Restaurant in Boismorand, France
Weekend escape that earns its drive from Paris.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
| 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 |
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.
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.
Arrive with time to spare , the grounds, the building, and the cellar are part of the experience, not just the dining room. The menu spans both a concise option and a longer tasting format; first-timers should lean toward the tasting menu to get the full picture of what the kitchen does. Every menu offers a plant-based default, which is worth knowing if anyone in your party eats that way. Book direct by email or phone, and plan to stay overnight if you can: the drive back to Paris after a full tasting menu and wine pairing is not the right end to the evening.
Yes, specifically for occasions where the setting and the overnight stay matter as much as the meal. A Michelin star, Relais & Châteaux membership, a serious wine cellar, and a 17th-century property with century-old trees on the grounds make a strong combined argument for anniversaries and milestone birthdays. If you want a special-occasion dinner closer to Paris without the overnight commitment, you have more options , but for a full escape-and-celebrate format, Auberge des Templiers is well-suited.
Four to six weeks minimum for weekend dinner, longer during French school holidays and the August peak. The venue draws from Paris as a weekend destination, which compresses availability on Fridays and Saturdays. Midweek in October, November, February, or March is the easiest window. Do not assume last-minute availability at a Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux property , book as soon as your dates are confirmed.
The venue is a Relais & Châteaux inn with a full dining room, so group bookings are possible, but confirm capacity and private dining options directly with the restaurant at templiers@relaischateaux.com or +33 (0)2 38 31 80 01. Larger groups at this tier of venue typically need to book further out and may need to confirm a set menu format in advance. For groups of six or more, contact well ahead of your target date.
Auberge des Templiers is the dominant fine-dining address in Boismorand , for direct local alternatives at a comparable level, the options are thin. If you are willing to travel within the Loire Valley region, the broader Boismorand restaurants guide covers what is available nearby. For a similar rural-auberge format at Michelin level elsewhere in France, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern and Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse are the natural comparisons in format and spirit.
The tasting menu is the clearest way to see what the kitchen does. Within that, the pressed duck with its sauce reduction is the dish most cited in relation to the kitchen's classical strengths. Game dishes in autumn and winter are the seasonal peak. If you are visiting in a plant-forward mood, the kitchen's 4-radish We're Smart rating means the vegetable-led menu path is a deliberate offering, not an afterthought. Ask the sommelier to draw from the cellar rather than the standard list , the cellar is a genuine asset at this address.
No dress code is published, but the combination of Michelin star, Relais & Châteaux membership, and a formal 17th-century dining room sets clear expectations. Smart dress for dinner is the safe default , jacket for men is unlikely to be enforced but will read correctly in the room. Overly casual dress (trainers, shorts, streetwear) would feel out of register. For lunch, the standard is slightly more relaxed, but smart-casual is still appropriate.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auberge des Templiers | Modern Cuisine | On tour in France with We're Smart, we discovered this culinary temple: L'Auberge des Templiers. Chef Kévin Stroh is the culinary leader here, and with his team they make guests feel truly welcome. Every menu offers the choice of going plant-based by default. And yes, in France that's not so obvious. Even in such rather traditional-looking place, it is clear that they are on board with the vegetable trend and what today's guest expects culinary. Congratulations on the 4 radishes and welcome to the We're Smart movement.; Category: Chef's; HIGHLIGHTS: • 18TH-CENTURY COACHING INN • PEACEFUL RETREAT • 2 HOURS FROM PARIS • GOURMET EXPERIENCE DIRECTIONS & ACCESS: Website and contact information E-mail: templiers@relaischateaux.com Tel. : +33 (0)2 38 31 80 01 MEMBER SINCE: 4.2/5; Some things never go out of fashion… This quintessential Sologne posthouse with a half-timbered, pink brick façade and stone walls that date back to the 17C, boasts former guests of the likes of none other than Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalier. Take a seat in this timeless setting, depicted by massive oak beams, Gien earthenware and crystal glassware and admire the grounds planted with century-old trees. The enticingly entitled concise menu and tasting menu mingle classical roots with a hint of modernity. While seafood is a firm fixture (splendid tartare of red mullet in a gutsy jus), the chef avows a weakness for red meat and game in particular. A former sauce chef, he coats his pressed duck in an intense sauce, spiked with pear and zest of confit bergamot. The wine cellar, home to some exceptional vintages, will knock the socks off some of the most blasé wine buffs!; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
