Maison Decoret Vichy

In the heart of Auvergne with its incredible natural surroundings and rich cultural heritage, lies a haven of elegance and revitalisation: Vichy, the “Queen of spa towns”.

Just moments away from the incomparable art nouveau Opéra and the banks of the Allier river, Jacques and Martine Decoret opened their property in 2008. They extended a superb brick chalet built in 1857 under Napoleon III, adding a contemporary conservatory and a green roof, combining authenticity, luxury and a flair for design.

With its large bay window with a view of the Parc des Sources and the avenue lined with plane trees, its cuisine which pays tribute to Auvergne and the Bourbonnais region and the understated, elegant atmosphere of its interiors, Maison Decoret successfully connects a luxury establishment with the simplicity of the natural surroundings.

ROOMS & SUITES
Each of the 5 rooms of the charming hotel in Vichy has its own unique identity whilst fitting in perfectly with the property’s core style. On the first floor, they can be accessed via the lift, and are understated yet comfortable with a balcony with a view of the historic chalet or a terrace with a view of the green roof.

RED ROOM
Almost all the walls are painted in this rich shade, tempered by the soft, rounded lines of the furniture. With a velvet armchair and a bathtub with feet, this romantic room has a luxurious, serene and pleasurable feel to it. Measuring 24m2, the Red Room has a balcony with a view of the house, dating back to Napoleon III’s time.

ORANGE ROOM
Arty, cosy and stylish, the Orange Room combines genres with a mix & match of warm colours and contemporary furnishings with an Empire style. Relaxing yet vibrant, this 35m2 room also has a terrace overlooking the grounds and the green roof: perfect for a quiet breakfast in the room or on the terrace.

GREEN ROOM
With its pale green colour, an echo of the nearby natural surroundings, this room measuring 35m2 is an oasis of calm and relaxation. With a large shower area and a beautiful terrace where guests can enjoy breakfast in the sunshine, the Green Room is the perfect combination of modern decorative elements and Napoleon III-inspired touches.

THE GOURMET RESTAURANT
As the only Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France: a prestigious French professional award:) in Auvergne and the only restaurant in Allier to receive a Michelin star, 4 toques from Gault & Millau and the Gault Millau d’Or award in 2017 for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the starred gastronomic restaurant in Vichy “Jacques Decoret” of the Maison Decoret invites its guests to enjoy a truly sensory experience, a subtle culinary journey between Vichy, the “Queen of spa towns”, and the mountains, fields and woodlands of Auvergne.

In the glass conservatory of a red-brick chalet with a green roof, Maison Decoret is a beautifully lit setting where a bold culinary score is played from Thursday to Monday. This symphony of flavours, conducted by Chef Jacques Decoret, is a sympathetic tribute to a region of character and contrasts: Auvergne.

In the heart of an area with powerful, inspiring geography, the restaurant has a triple focus. Its first is the sheer abundance of the natural surroundings: the huge Forest of Tronçais in the north (its valuable wood is used as part of the ageing process of some of the world’s best wines), the charming fields, woodland and forests of the region’s bocages, reminiscent of central Tuscany, the peaks of the Bourbonnais Mountain to the east and the volcanoes to the south.

The second focus which inspires the Chef’s creations: the art of living, culinary luxury and Vichy’s historical heritage. Lastly, the link between elegant Vichy and the contrasting region of Auvergne is the purity and variety of its 109 natural springs: the restaurant’s ultimate focus.

FOOD, WINE AND WATER PAIRINGS
A small island of luxury and elegance within its ancient natural surroundings, Vichy was built on life-giving land, the source of exceptional mineral water.

To pay tribute to the “Queen of spa towns”, the starred gastronomic restaurant in Vichy in Auvergne Jacques Decoret decided to add to its extensive wine list (with nearly 650 vintages available) with a unique selection of fifteen or so still and sparkling mineral waters from Auvergne.

The result of years of careful thought and reflection by Martine and Jacques Decoret and their sommelier, the food, wine and water pairings offer guests a new vision, complementing the region’s culinary treasures.

