La Côte Saint Jacques Joigny

Nestled in an enchanting location and offering a superb view of the River Yonne, our establishment was founded by Marie Lorain almost 70 years ago. Here, luxury is synonymous with the warmth and hospitality of a family home.

The creative cuisine of Jean-Michel Lorain that has been rewarded by two Michelin stars, the refinement of painstaking service, its rooms of character, our exceptional spa : all the ingredients are gathered to make for a dream stay!

For a relaxing and restful break in the heart of a prestigious wine-producing region, at the Côte Saint-Jacques & SPA you will benefit from the 22 guestrooms and suites of character, an exceptional spa, a superb indoor swimming pool, and fine activities in the heart of Burgundy. Benefit from this exceptional setting to ensure the success of your family or business events!

In his gourmet restaurant with two stars in the Michelin Guide, Jean-Michel Lorain will take you on a discovery of the flavors he loves and marries according to the seasons, his imagination and his travels.

He proposes a harmony of gay, colorful, playful and surprising dishes accompanied by wines that are specially selected by the house sommeliers.

You can even take advantage of memorable gastronomic activities with the Michelin-starred chef who will share his passion and his know-how with you. The Côte Saint-Jacques is the assurance of a stay placed under the sign of an exceptional art of living.

The guestrooms and suites of the Côte Saint-Jacques & SPA 

The Cote Saint-Jacques & SPA offers twenty-two guestrooms and suites of character, each of which is decorated in a unique style. Their brightness, harmony of colours and luxurious materials will seduce you.

In a peaceful setting that is conducive to rest, you will discover our beautifully designed furniture, signed by the French designer Philippe Hurel. Enjoy the large terraces, private balconies or bow windows overlooking the river or the garden for a real dream holiday.

Luxury for all expectations
The care taken in the appointments of each guestroom, worthy of Relais et Châteaux quality, is of course accompanied by efficient, discreet and warm service. The Côte Saint-Jacques & SPA***** offers a range of guestrooms to meet all expectations.

A table of exception

Jean-Michel Lorain: a story of love and passion for cooking and his house! This sublime table located less than 1 1/2 hours from Paris will not only excite your taste buds.

It will also transport you to an intimate universe, offering you a unique journey through the products that the chef transcends according to the season and his fancy. The creative force of the chef is based on a simple principle: the real star of the dish is the product.

All the rest – technique, complexity, know-how – even if they are very important, must step into the background. Finally, all that must remain is the emotion and the true taste of each product.

The result is a cuisine that is cheerful, colourful, playful and surprising in its simplicity, and which travels between highly creative dishes and a few classics of the house of Lorain.

The Côte Saint-Jacques, with two stars in the Michelin Guide for more than 25 years, benefits from know-how that is recognized around the world.

For an aperitif before lunch or dinner, depending on the season and the weather, you will have the choice of the winter lounge with its fireplace and library full of cook books that will open your appetite, or the summer lounge – unless you prefer the terrace overlooking the River Yonne, to enjoy the unique and beautiful view.

You will then take your seat in one of the two bright dining rooms that are widely open onto the surrounding nature. Their warm contemporary decor is set off by the superb dishware made specifically for the Côte Saint-Jacques by the renowned craftsman of Noyers-sur-Serene, François Gueneau.

For a unique and more intimate experience, book the chef’s private dining room which will offer you privileged views of the kitchen and the incessant ballet of the brigade around the ovens.

As we mentioned earlier, the cuisine of Jean-Michel Lorain highlights the wonderful products that nature provides the chef through the seasons. But if you take the time to chat a little longer with the chef, he will explain to you that his cuisine is in fact based on four fundamental pillars:

• The product, of course, issued from carefully selected producers, most of whom have been working with the house for many years;
• The staff, because the conductor of the orchestra is nothing without a team that is fully trained and always ready to play the score with no false notes;
• The technique, which is also very important and has greatly evolved, especially these last few years. But it must, after all, be at the service of man and must allow itself to disappear so that only the emotion remains;
• The imagination,fancy and experience of the chef, who is the fourth pillar. Just as important as the other factors is the inspiration behind the dishes: a journey, an idea, a product, a technique, the memory of everything that one has done or tasted before – that is the palette that the chef uses to create and marry the most unexpected flavours.

