Ken Fox's Profile
New Restaurant in Avignon, L'Essentiel
A long time ago this was the "second restaurant" of Hiely Lucullus (sp?) which used to have a star. La Fourchette was ostensibly run by one of the children of the couple running the starred restaurant. I remember eating at Hiely with my parents about 30 years ago, for lunch. I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals of some sort that were not much more appropriate than flip flops in a starred restaurant at that point in time. We were walk-ins. I remember them seating us in a far corner, being careful to have me in the corner where other patrons might not notice my attire . . .Over the next 10 years or so I had occasion to eat there myself for dinner a few times, although always better dressed.
The original owners that ran Hiely Lucullus (?sp) are certainly retired, dead, or both by this point, and I think that La Fourchette is no longer within that family, either.
I tried a couple of times to get into La Fourchette within the last two years, well in advance. I tried to make reservations in the middle of the week, for dinner, as a single diner. Both times I was told that the restaurant was already fully booked for that evening, which seemed rather implausible at the time given the advance booking and the day of the week. I had the impression that they were turning me away because I was alone, and that they preferred to reserve tables for at least two people. It struck me as very "unFrench," something I've not experienced anywhere else in France. Of course, I could be wrong. But I have not tried to book there since those experiences.
A week in Burgundy... any suggestions?
From North to South:
Ma Cusine in Beaune. An informal restaurant/bistro with good food, lots of passion, and a huge wine list.
Lameloise in Chagny. Outstanding and consistent three star Michelin restaurant with an extensive wine list, and prices at the very bottom of the range of restaurants at this level.
Aux Terrasses and Restaurant Greuze in Tournus. Both different and both excellent, with value for money, good service, and good wine lists. Both have one star in Michelin.
Tipping, is it in the bill?
This absolutely contradicts my own observations. I spend 2 months a year in France, usually eat out every day, and since I dine solo most of the time I have the "opportunity" to see what other diners do.
I believe this may have been true 10 years ago but it is no longer true. There ARE many French people who never tip, but there are also many French people who do tip. For sure, French people do not leave 15 or 20% tips as is common in North America where the serving staff receives hardly any salary. But many French people DO tip and I see it constantly when I eat out.
I have also had occasion to eat out with French friends and to ask their opinion on a given meal as to what I should or should not leave. I tend to be more generous than perhaps they would be themselves, but they don't tell me I'm being unreasonably generous and they do confirm my instincts to tip in better restaurants (and my instincts not to tip in mediocre ones or where little service was given).
Tipping, is it in the bill?
I think the real answer is that restaurant tipping in France is "all over the map."
I have met and/or know people who never leave any sort of tip, in any sort of French restaurant, for any reason, regardless of the caliber of service given; they seem to be somewhat proud of having this approach.
Other people will leave a few coins or whatever change would be due, rounding up on the money they left on the table.
Some will leave a fixed percentage up to 5 or even approaching 10% in a very good restaurant where they have received exceptional service.
As a general rule, in a cheap restaurant such as a pizzeria, where you have received indifferent service, leave either nothing or perhaps up to a euro, especially if you don't have correct change and don't want to wait for the server to return with the small amount that might be due you.
In a better restaurant I would consider several things before deciding on what to leave. These would include the caliber of service you received, and most importantly the likelihood that you will return. If you are kind-hearted soul then consider the first one more than the last. I always tip more in places that I expect to return to, than in places that I know from the start are a one-shot experience.
Gourmet Dining in Beaune
I can't speak to your experience at Ma Cuisine, but I can say that I eat there 6x a year (3 times each on two separate trips, one in April and the other in October) and I have never been disappointed there. Ma Cuisine, although not a huge restaurant, is a bustling place with a brasserie sort of atmosphere. It is NOT a quiet, romantic restaurant with dim lighting. The cuisine is very honest straightforward Burgundian food that is prepared to a very high standard but certainly not designed nor intended to resemble what you would get in a starred restaurant. The wine list is encyclopedic.
