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When success forced them to expand, the only space available was in town houses that bordered the river across this main arterial road. It would not do to make guests trek across traffic from the main hotel to their rooms, so the ever inventive Lorains had a tunnel built under the road that is so charming in offering not only a route to the suites, swimming pool and sauna, bar and breakfast rooms but also serves as an art gallery and displays the new family venture of wine production and, at a curve in the tunnel, a stadium style cooking school that son Jean-Michel conducts in French and English. With the new addition on the river side of the road that houses the dining rooms, reception, public rooms and kitchens, there is little need for guests to use the tunnel. At the base of this new section of the hotel they have a river dock with a boat on which you can be served breakfast while cruising the river.
The hotel is furnished in great good taste and individualism. Each room has its own character. The suites spacious and enormously comfortable. World class luxury and service is assumed. The attention to detail immaculate. With their new building project complete. Guests need never traverse the road to use the original house except for business seminars and other more commercial endeavors. They have retained the individual facades of the town houses, each painted a different color. Behind the charming facades, they have completely gutted and modernized the interiors.
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This is the kids' nursery in the top room of a charming tower. Filled with toys, your children can stay here happily with a baby sitter if needed.
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Located above the dining rooms, this bar doubles as a warm, welcoming library as well complete with comfy chairs and fire place.
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This is the new reception on the river side.
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This terrace faces the river and is where breakfast is served in the nice weather as well as drinks at any time of day.
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In 1977 they joined the Relais et Chateaux group of top hotels. In 1986 father Michel and son Jean-Michel were awarded four red toques and recognized as Chefs of the Year by Gault-Millau and the same year Red Guide Michelin also awarded them the coveted third star awarded to fewer than 20 restaurants world wide. Again in 1993 Gault-Millau awarded Jean-Michel the unparalleled grade of 19.5 out of 20 and proclaimed him chef of the year.
As one of the top restaurants in the world, you can expect to pay world class prices and to get your money’s worth! This is sublime cuisine. It's style is both modern, inventive, passionate with an emphasis on the highest quality ingredients and dishes that range from the extraordinarily complex to others that celebrate simplicity. Click her to visit the restaurant >
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The tunnel connecting the original Lorain family house that is the heart of the hotel/restaurant complex with the new buildings across Route National 6.
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Another suite with exposed rafters.
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Typical suite, this one with an old chateau theme.
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This delightful room serves as a sun room, a tea room, a reading room... whatever you want. Just off the reception is leads to the outdoor terrace and both overlook the river.
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The family winery is the pet project of Papa who is letting his talented son Jean-Michel run the kitchens. It is producing a lovely Chardonnay from the slopes above the hotel where Papa played as a child. But Michel Lorain tested the soil and discovered that it was perfect for Chardonnay. Modestly priced at 165 Francs ($25 US) per 3 pack, this is an extremely affordable wine and one we drank at almost every meal. This wine region has, in the distant past, produced a vin gris, a rosé, which was a favorite of the court. The original blend of varieties has been lost for many years, but Michel Lorain after much research, located both the correct blend and the 4 varieties of grapes (one only surviving in Chile) and planted some of his slopes. 2003 marks the first year this resurrected wine has been available to drink.
While the town of Joigny is not much of a destination, La Côte Saint Jacques most definitely is. If you plan to spend any time in Burgundy, La Côte Saint Jacques is a must. Not far from Auxerre and Chablis, it is within easy drive from Paris even just for lunch. Click her to visit the restaurant >
La Côte Saint Jacques Hôtel/Restaurant/Winery
B.P. 197
89304 Joigny Cedex
France
tel: 33-(0)3.86.62.09.70
fax: 33-(0)3.86.91.49.70
e-mail: lorain@relaischateaux.fr
web site URL: http://www.cotesaintjacques.com
Or: http://www.relaischateaux.com/site/us/rc_lorain.html
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For a link to the Relais & Châteaux Group of hotels and restaurants own site, click on the button left.
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To Get There:
From Paris, exit Joigny (A6) or Sens (A5) ; from Lyons, exit Auxerre Nord (A6).
Annual closing:
From January 3rd to 27th
Menus :
Menu 380 s. i. (2 glasses of wine included) week
lunch
Menu 580 s. i. lunch
Menu 780 s. i.
lunch-dinner
Carte 690 s. i.
Rooms:
16 rooms
season 790-1,550 FF s. i.
off-season 660-1,290 FF s. i.
9 suites season starting at 1 890 s. c.
off-season starting at 1 690 s. c.
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