Thus, you will find a variety of dishes such as the “Back from the Islands” Rosette of Lobster and fresh Palm Nut Salad, which is a genuine invitation to travel; the Egg Parfait with its White Alba Truffles and Puy Green Lentils; or even the Farm Pigeon with Blackcurrant Pepper served with Caramelized Eggplant and a Rosemary Emulsion… and many other flavours.

And to remind us that the Côte Saint-Jacques is a family house, a few of the great classics from the imagination and know-how of Michel Lorain, father of Jean-Michel, are proposed, such as the Bresse Hen steamed in Champagne, the famous Black Pudding with its magnificent old-style purée or even the Mille-feuille with three light Creams.

Among all the dishes of the menu, there is one that is particularly emblematic for Jean-Michel Lorain, because it symbolises his cuisine: the genesis of a dish on the theme of the oyster, which will allow you in the course of the tasting to discover the how the recipe was imagined by the chef. Enjoy this initiatory and playful discovery.

Wellness Restaurant

To round off the Côte Saint Jacques Spa dedicated to wellness and relaxation, Jean-Michel Lorain opened a “Wellness” restaurant where you can enjoy light, balanced and tasty dishes.

Situated in the Orangerie, close to the Spa, with views of the river, this restaurant boasts a menu entirely dedicated to wellness and to the flavours and aromas of the world. A place where “low in calories” rhymes with gastronomy and tastiness with slimness!

In the heart of Burgundy, the tradition of great wines

Jean-Michel Lorain has surrounded himself with a team of confirmed sommeliers led by Thomas Noble, who is in a perpetual quest for the finest vineyards and the best winemakers to carefully select all the wines on the menu.

The Cote Saint-Jacques & SPA ***** is ideally located near Chablis and vineyards of the Auxerrois. It is also not far from the prestigious Côtes de Beaune and Côtes de Nuits.

Take advantage of the Côte Saint-Jacques for a natural initiation to the wines of Burgundy and Chablis. And if you wish, it is with the greatest pleasure that our sommeliers will guide you on a visit to the cellars of the House where all these treasures are stored.

The wine menu of the Côte Saint-Jacques is not limited to the borders of Burgundy!

The finest French terroirs are represented by its 800 references, from Bordeaux to the Loire Valley, from Alsace to Champagne, or from the Rhône Valley to the Southeast. You will also find an amazing collection of old Armagnacs in the bar.

At the Côte Saint-Jacques, we make a point of honour of pairing wines and dishes in the purest French tradition.

An exceptional spa at the gates Burgundy

The Côte Saint-Jacques & SPA wishes to cocoon its guests in an unforgettable experience, just as we do at the gourmet restaurant. Our 800 square-metre spa is organized on two levels that are entirely dedicated to well-being.

On the first level you will find a superb indoor pool, cloakrooms, a shop and a garden with a panoramic view of the River Yonne. On the lower floor you will enjoy a care centre with hammam, sauna, fitness room, rooms for massages and beauty.

A VIP room provides treatments for couples with a Japanese Ofuro bath. You will also find a room with a heated table, an affusion shower and private hammam, a nail bar and a makeup area. The “Côte Saint Jacques” Spa is an exceptional one at the gates of Burgundy.

The Côte Saint Jacques spa: a beauty and well-being centre for a relaxing stay
In 2012, our spa was awarded the trophy from the best spa award by the Relais et Châteaux, which is no coincidence! With its decor combining natural elements – vegetation, pebbles, stone, glass – the atmosphere of the space is conducive to serenity and well-being, ideal to decompress.

From the twelve by six metre indoor swimming pool to the garden with a panoramic view of the River Yonne, the hammam with its multi-coloured starry sky to the fitness room and its top of the range equipment, you will be sure to add pleasure and relaxation to your stay.