I eat regularly at several starred restaurants in Burgundy (Lameloise, Aux Terrasses, and Greuze, but NOT Jardin des Remparts). For me, Ma Cuisine is an intentional counterpoint to that sort of dining, since starred restaurant dining gets old really fast if you do it night after night after night.
I love Ma Cuisine, but if this was not the sort of experience you sought (a bustling brasserie type of place) then I can see why you might have been disappointed.
L'Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel
About a year ago I spent nearly a week in Arles, and ate dinner several times at A Coté, and once at l'Atelier. After eating at L'Atelier, I was fatigued and had no interest in going back. This is not to say that the food was bad, but the tapas-like format is something I found very fatiguing, with serving people in my face constantly as the huge number of small plates were served and then removed. Some may consider this fine dining, but to me it was like WORK, and in no way a relaxing experience no matter what the quality of the bite size portions served.
A Coté, on the other hand, was charming. The service was attentive, the food was good, the wine selection was good, and I felt like I received very good value for money. I would go back to A Coté without hesitation, but l'Atalier would not get me back even if it were free (and the second star to me is irrelevant given the format).
Lyon for 3 nights-where to eat
Unless I am mistaken, Rue d'Arbre Sec is a short street of about 3 blocks that comes off of Rue de la Republique and Edourd Herriot and ends almost on the water (the Rhone River). There are several other restaurants and some fast food/sandwich places on that street and the one that I ate at about 3 years ago was called something like "le Caro de Lyon." It was large, nice inside, but a a bit dimly lit. I had their fixed meal which was a Lyonnaise salad, Quenelles, and I believe Profiteroles for dessert. All was competently prepared and the price was reasonable. Not a meal to die for, but certainly with a good price to value relationship.
Addendum: Le Caro de Lyon is on the next street, Rue Bat d'Argent -- but it sounds like it might still be the one you were asking about.
Lyon for 3 nights-where to eat
L'est is one of the foursome of Bocuse Brasseries in Lyon. All 4 (L'est, L'Ouest, le Sud, and le Nord) are named for the ordinal directions and are situated more or less like that (at least in relationship to each other) throughout Lyon. They share maybe 1/2 the menu items and most or all of the wine list. At some level they are like a Bouchon but they are much more well lit and have many other menu offerings in addition to Bouchon like fare. They are also more expensive than a Bouchon.
Personally speaking, I don't like Bouchon cuisine as it is full of organ meats and superfluous grease, but then, that is just me and many or most would disagree.
On the other hand, these 4 places are somewhat sterile, and appeal to tourists as being "French enough," yet welcoming and an easy place for the non French speaking tourist to have a decent meal. Many of the food entries, if overpriced, are still tasty. These are not a bad option for the travel weary tourist to have a decent meal without putting out much effort in the search, while still thinking, "hey, it's Bocuse's restaurant, so it must be good."
What I really detest about these 4 places is the wine list, chock full of overpriced plonk from what must be good friend viticulteurs of Mr. Bocuse. You can find a lot of Deboeuf's tasteless Beaujolais wines (all of which taste the same, regardless of supposed appellation) and other examples of extreme mediocrity, all for prices that will make your hair stand up. I guess they have decided to sell their food at semi-acceptable prices while making it up on the horrid wine list.
Of the group, L'Est has a nice atmosphere with a model train running along the sides of the walls, and a bustling atmosphere not far from the Part Dieu train station.
You could do a lot worse, but you can get much better value for your money if you spend a little time looking around.
Lyon for 3 nights-where to eat
I have not eaten in his new place but did eat a number of times in the earlier one, called Mattieu Vionnay, a very bright place with a modern decor, on Marechel Foch. This was over a span of a year and a half, most recently about 2 years ago.
He is a very creative chef. That having been said, about half the dishes I had were great, and the other half equally as bad. I can remember a signature dish of Frog legs in a risotto, which was stupendous, and an equally wonderful Pain Perdu ("French Toast") dessert I can still remember as I type this.
