Auberge Larochette

Verdict: A Michelin-Recognised Country Auberge That Rewards the Drive

The assumption most visitors make about Auberge Larochette is that it is a functional roadside stop in rural Burgundy — the kind of place you eat at because you are already in Bourgvilain, not because you planned to be. That assumption is wrong. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) signal that the kitchen is producing food the guide considers worth documenting, and at the €€ price tier, it is one of the more credible value propositions for traditional French cuisine in the Saône-et-Loire. If you are planning a day in the Mâconnais wine country or passing through on the way to Cluny, Auberge Larochette earns a deliberate booking rather than an opportunistic stop.

The Setting and the Room

Bourgvilain sits in the hill country between the Mâconnais vineyards and the forests surrounding Cluny, and Auberge Larochette reads visually as the kind of French country inn that the region still does well: stone walls, a dining room that feels proportioned for the village it serves, and a pace that is noticeably different from Paris or Lyon. For a special occasion in a rural context, that aesthetic matters. This is not a minimalist design hotel restaurant — it is a room where the visual language is about comfort, local materials, and a sense of place that urban venues can only simulate. If you are driving from the north, the approach through the Burgundy hills frames the experience before you have even parked. For a celebration dinner or a significant anniversary meal away from the city, the setting does genuine work.

What the Kitchen Delivers

The cuisine type is listed as Traditional Cuisine, which in the French regional context means dishes rooted in Burgundian and broader French classical technique: the kind of cooking that prioritises produce, proper saucing, and restraint over novelty. Michelin's Plate recognition , awarded in both 2024 and 2025 , indicates food quality that the guide considers sound but not yet at star level. That is a meaningful signal: the Plate is not handed out for adequacy, but it also tells you this is not a three-hour tasting menu destination. The honest framing is that you are getting competent, Michelin-acknowledged traditional French cooking at a price point well below what equivalent recognition costs in Lyon or Paris. For the Mâconnais, that combination is relatively rare.

What the database does not provide is specific dish information, so if you have firm dietary requirements or want to know the current menu in detail, contact the restaurant directly or check for any updated menu listings before booking. Do not arrive expecting a set tasting menu format without confirming it is offered , traditional auberges of this type typically run à la carte alongside a plat du jour structure, but that should be verified.

Brunch and Weekend Service: What to Expect

For visitors considering a weekend or late-morning visit, Auberge Larochette fits a specific type of Burgundy itinerary well. The Mâconnais is wine country, and the logical pattern for a weekend here involves a morning winemaker visit, a long lunch anchored at a reliable kitchen, and an afternoon exploring the Cluny abbey or the surrounding countryside. A traditional auberge at this price tier and with this level of recognition is well-suited to that format. Weekend lunch at a venue like this tends to be the service where the kitchen is most focused and the room is liveliest, and in rural Burgundy that typically means arriving between noon and 12:30 to secure a table and avoid the mid-service rush. Hours are not confirmed in the available data, so call ahead , this is non-negotiable for a special occasion visit, particularly if you are driving a distance.

For a celebration meal in this region, the context of the weekend lunch format is worth considering: a long, unhurried meal in a Michelin-recognised country auberge, with Mâcon wines by the bottle and Burgundy hills outside, delivers an experience that is harder to replicate in the city. It is the kind of meal that justifies the drive. See our full Bourgvilain restaurants guide for the broader picture of what the area offers.

Booking and Logistics

Booking difficulty is easy by Pearl's assessment. This is not a venue where you need to plan six weeks out or refresh a reservations page at midnight. A few days' notice should be sufficient for most dates, though weekend lunches during peak summer season (July and August) in Burgundy attract more visitors, so booking a week ahead for those periods is sensible. The address is 110 route des Enceints, 71520 Bourgvilain. No direct booking URL or phone number is confirmed in the available data , search the venue name directly or check for a current listing through French restaurant directories. For planning the wider trip, our Bourgvilain hotels guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the surrounding area.

Price and Value

At the €€ tier, Auberge Larochette is priced significantly below venues with comparable Michelin recognition in larger French cities. For context: a Michelin Plate in Paris or Lyon at the €€ level is increasingly hard to find , the cost of doing business in those markets has pushed most recognised kitchens into the €€€ range. In rural Burgundy, the maths work differently, and a two-course lunch with a glass of local Mâcon white should remain within a budget that would not cover a starter at some of the comparison venues listed elsewhere on this page. That price-to-recognition ratio is the clearest reason to book here if you are in the region.

How It Compares

For regional context, Troisgros - Le Bois sans Feuilles in Ouches and Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern represent what French country auberge cooking looks like at the starred level , more ambitious, considerably more expensive, and harder to book. Flocons de Sel in Megève and Mirazur in Menton are in a different category entirely. Auberge Larochette is the right choice when you want Michelin-acknowledged traditional French cooking without the price or booking friction of the starred tier. For other traditional cuisine venues at a similar tier, Cave à Vin & à Manger - Maison Saint-Crescent in Narbonne and Auberge Grand'Maison in Mûr-de-Bretagne are comparable benchmarks in other French regions. Also worth knowing about: Bras in Laguiole, Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, Assiette Champenoise in Reims, Au Crocodile in Strasbourg, and Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse for a broader map of serious French regional cooking. Also browse our Bourgvilain bars guide if you want to extend the evening locally.

Quick Comparison

Google Rating

Auberge Larochette holds a 4.5 out of 5 based on 456 Google reviews , a volume large enough to be meaningful for a village restaurant, and a score that aligns with the Michelin Plate recognition. The consistency between the guide's assessment and public reviews is a reasonable confidence signal.