Are you organizing a seminar? A business meal?
The 5-star hotel and 2-Michelin-starred restaurant of the Côte Saint-Jacques awaits you. Only one hour and fifteen minutes from Paris-Orly airport, with direct access by the A6 motorway and with a private heliport, our establishment is the dream venue for a successful event.

Your business meeting: attention and personalisation
Because your needs are specific, you will benefit from the attention of a single interlocutor who will take charge of the organization of your seminar or business meals from A to Z. From the room and meals to the activities and hardware, we take care of the smallest details.

The history of a family passion

In 1945,Marie Lorain, a seamstress but also a very good cook, opened a small boarding house in Joigny, in a beautiful bourgeois home. The establishment was named after the hill which overlooks it, the Côte Saint-Jacques. Born the youngest of four children in 1934, Michel Lorain chose a career in the kitchen after an apprenticeship as a pastry chef.

In 1958,he took up the reins of the family business with his wife Jacqueline and proposed a simple, regional cuisine. With the creation of the nearby A6 motorway, the small inn was transformed into a high quality restaurant, which was recognized throughout the region.

In 1971, he was awarded its first Michelin star, and then a second in 1976. Jacqueline Lorain became a confirmed sommelier, one of the first women to succeed in the traditionally male-dominated world of winemaking.

In 1977, the Côte Saint-Jacques became a member of the Relais et Châteaux association, and of Tradition et Qualité. That year, it also received three red toques from Gault and Millau.

In 1983, After a secondary school degree in science and apprenticeships with Troisgros in Roanne, Claude Deligne (Taillevent in Paris) and Fredy Girardet (in Crissier, Switzerland), Jean-Michel Lorain permanently joined his father and climbed the ranks of the Côte Saint-Jacques kitchen brigade.

In 1986, Michel Lorain obtained three Michelin stars and at the age of 27, Jean-Michel, who had actively participated in this adventure, became the youngest chef in France to obtain this supreme distinction.

In 1993, Jean-Michel was named Chef of the Year by Christian Millau, who granted him the almost perfect mark of 19.5/20.

In 2000, major work was undertaken to transfer the dining rooms to the banks of the River Yonne. It was at this time that the direction of the kitchen was formally handed from father to son.

With all these changes, the restaurant lost a Michelin star in 2001. It won the star back three years later and the Côte Saint-Jacques was reinstated into the very closed circle of the twenty-six best restaurants in France.

In 2007, an exceptional spa was created with more than 800m² dedicated solely to well-being and relaxation.

In 2009, the Côte Saint-Jacques was elected “best hotel restaurant in Europe” at the Prix Villégiature Awards. Jean-Michel Lorain thus followed Yannick Alléno – Le Meurice (2006), Didier Elena – Château les Crayères (2007) and Éric Fréchon – the Bristol (2008).

The gates of Burgundy: between vineyards and prestigious landscapes

Burgundy is a prestigious region with a worldwide reputation for its gastronomy, its natural and historical heritage, and its castles, churches and Romanesque cathedrals. The Côte Saint-Jacques is ideally located for a wonderful immersion in these lands of art and history.

JOIGNY

At the Côte Saint-Jacques, it is impossible to miss Joigny. Its old town, classified as a city of Art and History, possesses large timber-framed houses, including the House of the Tree of Jesse (also called the Bailli).

See the castle of the Gondi which overlooks the city, the Saint John’s Gate which dates to the Xth century, and don’t miss the Ferrand chapel that is devoted to the Virgin and was constructed under François Ist.

The city has three churches classified as historical monuments, each of which holds artistic treasures: the churches of Saint Andrew, Saint John and Saint Thibault. Enjoy the arboretum and the banks of the River Yonne.

AUXERRE

30 kilometres away in Auxerre, you will be charmed by the beauty of the old Burgundian city and its cobbled streets. You will also savour the typical atmosphere among the traditional timber-framed houses and the Marine district, with the picturesque Saint Nicolas Square.

Go under the Clock Tower and don’t miss Saint Etienne Cathedral or Saint Germain Abbey which possesses the oldest known frescoes in France, dating to the IX th century.