On the downside I can remember a disgusting deep fried breaded foie gras entrée that had only grease inside when I cut it open; I took one bite and left the rest on the plate, feigning some sort of digestive problem to the staff as my reason for not eating it. Similarly, there was a Saint-Jacques main course in which the scallops were still attached to the opened shells, and which was laid on a bed of sand (yes, I said SAND). On trying to dislodge a scallop, which was attached like glue to the shell, I had a shell fly off my table and across the room. This was more than a little bit embarrassing in a restaurant of this level. Plus the dish had no flavor whatsoever, it was all in the presentation which was basically inedible.
You have here (or at least had) a creative chef who has hits and misses. The problem is that when one goes to a restaurant that is as expensive as his old one was (and the new one, with 2 stars, will be worse), then one has to decide whether or not one wants to take the RISK on an expensive and bad meal, which I'd regard as a real possibility with this chef.
For me, I'd rather go somewhere that the recipes get tested out first, rather than being served to the customers before having been through their "beta test" stage.
Tournus; A nice gastronomic destination in southern Burgundy
Tournus, which is about equidistant between Macon on the south, and Chalon sur Saone to the north, now sports two fine restaurants worthy of a visit, and both are relative bargains in this region and in the country, overall.
Aux Terrasses has been here for ages. It is a very solid one-star Michelin restaurant with a somewhat charged atmosphere, well lit and with lots of bright colors. The current establishment, which includes a serviceable 2** (over 5 possible) hotel, was started around 25 years ago by Michel & Henriette Carrette. Michel died suddenly a few years ago and fortunately their son, Jean-Michel, was already a well established chef elsewhere (Troisgros) and he returned home to Tournus to keep the restaurant going. Not only has he been successful at maintaining the quality level of the restaurant, but he has brought new creativity, and been able to keep the Michelin star without interruption in spite of the demise of his father. Prices here are very reasonable for the quality, both in the menu(s) and in the wine list (which also sports a large number of half bottles for those who are interested). The "big" menu, which includes a choice of 3 plates plus cheese plus dessert, costs less than 60 euros. Aux Terrasses is closed for Sunday dinner and all day Monday.
Yohann Chapuis, the recent former 2nd chef from Lameloise (***) in Chagny, has taken over the other former fine restaurant in town, Greuze, which is just up the hill from Aux Terrasses and across the Route National from the Tournus train station. In only 6 months' time, Yohann and his staff have revitalized Greuze from a restaurant that literally went bankrupt, back to Michelin star quality. I've now eaten there 3 times since Yohann took over, twice in the last 3 weeks, most recently last night. Although it will probably be another year or two before Michelin gives Greuze back its star, they have already been to visit twice (the inspector apparently notifies the restaurant inspected after the visit takes place, and Yohann has been notified twice of visits since he took over). The quality reflected on my plates and in the service given is already better than at least 75% of the restaurants given one-star status by Michelin, in which I have personally dined over many years in France. Prices are again, very very reasonable for what you will receive. The most interesting menu for most people will be the one that offers 3 demi-portions of 3 plates of your choosing, plus either cheese or dessert (you can have both with a supplement) for 55 Euros. The wine list has been steadily improving; Yohann has gotten some assistance from the head sommelier at Lameloise in restocking the cellar at Greuze. In fact, 6 months ago I was at the small bar across the street from Lameloise one morning, and inside I found Yohann on his day off, having coffee with the head Lameloise sommelier. They were getting ready to spend a day visiting wine producers in Burgundy on a buying expedition for Greuze. Greuze is closed all day Wednesday.
Both of these restaurants offer a lot of gastronomic bang for the buck, combined with very gracious service. They are situated in a charming part of southern Burgundy that is surrounded by many ancient chateaux that can be visited. Aux Terrasses will serve well as a hotel base for those who are not too demanding of luxury accommodations, and for those who are willing to pay up for 3*** or 4**** lodging, Tournus offers a number of other choices. A two day visit to Tournus with a dinner in each of these restaurants will provide a nice gastronomic experience in a laid back atmosphere, coupled with attentive and friendly service. If you are watching your Euros, these places will be the highlights of your French visit, and if saving money is not important, they will give you a nice break from some of the much heavier and more expensive cuisine you might find in 3*** restaurants elsewhere. If you choose to make a two day visit to Tournus, be mindful of the weekly closure dates so that you schedule your dinners on nights that these restaurants are open. Advance reservations for both places would be a very good idea. Even in what might seem like the off season, there are school holidays scheduled and various other periods when a lot of Belgians and other northern Europeans pass through this part of France. Aux Terrasses has tons of regulars who stop off one night in one or both directions and have been doing so for many years, so you might not get in even on a Tuesday in November without an advance reservation.
