Auberge Le Relais

The location makes a handy base for exploring the Champagne region, and the beds were comfortable with good-quality linens. We stayed two nights at this charming little auberge. The rooms were clean, though a bit dated and ready for some freshening up. The curfew was the biggest surprise: the hotel doors are shut after 10:30 pm and don’t open again until 7 am, and the manager is very strict about it. We’re not night owls, but dinner with friends still meant rushing and watching the time so we wouldn’t miss it. I also wondered what guests would do if they needed to get in or out late because of an emergency. We ate at the restaurant one evening. The food was good and the ingredients decent, but for what was served, we thought it was overpriced. It was a pleasant stay, though I’d strongly suggest the management reconsider the night access rule, which feels unusual and could be inconvenient.

We really enjoyed the meal. The menu was fantastic, and the waiter gave us a great champagne recommendation.

I’m reviewing just the restaurant here, not the hotel. We had the menu with foie gras, duck magret and dessert, and every course was amazing, seasoned just right. The wine list is excellent, with local champagne from a few nearby wineries. Service was great too. The place looks out over a gorgeous valley, so the setting is beautiful. Definitely worth experiencing.

We both slept like logs, and the hotel setting is breathtaking. The staff were so attentive and couldn’t do enough for us, with loads of attention to detail. We had a huge tasting menu, and loved the roast lobster course and fruit dessert. Breakfast was beautiful too, with fresh pastries and rice pudding with compote, plus every kind of jam and conserve you can think of. Fabulous.