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France

Recommended restaurants for the Food and Wine Lover's France itinerary

Beaune (Burgundy)
Hostellerie de l'Ecusson, Place Malmedy
You'll be hard pressed to find a better wine list than this one. Chef Jean-Pierre Senelet does wonderful things with duck, rabbit,
and ham. And the terrace is a delightful place to dine. Good value for the quality of the food.
Phone:  03.80.24.03.82
Reservations required
Hours:  Open for lunch Monday
through Saturday and
for dinner Thursday
through Tuesday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Fixed price menu from:   19EUR

Besancon
Poker d?As, 14, Square St-Amour
For the best in regional cooking from Franche Comte, try this cute restaurant in Besancon. Local cheese, sausages, ham, and produce are used to create robust dishes.
Phone:  03.81.81.42.49
Hours:  Open for lunch and Dinner Tuesday through Saturday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Fixed price menu from:   19EUR

Colmar (Alsace)
Au Fer Rouge, 52 Grand? Rue
With its beamed ceilings, pretty flower boxes, and half-timbered 16th-century surroundings, Au Fer Rouge is postcard perfect. The food is less traditional than the decor suggests and the desserts are very good. Good wine list.
Phone:  03.89.41.37.24 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 2:15PM and 7:15PM to 10PM Monday through Saturday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   28EUR
Fixed price menu from:  45EUR

Maison des Tetes, 19, Rue des Tetes
In the hotel of the same name, Maison des Tetes serves traditional Alsatian food in an atmospheric dining room. Specialties include foie gras, crayfish gazpacho, and roasted duck. And like just about every place else in the region, the wine list is terrific.
Phone:  03.89.24.43.43
Hours:  Noon to 2PM and 7PM to 9:30PM Tuesday through Saturday; Noon to 2PM Sundays
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   14EUR

Dijon
Central Grill Rotisserie, 3, Place Grangier
This candlelit restaurant in the Central Ibis hotel offer good views of the city and food that will appeal to carnivores.
Phone:  03.80.30.44.00
Hours:  Closed Sundays
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Fixed price menu:   22EUR

Dame Aquitaine, 23, Place Boussuet
The wife, who is also the chef here, hails from Aquitaine in Southwestern France. The husband is Burgundian. And the result is delicious. The dining room occupies a medieval crypt, so the ambience is appealing. The food -- which features, duck, rabbit, foie gras, and snails -- is really good and reasonably priced.
Phone:  03.80.30.45.65 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 1:30PM and 7:15PM to 10:30PM Tuesday through Saturday; 7:15PM to 10:30PM Mondays
Email:  dame.aquitaine@wanadoo.fr
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Fixed price lunch from:   10EUR
Fixed price dinner from:  26EUR

Le Bistrot des Halles, 10, Rue Bannelier
This extremely enjoyable restaurant across from Dijon?s central market is helmed by chef Jean Pierre Billoux. You can eat in the pretty dining room or at one of the sidewalk tables. Food is well prepared and a good value.
Phone:  03.80.49.94.15
Hours:  Noon to 1:30PM and 7PM to 10PM Monday through Saturday
Credit cards accepted:  MC, V
Main courses from:   13EUR

Toisons d?Or, 18, Rue Ste-Anne
You?ll need to dress (jacket required) to dine at this lovely, atmospheric restaurant run by La Compagnie Bourguignonne des Oeophiles (Burgundian Wine Tasters). In several nicely restored buildings from the 16th-century, Toisons d?Or offers excellent food and service in elegant surroundings. Burgundy?s best vintage wines.
Phone:  03.80.30.73.52 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 1:30PM and 7PM to 9:30PM Monday through Saturday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   13EUR
Fixed price menu from:  26EUR

Illhaeusern (Alsace)
Auberge de l?Ill, Route de Collonges, 68970
Eleven miles from Colmar, the three-star Auberge de l?Ill is one of the best restaurants in France. Fowl -- particularly partridge, pheasant, and duck -- and salmon are standouts here. But nothing?s less than stellar. The wine list is sensational and very reasonably priced. The 19th-century farmhouse and its river-view garden are charming. And the Haeberlin brothers who run the place are world-class restaurateurs. This is an exceptional dining experience.
Phone:  03.89.71.89.00 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 2PM and 7PM to 9:30PM Wednesday through Sunday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   22EUR
Fixed price menu from:  120EUR

Nancy
Capuchin Gourmand, 31 Rue Gambetta
Just the place for a special occasion. Chef Herve Fourriere has turned Capuchin Gourmand into Nancy?s finest restaurant. Service is top-notch. The dining room is decorated with beautiful Art Nouveau pieces. And the food is terrific. Coat and tie are required.
Phone:  03.83.35.26.98 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 2PM and 7:30PM to 10PM Tuesday through Sunday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, MC, V
Main courses from:   14EUR
Fixed price menu from:  22EUR

L?Excelsior, 50 Rue Henri Poincare
Lovers of Art Nouveau should not miss the opportunity to dine in this beautiful brasserie which first opened in 1910. It was comletely restored in 1987 and it?s filled with Cuban mahogany woodwork, stained glass, and Art Nouveau fixtures. The food is typical brasserie fare.
Phone:  03.83.35.24.57
Hours:  8AM to 12:30Am Monday through Saturday; 8AM to 11PM Sundays
Credit cards accepted:  AE, MC, V
Fixed price menu from:   19EUR