ken
Auberge de Roua, Argeles sur Mer
Argeles is not far from Perpignan, on the Mediterranean coast not far from the Spanish border. This is not an area with a whole lot of stunning dining choices. Argeles itself is basically a beach resort.
The hotel in which this restaurant is located is a nice 3 star (out of 5 possible) that delivers good value for money. The restaurant, which is listed in the Michelin guide but has no stars, is very good. The overall style is what one might associate with a one-star Michelin place, although it is not entirely consistent and the quality, to my taste, is variable. I should note (again) that they do NOT have any stars in the Michelin guide, I am just trying to put my comments in reference to something the reader might be familiar with.
The amuse bouches they serve are enormous and very good. There are dishes on their menu that are as good as I have had in one star restaurants, especially the foie gras entree. I have not had anything in this restaurant that was not at least "good."
Prices are reasonable and they have a good wine list.
If you are in this region and looking for a reliable dining choice with some creativity and flair, I think you will be pleased with this place.
ken
Le Bistro Latin, Aix-en-Provence
I found this place recommended on the Frommers or Foders website (I forget which). After finding the reference, I searched online and found a whole bunch of ratings, in English and French, most of which were either very good or very awful, with few ratings in between. As an example, one reviewer (in French) said they had the "worst food in France," and another, in English said they were terrific.
I decided to take the risk and ate there a couple of weeks ago. For me, it was very good. I don't recall the exact price of the menu but it was less than 30 euros, and for that I received an entree, a main course, and dessert. All the plates were good with the dessert being slightly less successful than the entree and main course, but still good.
I don't much like Aix and it is going to be a while until I go back, but if I were there, I'd seek out this place for a not-very-expensive meal that has some class and taste, all served in a pleasant atmosphere with good service and a reasonably priced winelist.
ken
New Restaurant in Avignon, L'Essentiel
I found a new small restaurant in Avignon that is worthy of a visit. It is just across from the Church "Saint Agricol" at 2 Rue Petite Fusterie, and called "L'Essentiel."
At lunchtime they serve Tartines, a sort of sandwich, and I did not eat there at lunchtime. The formula is completely different at dinner, with a couple of set menus, each with choices for each course, and these menus change regularly. They are priced at around 26 and 37 euros each, which includes an entree, a main course, and a dessert. There's a good selection of wine on the wine list both by the bottle and several of each color by the glass. The food is tasty, well prepared, and shows creativity and class. Tables are comfortably spaced.
The staff is very welcoming and give good service. They are doing a good business for a place that has only been open for 8 months.
I ate here twice in 4 days and had a nice meal both times, with a very good price to value relationship. I had the more expensive menu both times. For appetizers I had the foie gras both times (very creative so I decided to have it again; served with a "confiture of olives," something I'd never had before, a sweet olives type preserve, which went well with the foie gras). For the main course I had the duck one time and the tuna the second; both were well prepared. For desserts I had both of them offered on the menu I chose, the chocolate cake and the baba.
For the price you will not do better in this town, now will you find a more welcoming reception.
ken
great restaurant in Provence hotel?
I found this place (le Castellas) in the online Michelin red guide a few days ago and on the spur of the moment made a reservation to stay there and to have dinner, which was 4 days ago. The town is quite charming, there are hiking trails nearby, and the restaurant was excellent for a one star. I will be back.
Ken Fox
Le Beau Rivage? PIC?
I have both stayed and eaten at Beau Rivage, although not very recently.
It used to be an ok 1 star place but the last meal I had there (about 4 or 5 years ago) was ordinary. This was during the off season and the dining room was about 1/2 full (or less) so perhaps it is better during a busier period, or perhaps it was an off night. The hotel is ordinary but more expensive than it should be (or at least when I was there the last time).
