Living in Clips

This year we celebrated my birthday in the most extraordinary way ! I finally treated myself to a long overdue lunch at Le Doyenné, a place I’ve been dreaming about visiting for years now. And after experiencing it, I finally understand why people speak about it the way that they do. It’s not just a restaurant. It’s a magical experience, a story you step into from the moment you arrive. I had prepared myself to be disappointed over and over again on the hour long drive we took to get there, but on the contrary, it’s an experience I found so magical I decided I had to bookmark it here.

Le Doyenné is just 1 hour south of Paris and it sits within the grounds of the Château de Saint-Vrain, a place layered with centuries of history. What is now the most beautiful restaurant and guesthouse once served as the estate’s stables, and even earlier, it was a retreat for aristocratic families. In the 1970s, the space played host to artists like Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely, who used the vast structures to dream up their monumental sculptures. It’s so spectacular to see that that creative energy lives on here today.

Australian chefs and owners James Henry and Shaun Kelly, together with the Mortemart family (who have lived on the estate for generations), have breathed new life into the old barn. The restoration is just incredible, a kind of French farmhouse fantasy made real. There’s a certain atmosphere there that’s hard to describe. Local artisans helped bring it back to life, and you can sense the care in every detail. Inside, the atmosphere was exactly what I love: understated but full of character. It felt like being welcomed into someone’s home… if that someone happened to be an effortlessly chic chef-farmer duo making magic out of vegetables.

But the magic begins even before you take a bite. Just outside is the potager, where heirloom vegetables grow in carefully tended beds. The garden is alive with regenerative farming practices, the kind that honour the land and draw incredible flavour from it. What’s grown there becomes the heart of the menu and you can taste the thought, dedication and beautiful process in every dish.

Our lunch was a the most incredible invitation into this world. Plates arrived that were deceptively simple, yet layered with a story (told by our wonderful waitress) with both the most subtle and explosive flavours on our palates. Greens cut so fresh they still felt part of the garden. Things roasted, charred, or barely touched at all — each course reminding you how extraordinary good ingredients can be when such passion and precision is taken over them. It has to be one of my all time favourite restaurant experiences! I unexpectedly have to say that one of the most stand out dishes has to have been the ice cream dish which was a wonderful flavorful combination of Jerusalem Artichoke ice cream with a Tangelo confit. Another extraordinary plate I just have to mention was the onion and mushroom tart which was so beautifully complimented by the wonderful bitter bite of the Buddha’s hand citrus (which was also another beautiful yet unexpected note served on the dessert). Another absolutely unexpected flavour explosion which will live on in my memory forever was the wonderful little Kiwi (grown in the potager) delight served at the end of our meal with our delicious coffees.

If you’re ever looking for a place near Paris and craving something deeply special yet understated, put Le Doyenné on your list. And when you go, take your time. It’s a place that deserves it. We’re already planning our return in the Spring! What in incredible destination, experience and team behind it all.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF MY PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FROM OUR INCREDIBLE MEAL I AM LINKING MY INSTAGRAM HERE.