Auberge de Clochemerle

Verdict

The surprise menu at Auberge de Clochemerle is the reason to book; and it fills fast. This Michelin Plate-recognised auberge in Vaux-en-Beaujolais runs a format where only the ingredients are listed, not the dishes, which means repeat visits genuinely differ. At €€€ pricing, it sits in accessible fine-dining territory for the Beaujolais region. If you have been once and left satisfied, the case for returning is strong: the seasonal rotation and unorthodox flavour pairings mean the menu you ate last time is not the menu you will eat next.

About the Auberge

Auberge de Clochemerle sits at 173 Rue Gabriel Chevallier in Vaux-en-Beaujolais, a village that takes its name from the satirical novel set here. The dining room occupies a stone auberge that feels grounded rather than theatrical; low ceilings, village-scale proportions, the kind of room where a table of two feels as comfortable as a table of six. The spatial experience is intimate without being cramped, the setting inside the winegrowing village reinforces rather than competes with the food.

The kitchen's approach is classically French in structure but deliberately non-regionalist in scope. A Brittany scallop starter paired with Guémené andouille sausage sits alongside Maury-chocolate sauce and Japanese spice notes elsewhere on the menu. That range is the point: the cooking treats French cuisine as a broad country rather than a single postcode. For a returning guest, this means the safest strategy is to trust the format, the surprise menu exists precisely to make the chef's current thinking the organising principle, not your preferences.

The wine list draws from the surrounding Beaujolais appellation, which is reason enough to pay attention to the drinks side of the meal. Beaujolais beyond Nouveau is a category many diners underestimate: Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie from serious producers drink more like light Burgundy than the mass-market impression suggests. A returning visitor who worked through the food last time should spend more attention on the wine list this visit. The regional pairing potential here, local Gamay against the kitchen's mix of classical French and unorthodox seasoning, is one of the better arguments for the price tier. For broader drinks context in the area, see our full Vaux-en-Beaujolais bars guide and our full Vaux-en-Beaujolais wineries guide.

Overnight stays are available in a small number of guestrooms, which changes the calculus for visitors driving from Lyon or further. Staying on-site removes any pressure around wine consumption and gives the village a chance to register properly, Vaux-en-Beaujolais is worth an hour on foot the next morning. For accommodation options across the area, consult our full Vaux-en-Beaujolais hotels guide.

The Michelin Plate (2024) confirms the kitchen's technical competence without overstating it. This is not a destination that requires a special trip from Paris, but if you are already in the Beaujolais or travelling between Lyon and Burgundy, it is the kind of stop that justifies a detour.

For other serious French regional cooking worth comparing on a similar circuit, Troisgros - Le Bois sans Feuilles in Ouches and Paul Bocuse - L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or represent the grander institutional end of the Lyon corridor. Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern and Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse offer comparably intimate auberge formats at higher price and star tiers. Bras in Laguiole is the benchmark for seasonal-ingredient cooking in a rural French setting. Closer to the avant-garde, AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille pushes unorthodox flavour combinations much further than Clochemerle does, at a higher price. Flocons de Sel in Megève is the Alpine equivalent for mountain-auberge dining with serious kitchen credentials.

For the full picture on eating and drinking in the area, see our full Vaux-en-Beaujolais restaurants guide and our full Vaux-en-Beaujolais experiences guide.

Practical Details

Address: 173 Rue Gabriel Chevallier, 69460 Vaux-en-Beaujolais, France. Price tier: €€€. Awards: Michelin Plate (2024). Rating:Reservations: Booking is direct, this is Easy difficulty, but the surprise menu format and limited seats mean weekend evenings are tighter than midweek. Book at least a week ahead for weekends; midweek often has more availability on shorter notice. Overnight stays: A small number of guestrooms are available on-site. Dress: Smart-casual is appropriate for the price tier and village setting; there is no indication of a formal dress requirement. Getting there: Vaux-en-Beaujolais is most easily reached by car from Lyon (roughly 40 minutes north). No public transport details are confirmed.