The location is a bit noisy since it is just off a busy street.
This part of the Northern Rhone Valley is industrial and you don't have to look far away to see such things as a massive oil refinery or a chemical plant. The immediate area is not very charming, even if some very fine wines are made in the near vicinity.
My last visit, which was one of several, did not encourage me to return, and I have not.
ken
Vintage Restaurant, Ketchum/Sun Valley, ID
Vintage is really good. I frequently forget about it when I recommend places here (I live half a mile away), largely because they are full about 80% of the times I try to make a reservation to eat there. When I do get in, once or twice a year, they are very very good and have never disappointed me or any of my friends who have eaten there with me.
Restaurants in/near Beaune
Ditto. Vraiment, franchement, sincerement, honêtement, et vachement:
Pierre et Fabiene sont le REAL DEAL!
ken
Lunch at Burgundy 3 Stars
Dementia is settling in and sometimes I can't remember what I had for breakfast, no less the dawn of the internet.
What would cause you to ask such a question?
ken
:-)
Restaurants in Beaune
Lameloise serves lunch, but not as many days a week as in the past. Neither the French nor tourists eat big lunches very often anymore. They do have a cheaper prix fix lunch than the menus offered at dinner, and they were offering a lunch that was combined with a glass or glasses of wine, but you'll have to look to the website to see what they are doing at the moment:
http://www.lameloise.com/
There is an English version you can click to see.
Sunday lunch IS the one day where lunch is a big deal in France, so that is a day you probably can not get a cheap prix fix menu, and also a day where a reservation far in advance would be necessary.
As to recently eating at Lameloise, I eat there about 15 times a year, 7 of which were this past April and early May. I'm headed back there in 2.5 weeks for the another round of 7 meals or so, spread out over a month.
guesthouse in center of Beaune? Restaurant in Aix?
Ma Cuisine is open 4 days a week for lunch and dinner; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. They are closed Wednesdays and during the weekend. Reservations are advised.
In Beaune I have been staying at the same small hotel, 5 or 6 nights a year, for years on end. It is called "Hotel des Remparts." The couple who own it, and their staff, are very gracious. Prices are reasonable for this expensive and touristic town:
http://www.hotel-remparts-beaune.com/
Lunch at Burgundy 3 Stars
No need for rumours:
http://www.lhotellerie-restauration.fr/hotellerie-restauration/Articles/2008/3091_24_Juillet_2008/Jacques_Lameloise_passe_la_main_en_douceur.htm#ART_2124
Basically, Jacques is 60-ish and is going to retire at some point but not within the next 3 years (as of the date of the article, late July 2008). He is writing a cookbook with his recipes.
Eric Pras, the new 2nd chef, will presumably take over the operation at some point but not during the next 3 years unless there is a change of plans.
Dining in and around Beaune
Le Charlemagne was good the one time I ate there a few years ago, but if the idea of fusion cuisine (Japanese and French) doesn't strike you as anything remarkable, it is easily eliminated from your list. I used to eat regularly at Jardin de Remparts, but had a couple of bad experiences there and stopped going about 3 years ago. It is 2/3 as expensive as Lameloise and 1/5 as good.
If it were me, I'd try to eat at Lameloise (where I am right now and from which I am sending this response) and Ma Cuisine, with everything else in this immediate vicinity scheduled as time allows. These are the two places you will probably not be able to get into at the last minute without reservations.
If you don't mind going a little bit out of the immediate area, you could always drive 40km or so south to Tournus, where Aux Terrasses is open for dinner on Wednesday. Their food and service are considerably better than Jardin des Remparts, and it costs little more than half as much when you consider the additional cost of the wine you will drink.
Another good choice in Tournus, which unfortunately is NOT open on Wednesdays, is the recently revitalized Restaurant Greuze, under the very competent stewardship of its new chef, Yohan Chapuis, formerly 2nd chef at both Lameloise and La Pyramide. I had a great and reasonably priced (for France) dinner at Greuze within the last week, and have already made 2 reservations there for my next trip, in October.
