2024 Loire by ombiasy Wine Tours, led by Annette Schiller, took place from Sunday, June 9 to Thursday June 20, 2024. The tour started in Nantes and ended in Sancerre.

Following:

Guided Visit of Château Chenonceau, Residence of Diana de Poitier and of Katharina de Medici, Mistress (the Former) and Wife (the Latter) of King Henry II - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

we stayed in Chenonceau for the night an dinner at Auberge du Bon Laboureur.

Auberge du Bon Laboureur is a 5-star very charming, luxury hotel in the heart of Chenonceau, steps away from Château Chenonceau. The building dates from 1786 and was once the town’s post
house. This place is magnificent with completely renovated rooms, a lovely garden, a very good
restaurant and all amenities of a 5-star hotel.

Some of us took advantage of the pool before dinner. 

Dinner started with the aperitif and the amuse bouche - lovely oysters - in the courtyard of the hotel. From there, we moved to the dining roome for the remainder of the dinner.

The dinner was in my view at the Michelin star level. The restaurant lost its Michelin star in 2019 (see below). Gault&Millau has maintained a 14/20 rating. Recently, Auberge du Bon Laboureur hired a new, acomplished chef, Julien Perrodin, to work alongside Chef/ Owner Antoine Jeudi. 

In 2024, Auberge du Bon Laboureur won the Best Wine List Award in the category "Traditonal Restaurants" of Terre de Vins, a leading gourmet journal in France. 

Michelin Guide Auberge du Bon Laboureur in Chenonceau 

Family-owned for over a hundred years, what’s now the Auberge du Bon Laboureur is more than twice as old as that; what began as a coaching inn in the year 1786 is now a beautiful little boutique hotel, combining the personable atmosphere of a private residence with the style and service of a professional lodging. The location, in Chenonceaux, a lovely Loire Valley village, is splendid — the chateau, a few minutes’ walk from your door, is a local highlight.

The hotel has grown over the years, adding a handful of additional houses to the original coaching inn. The rooms, across all of the buildings, combine antique charm with contemporary focus, and the comforts are subtly upscale. There’s a heated swimming pool as well as a tranquil little wellness area, and a bar for a pre-dinner apéritif or an after-dinner nightcap. There’s also a vegetable garden where much of the restaurant’s produce is grown — and from this location, the best of the Loire valley, from chateaux to wineries to nature reserves, is right at your feet.

The auberge’s restaurant, under the direction of chef and proprietor Antoine Jeudi, is highly regarded for its classic seasonal French fare. 

This restaurant sticks to the proven path of cooking with seasonal ingredients. Chef Antoine Jeudi knows his stuff, and his tasty creations can be paired with a fine choice of wines. A pleasant mealtime, in an equally appealing setting.

Chef Julien Perrodin (Gault et Millau)

Founded back in 1786 as a coaching inn Le Bon Laboureur has long been indisputably the best hotel and restaurant in Chenonceaux, whose famous château (Chenonceau) draws visitors from all over the world. Henry James stayed there and mentioned the hotel in his A Little Tour of France published in 1884. When we are in Touraine this is our nearest fine restaurant.

Recently we have been taken to lunching there during the week when their 32€ lunch menu is available. What a bargain it is! Nominally three courses, you get fine nibbles with your apéro followed by a mise en bouche and then your first course – choice of two dishes. Next up main course – choice of fish or 72-hour cooked shoulder of lamb. A pre-dessert precedes dessert. The bargain lunch menu concludes with a choice of mignardises. My choice is invariably the cherries steeped in kirsch. With the exception of the vegetarian option, the other menus are considerably more expensive.

We have never had a bad experience at the Bon Laboureur; the food  – prepared by owner-chef Antoine Jeudi – is excellent , the wine list has plenty of interesting bottles  – in early this January we enjoyed a bottle of François Pinon’s 1997 Vouvray Sec – reasonably priced and delicious. Fabrice Dagaut and his team offer impeccable service in the restaurant.

Given this quality it came as a great surprise to learn that Le Bon Laboureur lost its Michelin star early this year. Certainly there was nothing from our visits – around three a year – to suggest that its étoile was threatened.  From our experiences Guide Michelin’s decision to strip Le Bon Laboureur of its star appears bizarre.

Best Wine List in France of 2024 (Traditional Restaurants)

Auberge du Bon Laboureur in Chenonceau has one of the best wine lists in the country. 

In 2024, Auberge du Bon Laboureur won the Best Wine List Award in the category "Traditonal Restaurants" of Terre de Vins, a leading gourmet journal in France. 

Fabrice Dagaut is the GM and Sommelier of the restaurant an in charge of the wine cellar.

Terre de Vins: "Le Trophée du Tour des Cartes, organisé par Terre de vins, récompense chaque année les plus belles cartes des vins des établissements de toute la France. Parmi les 10 000 cartes de vins et spiritueux identifiées, plus de 1 000 cartes ont été étudiées par un jury d’experts et de professionnels qui ont dévoilé ce lundi 15 janvier lors d'une soirée de gala à l'Intercontinental Paris-Le Grand le palmarès des cinq lauréats récompensés et le prix spécial attribué."

Apperitif and First Amuses Geules on the Terrace

Amuses Geules: Oysters

In the Dining Room

Impressive Wine List

Starter

First Course

Main Course

Dessert

Mignardises

Digestif