A family establishment
Our Refuge
‘We decided to write the new chapters of Le Refuge des Gourmets, with four hands and two hearts working in unison, within the walls of this family establishment lovingly created by Jean-Marie and Florence Chanove in 1989.
Our ‘Refuge’ is very much a reflection of who we are, and we'd like to share it with you.
“It is our cocoon, the place where we feel good, where we take care of our guests and in which everything serves as a source of inspiration to us: the light, the fragrances, the seasons and of course, nature. Le Refuge des Gourmets is the sum of our two personalities, and our shared devotion to the art of hospitality, good produce and the joy of giving pleasure. Over lunch or dinner, we invite you to enter our world and to share in our story together.”
With an open heart, Fanny by Hubert
“Fanny has really come into her own in our establishment. She is its heart and soul. Everything in our Refuge exudes her attention to detail and thoughtfulness of gesture. She loves to welcome and share, and does so with profound humanity. When I see her in the dining room, smiling and talking about our cuisine with such infectious passion, I am struck by her combined energy and gentleness of touch. It is she who shapes the mood of our establishment, who imbues it with its warmth and elegance. As a former figure skater, she has an innate sense of rigour, but also of finesse and poetry. She has a passion for herbalism and the healing powers of plants, and is constantly dreaming up new ideas to help our guests experience the uniqueness of our world.”
Let me tell you a secret, Hubert by Fanny
“Hubert has a gift for cooking. The ingredients speak to him and the combinations immediately become clear. I admire his ability to constantly marvel at nature's riches, to be excited by the arrival of the first Machilly raspberries. I love to see the twinkle in his eyes when he returns from a foraging foray as if he's stumbled across some long-lost, buried treasure. He has a sometimes naive sensitivity that never fails to move me. He also impresses me with his capacity to create at a moment's notice, his ability to turn simple produce into poetry, transforming it into a playful signature full of depth and dimension. I love watching the precision of his movements and the delicacy with which he works. While he is guided by rigour and excellence, he knows how to put them at the service of emotion, expressing his memories and inspirations with true sincerity.”
Conveyors of emotion
The land provides, nature and the seasons dictate, the farmers harvest and Fanny and Hubert exalt their fine produce. Their uninhibited cuisine, attentive service, strong interpersonal skills and savoir-faire are all at the service of the moment. As emotional emissaries and humble messengers, theirs is a truly human experience.