The taste of the still or sparkling water, its minerality, its salinity and its feel all have an influence and encourage guests to rediscover this essential link between nature and mankind.

A truly great culinarymeal would be nothing without a finely honed wine list, inspired by real vision. Jacques and Martine Decoret consequently worked with a talented sommelier to create a superb selection, making the restaurant’s wine cellar one of the most interesting in the region.

It includes nearly 650 vintages from the most distinguished and remarkable vineyards in France, including Auvergne and Allier: until the 19th century, Saint-Pourçain was considered to be the most prestigious wine-growing region in France, along with Beaune!

The wine list by the glass is superb, with a range of about fifty wines, from more accessible varieties to prestigious cuvées. Great and old vintages, rare finds, reasonable prices and high-quality service and advice: it’s no surprise that wine lovers and wine-tasting clubs see Maison Decoret as a genuine haven.

A CULINARY SIGNATURE
Because the art of nuance is a central element in the cuisine of Jacques Decoret’s starred gastronomic restaurant in Auvergne, each of his dishes, whether savoury or sweet, reflects his quest for a natural, original taste and his research into combining textures, cooking techniques and flavours. A delicate, sincere and fearless culinary style which adds an ethereal dimension to the local cuisine of Auvergne.

As a winner of the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France award in 1996, Jacques Decoret is inspired by the region’s terroir, drawing on artistic sensibility, childhood memories and his insatiable need to share. Working with the best local producers, his creations are direct expressions of the soul of Auvergne.

Perfection lies in precision. Jacques Decoret’s style can also be found in the great technical sophistication of his dishes. From his personal reflection on textures and cooking methods at low temperatures to the attention paid to creating decoctions of sauces and gravies, the Chef’s culinary language is perfectly precise, focusing on each product as a whole.

SIGNATURE DESSERT
Jacques Decoret is as comfortable with sweet dishes as he is with savoury: an extremely rare occurrence. His precision and innate attention to detail make him an incredible creator of light, subtle desserts, which cry out to be eaten – even when guests have already eaten their fill!

His desserts are the work not of a pastry specialist but of a great chef. There is a theme, a vision and a signature which can be traced from the first amuse-bouche to the last petit four. 25 minutes from Vichy, in the Bocage Bourbonnais region, the medieval village of Charroux is considered to be one of the most beautiful in France.

The traditional Moutarderie de Charroux in the centre of the village has worked over the last few years to restore its reputation for excellence. Its sweet, mild mustard, made from vinegar and white wine from Saint-Pourçain, inspires many of Jacques Decoret’s creations.

When it comes to desserts, light and airy meringues are one of the fundamental staples in French patisserie. With a combination of the textures which so inspired Le Corbusier, they can be used to assemble innovative and graphic creations without the risk of losing their original sweet taste and deliciously crunchy texture.

Witness amazing pyramids created with square meringues rising up in front of you! Although Jacques Decoret likes to play with shapes and textures, he also loves to focus on colours and flavours, of course.

To break up the iconic white colour of meringue and to add a floral dimension, he uses bee pollen and roasted milk powder with caramel along with various plants which taste of honey.

With its delicious, rural charm, honey is an important element in the chef’s culinary score, as if he were reliving all his childhood mischief and plunging his finger into a pot of memories.

PRODUCERS & PRODUCTS
To be able to use all the precious seasonal produce Auvergne has to offer, Jacques Decoret and his team have developed strong links with local producers who have a genuine passion for the region’s fertile land. Jacques Decoret works with real enthusiasts, focusing on short food supply circuits and family companies.

They include Isabelle Simonet, who supplies the restaurant with exceptional Bourbonnais poultry, Hervé Laffont who fishes in ponds around Vichy to provide delicious fish (zander, pike, perch and more) and Laurence Finet and his fantastic snails.

Of course, the incredible range of cheeses comes from well-known dairies known in the region: Fromagerie Nivesse in Clermont-Ferrand, Fromagerie Meunier (a delicatessen) and Laiterie de Vichy.

When it comes to fruit and vegetables, along with other partnerships with local market gardeners, Jacques and Martine Decoret have developed their own supplies with the green roof which overlooks Maison Decoret and the family’s orchards and gardens in the Bourbonnais Mountain.