Arles
Having just spent a week here, I have a couple of recommendations to anyone coming out here and looking for a good restaurant meal. Having already overfed myself in Burgundy, my intention here was to economize and not to have any expensive meals. For the most part, I succeeded, although I did have one dinner at one of the two Michelin One Stars here, L'atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel. Briefly stated, this is a Tapas style restaurant which will serve you a whole lot of small "amuse bouche" sized dishes over the course of a meal. This style is popular also with some restaurants in big cities in the USA. This restaurant in Arles was my first personal experience with this format. Speaking only for myself, I don't like the format for a whole host of reasons. For me, fine dining is an exercise in relaxed dining where I savor every bite and wash it down with a nice wine. In this restaurant, with its SIXTEEN plates the night I dined there, your job as diner is to keep eating, and fast, as the next dish is going to appear before you have finished the one you are eating if you are not speedy.
All the dishes were good and I have no complaints about the food, but this format simply does not agree with me even though it might agree with you.
The real "find" of my trip was the sister restaurant to this place, located directly across the street, and called (appropriately) "A Coté." Although there are some Tapas type dishes you can order, the restaurant has more typical bistro fare with a Catalan (Spanish) emphasis, although not entirely, and it is very much a "French" restaurant. There is a daily menu that costs 30 euros for an entree, main course, and dessert, and whatever you might choose for yourself will probably cost about that much, outside of the menu. The wine selection is fairly limited, about 4 each of whites, roses, and reds, ranging in price from 22 to 25 euros per 750ml bottle. The same wines are available by the glass for about 4 euros each.
I ate in this "A Coté" restaurant 4 times in the week and each time it was very good and with today's exchange rate still represents relative value in France. The staff was very attentive and I had both good food and good service. Dishes I enjoyed were the Magret de Canard, the foie gras appetizer, the charcuterie appetizer, the tapenades (there are more than one), and especially the Paella, served Saturdays.
I will pass back through here one more time on this trip and have already reserved a table here for that dinner.
Another place I ate that was good was a small place I found in the Michelin guide (no stars) called "Le Jardin de Manon" on Avenue des Alyscamps. The 32 euro menu is good and they have a good and low priced wine selection. For the price you get an entree, a main course (I had the tenderloin of the local Tauro steers, unique to this region of France), cheese, and a dessert combination plate (very good as well). The atmosphere is quite relaxed and pleasant. I enjoyed the service here as well, which was friendly and attentive.
I had one cheap pizza dinner in a place I would not particularly recommend; the pizza was ok but the atmosphere had nothing to recommend it. If you are looking for a pizza here, ask a local where to go.
Lyon suggestions.
Nicholas le Bec, which recently got it's second star, is a great place for a not-too-ridiculously priced lunch (dinner is steep).
Le Gourmet de Seze, in the 6th on Rue de Seze, has one star and is very reasonably priced, and offers the option of a wine tasting menu to accompany their dinner menus.
For good pseudo-Asian, Mendo near the Guillotiere bridge is not bad or expensive, however don't eat there too far out of the normal dining hours (they are open all day without interruption) as I've found the food isn't very good at say, 5:30pm, maybe because the real chef/cook hasn't yet come in . . .
Beaune to Macon restaurants to die for?
I called Grueze and Yohan starts working there on the 10th of April. I am planning to eat there the end of the month when I have a free night in the area.
Some undoubtedly remember the bygone days of the restaurant's founder, the iconic French chef Ducloix (?sp?). I ate there once at the end of his stewardship (he was in his 80s) and it was not a good experience, however I am sure that in his day he must have been very good to have earned his reputation. The chef who took over the place (and now is apparently departing) managed to get 1 of the old 2 stars back, but I have not eaten there during this period.
Beaune to Macon restaurants to die for?
Addendum to my earlier post: Yohan Chapuis, formerly the 2nd chef at Lameloise, has taken over Restaurant Greuze in Tournus recently. Yohan is a fabulous and creative chef. I have no doubt that this reincarnation of Restaurant Greuze will make it a "restaurant to die for" in the future.
