--- title: French Chefs' Distant Retreats description: When Michel Bras opened his eponymous restaurant-hotel in 1992 in the remote Aubrac mountains of south-central France, the venue was the very definition of the... canonical: https://time.com/archive/6938673/french-chefs-distant-retreats/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2011-08-18T04:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-22T07:28:10.000Z og:title: French Chefs' Distant Retreats og:description: When Michel Bras opened his eponymous restaurant-hotel in 1992 in the remote Aubrac mountains of south-central France, the venue was the very definition of the... og:url: https://time.com/archive/6938673/french-chefs-distant-retreats/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbccf5bfc58db10b4/698a4f7f4ee2627ff131d71a/360_france_0829.jpg?branch=production&width=360&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 360 og:image:height: 203 og:image:alt: 360_france_0829.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: French Chefs' Distant Retreats twitter:description: When Michel Bras opened his eponymous restaurant-hotel in 1992 in the remote Aubrac mountains of south-central France, the venue was the very definition of the... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbccf5bfc58db10b4/698a4f7f4ee2627ff131d71a/360_france_0829.jpg?branch=production&width=360&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # French Chefs' Distant Retreats > Sponsored content. 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Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=6e668dc3-373b-41c8-bf0f-aee83368b9ed&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=6e668dc3-373b-41c8-bf0f-aee83368b9ed&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [Jeffrey T. Iverson](https://time.com/author/jeffrey-t-iverson/) Aug 18, 2011 4:00 AM UTC  A shore thing Chef Yoann Conte's gastronomic retreat enjoys an exquisite setting on the edge of Lake Annecy A shore thing Chef Yoann Conte's gastronomic retreat enjoys an exquisite setting on the edge of Lake Annecy La Nouvelle Maison by [Jeffrey T. Iverson](https://time.com/author/jeffrey-t-iverson/) Aug 18, 2011 4:00 AM UTC When Michel Bras opened his eponymous restaurant-hotel in 1992 in the remote Aubrac mountains of south-central France, the venue was the very definition of the Michelin guide’s three-star ranking: “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” Today, a new crop of young French chef-proprietors are doing likewise — abandoning the cities to create their own distant retreats. As 32-year-old Alexandre Gauthier puts it, “We’re all the children of Bras.” Here are three far-flung eateries that deserve a road trip. **L’Auberge de la Grenouillère** The cognoscenti are currently abuzz over Gauthier’s recently expanded restaurant, housed in a converted farmhouse in a far corner of northern France. The auberge features accommodation in rustic-chic cabins and avant-garde cuisine inspired by the region’s plains and marshes. With dishes such as lamb’s tongue with thistle and nettles; or foie gras with green strawberries, cucumber, basil and smoked cod roe, Gauthier offers “a photograph of the territory.” Details at [lagrenouillere.fr](https://lagrenouillere.fr). [(See 10 things to do in Paris.)](https://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1937013,00.html) **La Nouvelle Maison de Marc Veyrat** On the glacial Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie, chef Yoann Conte has taken over the restaurant-hotel of his mentor, the legendary chef Marc Veyrat. Conte, a native of coastal Brittany who fell in love with the mountains, has risen to his new role by marrying his seafood savvy with Veyrat’s herb- and flower-infused cuisine. Resulting creations include pine-bark-smoked blue lobster, sea bass with sherry-like _vin jaune_ and goosefoot (a flowering herb), and local fish with ramson and crocus pistils. Visit [yoann-conte.com](https://yoann-conte.com). **La Mare aux Oiseaux** In the heart of the Brière National Park near the Atlantic coast, the restaurant of chef Eric Guérin makes for an implausibly remote dining destination. Yet visitors flock there to sleep in sumptuous guest rooms and savor dishes like pigeon roasted with Sarawak-pepper-infused honey, topped with squid and served with a tart of peas, onions and potatoes smoked in peat. “When you travel deeper into France, you can get closer to something authentic,” says Guérin. And that, to many a foodie, is well worth the effort. See [mareauxoiseaux.fr](https://mareauxoiseaux.fr). _Got an awful travel gripe? The Avenger may be able to sort it out for you._ [Click here to tell us your problem.](https://www.time.com/time/travel/avenger/form) [See Time.com/Travel for city guides, stories and advice.](https://www.time.com/time/travel) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6938673/french-chefs-distant-retreats/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6938673/french-chefs-distant-retreats/"},"headline":"French Chefs' Distant Retreats","datePublished":"2011-08-18T04:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-22T07:28:10.000Z","description":"When Michel Bras opened his eponymous restaurant-hotel in 1992 in the remote Aubrac mountains of south-central France, the venue was the very definition of the...","url":"https://time.com/archive/6938673/french-chefs-distant-retreats/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbccf5bfc58db10b4/698a4f7f4ee2627ff131d71a/360_france_0829.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jeffrey T. 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