A Taste of Gourmet Vichy

Full of Belle Époque allure, the spa town of Vichy combines gastronomic excellence with joie de vivre, as Caroline Mills discovers…

The sun blazes above the River Allier as I take a guided tour of Vichy. There are rowers training on Lac d’Allier, runners and cyclists enjoying traffic-free riverside paths, and folk out for a gentle morning stroll beneath the soothing canopy of trees in Parc Napoleon III.

Vichy’s joie de vivre hails from the Belle Époque era, when high society sought a restful, civilised and aesthetically pleasing city in which to take the waters. It was Napoleon III who developed Vichy into the elegant landscape you see today-now one of 1 historic spa towns throughout Europe collectively regarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s not only the waters that attract visitors today. Alongside the beautiful Belle Epoque villas, grand opera house, riverside park and magnificent central Parc des Sources, with its ornate, lace-like covered walkways. Vichy enjoys a reputation as a place of gastronomy. From Michelin-starred restaurants to vivacious riverside guinguettes, there are countless gastronomic experiences, including afternoon tea in an elegant salon de the and visits to little boutiques, full of the ambience of the Belle Epoque, selling bonbons and chocolates, fresh roasted coffee and spices.

At the top table of culinary excellence is Maison Decoret, occupying an elegant brick villa with a contemporary glass-fronted extension overlooking the Parc des Sources. The intimate Relais & Châteaux hotel and restaurant is a family affair, with Michelin-starred chef Jacques Decoret, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France), designing works of culinary art and craftsmanship alongside sons Alexis and Antoine, using the finest Auvergne produce. His wife, Martine, hosts, having designed the modish restaurant interior in a style at once convivial and exclusive. There are four tasting menus, including one for kids, and guests may visit the kitchen to watch the team at work.

Another fine address on the edge of the Parc des Sources is L’Ecrin de Marlène, which holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. With its contemporary atmosphere, the restaurant offers an à la carte menu though my recommendation is the Menu Origine-a good-value, three-course prix fixe, which features dishes such as white asparagus with smoked trout and fillet of roast quail.
Six doors along on the elegant crescent-shaped façade is Brasserie Le Samoa a laid-back restaurant with tables beneath giant parasols en plein air within the Parc des Sources. Alongside apéros and cocktails, the list features wines from the Auvergne. including Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, 26 km north of Vichy-which, until the 19th century. was regarded as France’s finest wine region.

A charming way to relax

My suggestion on a sunny day is to relax riverside by picking one of the many guinguettes that line the Alliler, whether for a burger, classic moules-frites, a crêpe or simply a cold beer as the sun goes down. Le Chill offers homemade pizzas and no fewer than seven types of burgers, next to Pont Jacques Chirac, while upstream Tahiti Plage offers steak-frites and a fabulous riverside terrace, For afternoon tea, or a leisurely petit déjeuner, Au Fidèle Berger, again overlooking the Parc des Sources, will transport you back to the Belle Epoque with its mirrors and frescoed ceiling. Its pâtisserie is first-class (l recommend the pavlova with red berries).

No gourmet break in Vichy is complete, though, without a visit to its boutiques, all with highly ornamented interiors and each regarded as an historic monument.

A visit to Aux Marocains is like stepping Inside a jewellery box. The shop, which has been selling chocolates and traditional sweets such as sugared almonds and pâtes de fruita since 2006 is run by Monsieur and Madame Dict. All are made by hand, including its most famous sweet, the delicious marocains, a soft caramel enrobed in a crisp, see-through glaze, Add to that a visit to Confiserie
Moinet. which has two shops in Vichy (and others in Paris and Clermont-Ferrand).

The original boutique, founded in za on rue de la Source de l’Hôpital sells chocolates, caramels, bolled sweets and other tempting treats. Moinet is also one of just thire confectioners still producing the famous Vichy pastille. Marking its 200th anniversary, the pastille was created by chemist Joseph därcet, who found that by extracting salts and minerals from Vichy’s volcanic spring water, he could form a small medicinal tablet. The pastille became fashionable during the sawri’s historic sра days and remains a popular sweet (now manufactured with more sugar, rather than as a medicine), sold throughout Vichy, including Vichy House, the city’s own-brand boutique.

It’s a five-minute walk from the Parc des Sources through the pretty Jeanne d’Ant Quarter to the Grand Marché, Vichy’s stunning new built in 20 market hall where 30 permanent traders seil fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables a huge selection of Auvergne cheese, meat and fish, charcuterie, honey and jam, bread and pâtisserie, and everything else you’d expect a fantastic Fretich market to sell.

On Saturdays, the number of traders swells when the mezzanine floor is occupied by local artisan producers and farmens, too. This is the place to come to gather goodies before hiring a bike from Village Wio, beside the River Allier, then enjoying a ride on the traffic-free Via Allier cyde route for a riverside picnic. I’ve earmarked a grassy harik beside Pont Boutiron to spread out a blanket for a Vichy feast en plein air. Délicieux!

VICHY ESSENTIALS

STAY & EAT

www.maisondecoret.com/en

www.marlene-vichy.com

www.le-samoa-restaurant-vichy.fr

lechillvichy.fr

TOURIST INFORMATION

Vichy Tourism: vichymonamour.com

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Lead photo credit : Photo: shutterstock