From Auxerre to Coulanges: vineyard discoveries

Around Auxerre, in a magnificent landscape of hills and panoramas that extend to the horizon, there are some stops that are worth a visit.

For example, in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, in the midst of the hillside vineyards and cherry orchards, discover the church and wine-growers’ homes with vaulted cellars from the XIth and XIIth centuries, reflecting the fact that in Burgundy, wine and cherries are age-old sources of riches.

In particular, visit the ancient quarries that house the exceptional Bailly Lapierre cellars, the shrine of the crémant de Bourgogne. There you’ll see five million bottles in four hectares of cellars, at a depth of fifty metres!

Not far from there, in the heart of a deep valley, guests can explore Irancy, the native village of Soufflot, the architect of the Pantheon.

This wine-growing village is representative of the authentic Burgundy: the small stone houses with exterior stairs hide cellars which are real underground villages. You can taste excellent AOC wines here.

COULANGES LA VINEUSE

Coulanges-la-Vineuse also deserves your attention. Perched on a ridge overlooking the River Yonne, this picturesque site faces Irancy, at the centre of a landscape of vineyards and échalas, the name of the stakes that support the grapevines.

From Coulanges to Vézelay: from prehistory to Christianity

In the direction of Vézelay you will come across Arcy-sur-Cure. With the Chauvet cave in Ardèche, the caves of Arcy are the oldest of Europe.

Along a nine-hundred metre path marked by twelve stops, you will discover many natural forms dug out by the waters of the Cure and incredible testimonies of cave art, showing that humans have occupied these caves for 200,000 years! (Every day from April to November from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)

VEZELAY
Once you have arrived in Vézelay, the Eternal Hill, which is classified in the UNESCO inventory, you will be in one of the high places of Christendom, at least between the Xth and the XIIIth centuries.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, kings, popes and saints came there to venerate the relics of Mary Magdalene before leaving for Santiago de Compostela and the crusades.

Today, you will discover the Saint Madeleine Basilica, a testimony to Burgundian Romanesque architecture: the admirable proportions, sumptuous carved decors and extraordinary light will enchant you. (Free visit every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

From Vézelay to Noyers-sur-Serein : back to the history of France

Take the time to go to Bazoches castle, the residence of Marshal Vauban. Dating back to the XIIth century, this feudal castle possesses a trapezoidal architecture consisting of four towers and a dungeon surrounding an inner courtyard.

It was acquired in 1675 by Vauban. In the grand gallery of the castle, Vauban studied and drew the plans of more than 300 strongholds, which made him an undisputed master of military architecture. (From 30 June to 5 November, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.).

Complete this Burgundian tour by a visit to the beautiful village of Noyers-sur-Serein, certainly one of the most beautiful in France.

Its medieval city will charm you: remarkable architecture of the XIIIth to XVIIIth centuries, squares and cobbled streets, timber-framed houses, lava-tiled roof tops, museums and art galleries. A walk along the river or on the site of the ancient castle will show you one of the most beautiful faces of Burgundy

The Dagmar, a delicious bonbon:the gastronomic specialty of the Côte Saint-Jacques

A Joigny specialty, the Dagmar was created at the beginning of the 20th century. Its name evokes the Danish princess who married Emperor Alexander III to become Empress of Russia.

The Dagmar rose to fame in the 1960s, when its reputation extended beyond the borders of the Yonne region, but it then fell into oblivion. Michel Lorain decided to revive this specialty for modern tastes, to the delight of all those who were nostalgic for this delicious treat.

The Dagmar is a small soft chocolate caramel, coated with a thin layer of crispy caramel. The search for the original recipe took a lot of time, since it could only be resurrected with the help of the gustative memory of the inhabitants of Joigny!

Jean-Michel Lorain has taken the perpetuation of this rediscovered tradition to heart for the pleasure of gourmets. The Côte Saint-Jacques has therefore developed a kitchen where they are prepared by the pastry chef of the House, according to the same artisanal processes as in the past.

Their preparation is long and delicate, since each bonbon is cut and then dipped by hand into the caramel.

Website: www.cotesaintjacques.com

Rooms: 32

Price: from 320 EUR per night