Bikes & Baguettes in Beaune: Burgandy, France
Beaune is one of those places that just charms your socks off. Gorgeous medieval buildings, cobblestone streets, French accents and every second shop sells wine or food! Especially at night, I felt like I was walking around in one of my favourite movies, Midnight in Paris. I expected Ernest and F. Scott and Zelda to come around the corner and take me dancing! I spent three nights in the region and was utterly smitten.
Beaune is the central town in the Burgandy (Bourgogne in French) wine region, about 35 km from Dijon. I actually stayed in Ladoix-Serrigny, a tiny little village about seven km out of Beaune in a delightful little Airbnb self-contained apartment out the back of a grand sandstone home (click here for a $55AUD discount if you haven’t stayed in an Airbnb before and you can read all about my tips for Airbnb here). My host was kind enough to loan me a bike for my stay and I had a wonderful time riding around the countryside through the vineyards. I knew I had a short time in France so, surprise, surprise, wanted to eat as much decadent food as possible! It was the first week of November and the weather was gorgeous. Crisp, cold mornings and sunny blue sky days, with the leaves on the vines on their last legs. I was told it was unseasonably warm for that time of year and I made the most of t-shirt weather during the day – layers were crucial for the cold nights and mornings.
Bike Through the Vines
There is something so delightful about riding a bike through the countryside, particularly when it’s filled with vineyards. There are lots of wineries in easy riding distance from Beaune where you can do tours through cellars or just ride past, taking photos of the grand chateaux. Villages like Ladoix-Serrigny have beautiful homes and little churches and schools to cruise past and bakeries to top up the croissant reserves. It’s always best to know where your next pastry fix is in France! If you want a slightly more organised experience, there’s also a 35km bike trail called the Voie des Vignes which runs from Beaune to Nolay and mirrors part of the Route des Grand Crus which runs from Dijon to Santenay.
Eat Snails at Le Bistro de l’Hôtel
I decided I was going to have a fancy meal in Beaune. I’d been mostly cooking during my time in Piedmont before I arrived in Beaune and was ready for a bit of indulgence. Based on an article I read by a wine writer, Robert Draper in the New York Times, I booked in for dinner at Le Bistro de l’Hôtel, mainly because of how much he raved about their Poulet de Bresse, saying ‘there is no better dish in all of France’. The Bresse breed of chicken has appellation d’origine contrôlée status and is served whole and roasted, with all of the butter.
The experience at Le Bistro de l’Hôtel was a little strange initially as the restaurant was entirely empty when I arrived at 7.30pm. I figured I was just super early, but it turned out only one other couple came in the whole night! I was already a bit nervous about solo dining in a fancy French restaurant, but it’s even more intense when you are one of three people in the whole place! As it turned out, I had a lovely experience once that early awkwardness passed and I just enjoyed the food and wine and delightful service.
The menu was very French and very traditional and it seemed clear to me I needed to try escargot again. The last time was 20 years ago with my friend Sarah in a much more low-key Parisian bistro (read tourist trap!). The owner (who also served me and was in the restaurant along with two other waiters, two chefs and a dishwasher – they definitely did not make a profit that evening) explained to me that the recipe was his grandmother’s and actually took me through the process step by step. The snails were garlicky and buttery and delicious and made even more so by understanding the story of the recipe.
Unfortunately, the much famed Poulet de Bresse was a dish for two, so I opted for the roasted chicken breast which ended up being half a chicken (and came with two types of potato which is basically heaven)! It was cooked beautifully; tender and moist and buttery with crisp skin that makes me salivate just thinking about it. I like to think it was pretty much the same thing as Poulet de Bresse, but with a chicken from just down the road perhaps? I finished with a Crème Brûlée, perfectly caramalised, with silky smooth vanilla bean custard waiting underneath. Cracking your spoon into the top of a Crème Brûlée must be one of the most satisfying sounds in the world, right up there with a champagne cork popping!
The benefit of only having three people in a restaurant is that you can pretty easily make friends with the other patrons! I was able to see the Poulet de Bresse carved and served at the table and the iconic Crepes Suzette also set on fire table-side whilst chatting to a lovely Canadian couple who bought a home in Beaune a few years ago after many summer holidays. So I got to watch the spectacle in the end after all!
Step Back in Time at Hospices de Beaune
The main event in Beaune, aside from the wines, is the Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel Dieu. It is a fascinating and beautiful building with its glazed tile rooves and panel paintings. It was founded in 1443 as a hospital for the region’s poor. In 1457, a parcel of vineyards was donated to the Hospice. For five centuries, wine has been made to support the works of the Hospsice, now housed in modern buildings whilst the original is preserved as a museum. A wine auction is held on the third Sunday of November each year and has been since 1859. Much of the wine produced is classified Grand and Premier Cru. It attracts collectors and serious wine buffs from around the world who pay big money for the limited volumes of wine produced each year, with all proceeds going back into the current hospital site. Christie’s holds the auction each year and has a great video about the Hopsice and the auction here.
Try to Understand Bourgogne Wines…
Not probably what you want to hear, but I did not even begin to get a grasp on the wines of this region! I can tell you that the main grapes are Pinot Noir, Gamay & Chardonnay. There are six regions within Burgandy, including Chablis (exclusively white grapes) and Beaujolais (Gamay grapes), which if you grew up in Australia you probably recognise. Within those regions are nearly 120 appellations (official wine zones), some as small as 2.1 acres. And then, of those appellations, some are actually individual vineyards. It is these that can be designated Grand Cru (the best of the best) or Premier Cru (better than most, but not as good as the Grand Crus). It’s a complicated place to learn about wine – not helped by the fact the labels all look the same! This is a pretty good article to get some of the basics. And remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again!
Eat More Food
Hostellerie de Levernois
Hostellerie de Levernois is a Relais and Chateuax hotel and golf club a few miles out of town. I rode the bike out there and partook of the lunch special in the bistro. €39 for three courses of great French classics and some more adventurous options also. It seemed a very popular option for golfers, business people and tourists alike.
The Cook’s Atelier
This gorgeous place sits very high on my list of European Must Return To Places. I didn’t stumble upon The Cook’s Atelier until my last day which meant I couldn’t do one of their cooking classes and I was travelling very light which meant I couldn’t buy all of the things. All of them. I could have a very good coffee however, which was much welcome after leaving my beloved Italian coffee and being subjected to what the French deem acceptable coffee! Check out their website, it’s enough to make you book a flight to France all on its own.
Pack a Picnic
For self-catering, on the northern edge of town, just near the main roundabout joining the A6 motorway, there is a fantastic organic supermarket called Grand Frais and bakery Boulangerie Marie Blachère. Go for the bread alone. Amazing. Then pop your baguette, fromage, jambon and a bottle of vin rouge into your bike basket and find a great picnic spot among the vines!
