Hôtel Restaurant La Mangeoire – Relais Paris Bâle

The room was comfortable enough for a night, and the children enjoyed the breakfast buffet in the brasserie: French bread, croissants, cheese, ham, jams, cereal and yoghurt, with plenty to eat. Still, I thought the stay was expensive for what we got, over €200 for bed and breakfast for two adults and three children. We paid €181 for a family room on a Friday in mid-August, without breakfast, which was €9 for adults and €5 for under-fives. The room had two doubles and a single, a strange setup for a family. One double, bunk beds and a single would have suited us better. The beds had no sides, so they didn’t feel very child-friendly and seemed easy to fall out of. The hotel is very dated, almost like a 70s museum piece. Our bathroom had an avocado-green shower over the bath and a bidet, and the bedroom had striking textured wallpaper. The rooms were dated but very clean, the mattresses were comfortable, and there was no air conditioning. The location was great, just a few kilometres from the A5 on good roads, with a quiet French countryside setting at night. There was loads of parking, an indoor pool and an 18-hole minigolf course. The restaurant looked fine, but we arrived late and didn’t eat there. The bar stayed open until 10 and had Paradis, a nice local blonde beer, in bottles. Service was a little slow and surly. The breakfast server didn’t seem very friendly, perhaps hardened by guests who make packed lunches from the buffet. I’ll probably try somewhere else next time we drive across France.

We had a good stay at this dog-friendly hotel, and the food in the restaurant was good too. Service there was good, though a little slow. The hotel and restaurant are separate buildings, which wasn’t ideal in the rain. Our room was very clean but sparse, and the place felt a bit old-fashioned, right down to the handwritten bill. The people were friendly, though.

It looks lovely from outside and has loads of potential, which makes it a shame that the service felt rude. They didn’t ask what size drink my partner wanted, and inside felt dirty and dank. I’m afraid I wouldn’t return.

Lovely food and service at this excellent restaurant. It’s definitely worth a stopover in the Champagne region.