Château de Codignat Hotel in the Auvergne Region

With a Michelin star and a 2 toque rating in Gault Millau, you come to this restaurant with pretty high expectations. The restaurant itself is a wonderful series of rooms including one in the round tower. The young chef, Mathieu Barbet has been there a year now and thoroughly deserves his accolades.

The cooking is thoroughly professional, self assured, an inventive mix of ingredients cooked with a light touch. Try starters like roasted shrimp with Pata Negra ham and melon, and follow with a beautifully tender sweet local lamb with basil, stuffed courgettes and tomatoes. It's all deceptively simple, beautifully cooked and presented. The cheese board is a journey around the major cheeses of France.

Follow the sommelier’s suggestions for the wines and you won’t go wrong. We did just that but didn't note down the local Auvergne wines that we had tasted. The sommelier was off the next day, so the manager emailed us the details of what we had drunk. That’s the kind of service that the hotel excels in; nothing is too much trouble. All in all, this is an experience to savor.

Breakfast is a simple affair, though you can order a cooked breakfast if you want. Otherwise sit in the sun in that wonderful white pavilion with freshly squeezed oranges, yoghurt, freshly baked bread and croissants and strong, flavorful coffee, all beautifully served.