitchen is operating consistently enough to hold the award. For a frame of reference, France's Bib Gourmand list sits below the star tier but above the generic regional restaurant pool. Compared to destinations like Mirazur in Menton, Flocons de Sel in Megève, or Troisgros in Ouches, Le Moulin Fouret is asking a fraction of the price and a fraction of the booking effort. It belongs to a different category , but within that category, two consecutive Bib Gourmand years is a credential worth respecting. For broader Norman and French regional dining context, see Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, Bras in Laguiole, or Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse as points of comparison at the starred tier. Closer to home, explore our full Bernay restaurants guide for additional options, and see our Bernay hotels guide if you are planning an overnight stay to make the most of the trip. The Bernay bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide round out the picture for a full regional visit.
Yes, clearly. At the €€ tier with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, this is modern cuisine priced well below what comparable Michelin-recognised cooking costs in Paris or at the starred level anywhere in France. The value case is direct: you are getting a credentialled kitchen in a characterful setting without the financial commitment of a fine dining room.
Yes , it is well suited to it. The mill setting gives the meal a sense of occasion without requiring black-tie formality. Bib Gourmand recognition means the cooking clears a quality bar that justifies a celebratory dinner. For a birthday, anniversary, or a meal marking a trip to Normandy, the combination of setting, price, and consistent quality makes a strong case. It is a better special-occasion choice than most restaurants at this price point, though if you need the full ceremony of starred French dining, you would need to look at the €€€€ tier.
Specific menu formats are not confirmed in our data, so we cannot verify whether a tasting menu is offered or what it costs. What the Bib Gourmand designation does confirm is that the kitchen delivers good cooking at a reasonable price , Michelin's own standard for the award. Contact the restaurant directly to ask about current menu options before booking if a tasting format is important to your decision.
We do not have verified signature dish information, so we will not speculate on specific plates. Given chef Cédric Auger's modern cuisine positioning and the Norman setting, you can reasonably expect the menu to draw on regional produce. Ask the front of house for current recommendations when you arrive , at this scale of restaurant, they will know what the kitchen is doing well that week.
No dress code is specified. At a €€ Bib Gourmand restaurant in rural Normandy, smart casual is the practical answer: not jeans-and-trainers, but no need for a suit. Think of the standard you would apply to a good neighbourhood bistro for a birthday dinner. The setting is relaxed enough that over-dressing would feel out of place.
The location matters most. This is not a city-centre restaurant , it is in Treis-Sants-en-Ouche, outside Bernay, so you need a car or a plan. Beyond that: the Bib Gourmand is the relevant quality signal here, not stars, so adjust expectations accordingly. You are going for well-executed modern cooking at a fair price in a distinctive room, not for the spectacle of a tasting-menu occasion. That is a good deal , just arrive knowing what it is.
We do not have confirmed seat count data, but mill conversions of this type typically run to a relatively small room. For larger groups (8 or more), contact the restaurant directly before booking to confirm availability and whether the layout can accommodate your party. Smaller groups of 2–4 should have no difficulty booking through normal channels.
Within the Bernay area, options at a comparable or higher tier are limited , which is part of why Le Moulin Fouret's consecutive Bib Gourmand recognition carries weight locally. For a step up in formality and price, you would be looking at starred addresses further afield in Normandy. For broader French dining context at the leading end, Assiette Champenoise in Reims and Au Crocodile in Strasbourg offer points of comparison at the starred level. See our full Bernay restaurants guide for the most current local alternatives.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Moulin Fouret | Modern Cuisine | €€ | Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | Easy | — |
| 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 | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Groups of four to six are feasible, but the converted mill setting means the dining room is intimate and space is finite. Book well ahead for any party larger than four. For a large corporate dinner or celebration requiring a private room, a city-based venue will serve you better. Le Moulin Fouret is at its best for small gatherings where the Bib Gourmand-level cooking is the draw.
Two things: the setting is a working Norman mill in the countryside outside Bernay, so you will need a car, and the experience is the opposite of a formal starred room. Chef Cédric Auger's kitchen has held the Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025, which means Michelin-recognised cooking at a price point — €€ — that does not require a special occasion to justify. Come expecting relaxed, serious food rather than ceremony.
The mill setting and €€ price tier point to relaxed rather than formal dress. Neat, comfortable clothes are appropriate. You do not need to dress for a starred room, but turning up in beach wear at a Bib Gourmand-recognised restaurant would be out of step with the context.
Yes, specifically for couples or small groups who want a memorable meal without the formality or cost of a starred restaurant. Back-to-back Bib Gourmand recognition (2024 and 2025) under Cédric Auger gives it real culinary credibility. The rural Norman mill setting adds atmosphere. If your idea of a special occasion requires a full brigade, a dress code, and a wine sommelier, look to a starred room instead.
At the €€ price tier with consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, the value case is strong. The Bib Gourmand exists precisely to flag this trade-off: good cooking at a price that does not demand justification. If you are weighing it against starred restaurants in the region, the gap in cost is significant and the quality is Michelin-acknowledged at this level.
Specific menu formats are not confirmed in available details, so it would be worth checking directly with the restaurant when booking. What is confirmed is that Michelin's Bib Gourmand panel recognised the kitchen's cooking at its price point in both 2024 and 2025 — which is the clearest external indicator that the food delivers at the format offered.
Bernay does not have a deep bench of recognised fine dining. If you are already travelling into Normandy, Le Moulin Fouret is the most credentialled option in the immediate area. For a step up in formality and cost, the nearest Michelin-starred rooms are in Rouen or further toward Paris. If the appeal is Bib Gourmand-level value in the French countryside, Le Moulin Fouret is the relevant benchmark locally.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