Restaurant Le Foy, 1 Place Stanislas
In a structure built at the same time as the gorgeous 18th-century square on which it stands, Restaurant Le Foy serves tasty food in stylish surroundings. Duck, crayfish, and rabbit are particularly good choices and prices are reasonable.
Phone:  03.83.32.21.44
Hours:  Noon to 2PM Thursday through Tuesday and 7PM to 9:30PM Thursday through Saturday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, MC, V
Main courses from:   13EUR
Fixed price menu from:  19EUR

Reims (Champagne)
Boyer Les Crayeres , 64 Blvd. H. Vasnier
Gerard Boyer is one of the most lauded chefs in France and his restaurant in a glorious Champagne country chateau outside Reims is one of the best in the country. Everything here is superb in every way. If you have to ask the price, don?t bother. Dress up and be prepared to be transported. Rarely will you experience food and service of this standard in such magnificent surroundings.
Phone:  03.26.82.80.80 Reservations required
Hours:  Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday
Web:   www.gerardboyer.com/uk/indexsommaire.htm
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V

Vigneron
Located in a 17th-century mansion, this charming little brasserie serves traditional Lorraine cooking. The wine list has 650 choices -- 300 of which are Champagne. Trout, pig?s feet, and snails are popular and the fixed price menu is a good value. There?s a small museum and outdoor seating too.
Phone:  03.26.79.86.86 Reservations required
Hours:  11:30AM to 2:30PM and 5:30PM to 10PM Monday through Friday
Credit cards accepted:  MC, V
Main courses from:   13EUR
Fixed price menu from:  23EUR

Strasbourg
Au Crocodile, 10, Rue de l?Outre
In Strasbourg, Au Crocodile gives La Buerehiesel a run for its money. It?s really a toss-up which is better, and you certainly won?t be disappointed here. The dining rooms are gorgeous, and the service is excellent. The Discovery, Celebration, and Distinction menus offer several courses with perfectly matched local wines. If you?re feeling flush, splurge and enjoy.
Phone:  03.88.32.13.02 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 1:45PM and 7PM to 9:30PM Tuesday through Saturday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   30EUR
Fixed price menu from:  70EUR

Brasserie de l?Ancienne Douane, 6 Rue de la Douane
This lively Strasbourg brasserie seats 800 -- 200 out and 600 in. It?s great for Alsatian standards like choucroute, chicken in Riesling, and foie gras. There are lots of well-priced local wines. And all in all, a meal here is a good value.
Phone:  03.88.15.78.78
Hours:  11:30AM to 11PM daily
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   11EUR
Fixed price menu from:  13EUR

La Buerehiesel, 4, parc de l?Orangerie
It?s hard to imagine a nicer spot than the l?Orangerie location that La Buerehiesel enjoys. This is generally acknowledged to be the best restaurant in Alsace and one of the best in France. Dine here and you?ll likely share the experience with members of the European Parliament, drawn by three-star chef Antoine Westermann?s fresh interpretation of Alsatian classics. Dress up. Take lots of money. And be prepared to talk in hushed tones.
Phone:  03.88.45.56.65 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 2PM and 7:30PM to 9:30PM Thursday through Monday; closed one week each in December, January, February, and two in August
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   38EUR
Fixed price menu from:  80EUR

Maison des Tanneurs, 42 Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes
The Choucroute here -- known as the best in town -- competes with the canal-front terrace in Strasbourg?s Petite France quarter. This is a very pleasant restaurant with wonderful food and ambience. It does get busy and service can be a little brusque. But with the right attitude -- or enough Riesling -- you might not notice.
Phone:  03.88.32.79.70 Reservations required
Hours:  Noon to 2:15PM and 7:15PM to 10PM Tuesday through Saturday
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   19EUR
Fixed price menu from:  36EUR

Maison Kammerzell, 16 Place de la Cathedrale
In a fabulous building dating from 1589, Maison Kammerzell draws locals and tourists alike with hearty Alsatian cooking and good value for money. The ambience in the former Renaissance residence is charming and authentic. Try the choucroute, the local sausages or smoked pork. Yum.
Phone:  03.88.32.42.14
Hours:  Noon to 2:30PM and 7PM to 11PM daily
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Main courses from:   14EUR
Fixed price menu from:  28EUR

Vougeot (Burgundy)
Le Clos Prieur, Gilly-les-Citeaux, 21640
Chef Christopher Barnouin manages a staff of 16 at this superb restaurant in the Chateau de Gilly. The magnificent Versailles-like grounds set the tone for dining in the magnificent 14th-century Gothic dining room. It?s expensive. A jacket is required -- and make it a nice one. And service is world-class. The perfect place for a splurge.
Phone:  03.80.62.89.98 Reservations required
Fax:  03.80.62.82.34
Hours:  Noon to 1:30PM and 7:15PM to 9:30PM daily
Credit cards accepted:  AE, DC, MC, V
Three course dinner from:   61EUR