Château d'Ygrande

The horses were calm, fit, and responsive when needed, which made getting back in the saddle feel peaceful and confidence-building. I’d fallen off more than 15 years ago, so this was my first ride since then, and it was a real pleasure to be back on track. We came for a long weekend of riding and rest, and I’d go again with my husband and his children. The staff were very kind, the place was gorgeous, and we loved the food and wine. The horses seemed very happy there too. The hammam could use some maintenance, though. It didn’t seem to get used very often.

The view was lovely, but the service was mediocre and the evening was a disappointment. As non-French guests at a restaurant in France of this standing, we expected quite an experience. The waiter with the red beard tried hard, and we enjoyed the company we were with, but the rest of the service fell short. I hate leaving a bad rating, but I’d suggest going somewhere else. The owners’ harsh, arrogant response to my review afterward was sad too. I hope they’ll either be open to improving or have only uncritical guests. To explain what went wrong: when we arrived, we were shown a table and ordered drinks. The menu was on an iPad set to French, and we tried our best but couldn’t quite understand it. The maitre asked if we’d chosen, and we managed to place our order for the adults and three children. We then asked for extra vegetables, just a simple green salad, but the gentleman looked disapproving. We didn’t see him at our table again, though he was very warm with other tables. We had to ask several times, through the best French speaker in our group, for wine pairings with each course. It didn’t seem like a common request for such a highly acclaimed restaurant. The waiter needed reminders to suggest a wine while the food was cooling. The fish terrine starter was nice, but everyone got the same wine even though two of us had duck terrine, which has a very different taste and calls for a different wine. With the main course, two meats ordered rare or medium rare arrived well done. One person wasn’t happy and got a replacement dish. The tuna was quite dry, which can happen with smoked tuna, but it was a shame. When the person eating tuna asked why red wine was being served with the others’ beef, the lady shrugged and brought white wine. The main dish was just meat, without sides. The children ate their burgers, then got a nice ice cream, but there was no cutlery on the table. The staff didn’t notice, and the ice creams were already melting while I tried to catch someone’s attention respectfully. They were busy, so I took cutlery meant for another table. That’s not my style, but we didn’t know what else to do. Somewhat angry, I spoke to the waitress about the lack of service all evening. The adults had a cheese board that went from mild, low-flavor cheeses to more of the same kind. It was a pity that great cheeses from France and the region weren’t represented. Again, we had to ask for the accompanying wine, which wasn’t a dessert wine. It arrived while one cheese was melting into an “ice cream cheese” and the others were swimming in it. The wine’s notes were too strong for the cheese. The sweet dessert was a good ending, but we were disappointed overall. When we got up and walked to reception to pay, no waiting staff were around, nobody gave us a small greeting, and no one asked how the experience had been. In our experience, the restaurant’s confidence in its French cuisine was particularly unjustified.

The riding lessons were the best I’ve ever had. The teachers were extremely competent and paid close attention to each student, including what we felt comfortable with and how we were progressing. Riding through the beautiful countryside is something I’ll never forget. Our room was gorgeous, with an incredible view, and the food was wonderful. The chateau itself is original and full of charm. Pierre, the amazing owner, welcomed us, chatted with us, and made us feel included in his passion project. His whole team was kind and accommodating, and made sure our stay went above and beyond. It was a magical visit. Go to Ygrande, it’s unforgettable and you won’t regret it.

We had a really good lunch here, with very good service. It’s a lovely place, and we’d recommend it for lunch. Dinner is probably just as good.