Dining & Staying in Burgundy
Lameloise is terrific and I personally don't find it the least bit stuffy. You might want to stay there the one night you eat there, but I would not stay there and eat elsewhere. Standout dishes there include "Millefeuille de homard bleu en salade d’herbettes sur une émulsion de tomates," "Côte de veau" (I like the preparation with Morilles the best, but there are others), les "Trois foies gras froids," to name just 3. The breakfast at Lameloise is a very good value for this sort of place, and you get to eat in the grand dining room which is always a treat. The Canal du Centre is 5 minutes walk away, and there is a bike/pedestrian path running alongside it (La Voie Verte) which is long enough to get enough exercise for the meal you are going to (or recently) ate . . . . .
I echo the comments on Ma Cuisine. Beaune has a charming and not too expensive hotel called "Hotel des Remparts" which is within 2 blocks of Ma Cuisine and isn't too expensive.
As to Troigros, referred to in another post, I ate there a number of times when the father of the current chef (and his brother before his death) were the chefs. The place has become ultra très expensive, pretentious, and precious. The food is nowhere as good as it is at Lameloise (in my opinion) and costs at least 1.5x as much. The town of Roanne, whatever its charms may be, offers nothing to the tourist and unless you want to have a close up look at Charolais cows, this is not a part of Burgundy that merits your time.
Beaune to Macon restaurants to die for?
Lameloise is the standout restaurant in the region but it is beyond your price range and I personally would not eat there without a tie, even though about half the patrons currently do.
I second the recommendation of Ma Cuisine, a place I eat 5 or 6 times a year and enjoy immensely each time. Reservations are definitely necessary, and they are only open 4 days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Tournus has a nice and inexpensive One-star restaurant, Aux Terrasses, where I also dine frequently. Their complete menu with 3 plates, cheese, and dessert, costs less than 60 Euros. They have a modest hotel also which runs around 60 euros or less per night.
Restaurants in Beaune
Are Austrailian's more relaxed than Americans?
Breakfast is served in the main dining room for hotel guests. My normal attire for breakfast there is shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops:-)
Lyon
Gourmet de Seze is very nice; get the "Menu du Marché" (normally around 45-50 Euros, with an option for wine pairings with each dish to a total of around 60 Euros). The paired wines are nothing special but are very drinkable and well chosen to accompany the dishes. You must reserve ahead as the place is very small and they have only about 8 or 9 tables.
Nicholas le Bec is terrific, but unless you are eating there on an expense account, I suggest you have lunch rather than dinner. At around 45 or 50 Euros, the lunch is a relative bargain, plus you'll probably drink less alcohol at lunchtime and save on that as well.
Matthieu Viannay is very modern in appearance and creative with its dishes. I have had both excellent and mediocre dishes there, and at their prices, given the poor exchange rate with the dollar, I'd go elsewhere. If you do go there, and if they have revived the frog legs in Risotto dish, I'd recommend that highly. They also do a very nice Pain Perdu for dessert.
For economizing or just for a night off from gluttony, Mendo near the Guillotiere bridge, is an Asian-inspired noodle and rice dish place. It is absolutely inauthentic, more like a French caricature of what an asian place should be like, but everything there is very tasty and relatively cheap. You can have a couple of dishes there plus a carafe of semi-drinkable wine for around 20 to 23 Euros. The beer might be a better choice.
Bocuse has 4 brasseries scattered around Lyon, named for ordinal directions (L'est, L'ouest, Le Nord, Le Sud). These get lots of traffic from tourists. Having eaten in all of these (except for L'Ouest, which was far from where I've spent time in Lyon) a number of times, I suggest you go elsewhere. At current exchange rates these places are no bargain, and very very formulaic. If by chance you are in Lyon on a holiday and little else is open, then maybe consider eating at one of these as they are always open. I particularly hate the wine lists in these places, which seem to have been made up of wines of Mr. Bocuse's cronies, and ridiculously overpriced at that. This is the place to go if you crave one of those detestible Georges Duboef Beaujolais wines, that all taste the same, regardless of appellation.