A CUISINE CRAMMED WITH
Jacques Decoret’s culinary education was first forged in the rustic, everyday surroundings of his childhood in Allier. An authentic setting from which he draws inspiration and strength, transforming the memories of his simple daily life into refined and sought-after creations.

With his passion for the region and his childhood memories of it, Jacques Decoret adds a truly valuable element to his culinary creations: emotion.

His culinary creations show that Maison Decoret’s playful chef maintains an appetite for culinary adventures with his insatiable curiosity and his ability to question himself.

Each dish is a story told with passion, the delicious result of a conversation which combines the past and the present: a story which gives a starring role to the neglected elements of yesterday in Maison Decoret’s creations.

AUVERGNE
Dazzling, majestic, varied: Auvergne’s natural landscapes have long fascinated mankind. Auvergne is a veritable mosaic of land with a tremendous range of biodiversity and a unique natural and cultural heritage: an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the culinary creations of Chef Jacques Decoret. Local landscapes offer beautifully contrasting compositions of colour and form.

The Forest of Tronçais, the fields and woodlands of the Bocage Bourbonnais and the volcanoes of the Chaine des Puys are just some of the features of this wonderfully expressive area which Martine and Jacques Decoret seek to convey every day. Their restaurant’s cuisine is a genuine and heartfelt tribute to this region and its abundance of high-quality products.

A TRIBUTE TO ALLIER’S ABUNDANCE
Originally from Allier, Martine and Jacques Decoret have remained faithful to a land with a rich historical, natural and culinary heritage. With more than 570 châteaux including Lapalisse, Allier was marked by the Bourbon Restoration.

Its royal influence is clear to see in local towns and villages, medieval architecture, Romanesque churches (the magnificent Priory of Souvigny, a Cluniac priory) and Renaissance style.

The region is home to Saint-Pourçain and its vineyards, Charroux (one of the “most beautiful villages in France”), Moulins, an artistic and historic city, and the unmissable stylish, gourmet city of Vichy, of course.

Nature is equally important, from the beautiful Forest of Tronçais in the north, the central bocages with their fields and woodlands and Limagne with its Tuscan feel in the south, all dominated by the Bourbonnais Mountain to the east.

Martine and Jacques Decoret deliver their own singular and subtle vision of this area, paying delicious tribute to the Bourbonnais region and turning their restaurant into a source of local pride and an ambassador for the department as its only Michelin-starred restaurant.

Hailing from Allier, with its royal history, Jacques and Martine chose to open their property in a town known as the “Queen of spa towns”: Vichy. Its opera, perhaps the most beautiful in France, and its mansions with their varied architecture (Renaissance Venetian, Russian dacha, Louisiana chalets, Haussmann palaces, neo-Gothic buildings and more) give it a distinguished feel and an undefinable charm.

Stroll along the Allier river or around the beautiful parks with their century-old trees and wander around the pedestrianised streets, filled with shops: Vichy offers both a relaxed way of life and a stimulating atmosphere.

Its facilities and all the natural, medical benefits of its springs have made the city a popular destination for anyone looking for healing. Offering genuine hospitality, the Decoret family focuses on the culinary well-being of its guests.

When it comes to the French art of living, both in terms of culinary excellence and incredible hospitality, there lies a golden triangle between Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes.

This area is home to 3 of the most highly regarded restaurants in France: Maison Decoret, Le Bois sans Feuilles, the latest restaurant from the Troisgros family in Ouches near Roanne and Régis and Jacques Marcon’s restaurant in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid in the southwest.

These two restaurants are also part of Martine and Jacques Decoret’s story: they represent stages in their lives during which their culinary vocation took shape.

Working for the Troisgros family and then for Régis Marcon after the Bocuse d’Or competition in 1995, they contributed to the success of these restaurants. Together, these three restaurants have bolstered this region’s unique culinary treasures and talent and offer an inspiring culinary journey.

Website: www.maisondecoret.com

Rooms: 5

Price: from 223 EUR per night