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JOIGNY LA CÔTE ST-JACQUES
But time pressed, so I returned to my billet on the first floor. This was no penance, for room 38 was comfortable and – like all the accommodation here – remarkably good value for money. Let me describe what was provided for 375 euros a night, bed and breakfast for two. In the substantial hallway, apart from the fitted wardrobes and private safe, were three doors: to the loo, to the bathroom and to the bedroom. In the last was sufficient space for a sofa and an easy chair, and – through its French window – was a terrace, overlooking the river, with a table and four chairs. Air-conditioned, with spotlights and an impressive hardwood floor, this was a stylish apartment. I liked the spacious bathroom, too. Surrounded by rustic tiles and mosaic, I was able to soak comfortably in its large tub and then wrap myself in the 5-foot white bath towels. With a separate shower and a make-up area, this was a well-planned space.
Greeted by the maitre d’ – the courteous and efficient Thierry Gasparian, from Lyon – I was soon settled in a wonderfully supportive armchair of wood and leather. (I am occasionally asked why I so often make a point of mentioning the chairs in restaurants. Believe me, if you have ever suffered with a bad back, you will know that for many of us the chair plays a crucial part in the dining experience.) I was in a room of modest size, lit by wrought iron chandeliers and spotlights. Before me was a table with a white cloth, on which stood glassware by Riedel (from the Restaurant range). Through the plate glass windows the evening darkened and the lights on the opposite bank of the river began to twinkle. As the waiters and waitresses in black tie moved purposefully about their business, it occurred to me that few moments are more exquisitely pleasurable than this brief, pregnant pause – after one has ordered, but before the food arrives – at a Michelin three-star restaurant in the heart of France.
Its robust flavours contrasted with the subtlety and lightness of my second course. These little fillets of red mullet and sardines, fried and in crispy tarts, were tiny explosions of sophistication – set off perfectly by aubergine ‘caviar’ and tomato confit. Then it was one of the finest beef dishes I have ever encountered. Indeed, the first taste of this Hereford rib steak took me straight back to my childhood. I had thought that such full, gorgeous, overpowering beef flavours had gone forever. I shall say it was wonderful, but that word does not nearly do it justice. It was served with macaroni with foie gras and truffle stuffing and confit of baby turnips – splendid, indeed, but I would have been happy to have the beef on its own, such was its miraculous quality. I ended with vanilla-poached rhubarb, with custard of hibiscus blossoms, peanut ice cream and rhubarb sorbet.
Assistant sommelier Guillaume Favreau, from Nantes, proved a most amiable and well-informed guide to the delights of the list. He recommended two excellent bottles. My white was the local wine, chablis – golden, with good acidity and with a nose bursting with pears and green apples (1er Cru Forêt, J-M Raveneau, 2002 – 60 euros). And my red had that attractive nose of rotting vegetation I like from Burgundy, with hints of red cherries in the mouth (Bourgogne Haute Côtes de Nuits, Jayer Gilles, 2004 – 64 euros).
In a modern car I think you could get to Joigny from the Eurotunnel in around three hours. (My elderly Royce can manage it in four.) This means that it is easily accessible from England, with the journey under the Channel now just an undemanding 35 minutes. Joigny is also well placed for those of us who like to whizz to the South of France, but who need a stopover in the north of Burgundy. When you make it to Joigny, you will be at the gates of Gastronomic Heaven. And not only will you be able to eat and drink superbly well; you will also be able to luxuriate in the new spa. And who knows what else will soon be provided for your delight? For Jean-Michel Lorain – driven, brilliant, inspired – is always seeking perfection.
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ADDRESSES LA CÔTE ST-JACQUES EUROTUNNEL
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© Francis Bown 2003
It is in the nature of those who seek perfection never to be satisfied. Onwards and upwards is their constant cry: to stand still would mean slipping backwards. Every sinew must be strained to improve and improve again. So it is with the greatest chefs and hoteliers. And among this number, none is greater than the brilliant Jean-Michel Lorain, whose picture I here present for you. At the tender age of 27, he became the youngest chef ever to be awarded three Michelin stars. But the idea that he would rest upon these laurels was anathema to him. He has worked tirelessly over the years to make his establishment a more and more tempting destination for the discerning traveller. On my most recent visit to his delightful hotel on the banks of the River Yonne in Burgundy, I found him full of enthusiasm for the latest addition to the facilities of this famous gastronomic shrine. For La Côte St-Jacques now has a wonderful new spa.
From the photographs, I think you will gain some sense of the spa’s elegance and spaciousness. As I wandered around its treatment rooms, its swimming pool, its Turkish bath and its jacuzzi, even I – not one of nature’s spa people – felt the lure of this sort of pampering, with its emphasis on aromas and colours. A bit of harmony and serenity is certainly quite appealing, is it not? I rather liked the sound of the Anti-Age face treatment – an hour and three-quarters which, it is promised, leaves the complexion ‘radiant’. That would have been 135 euros well spent. 
Bathed, shaved and dressed in suit, (starched) collar and tie, there was a spring in my step as I went downstairs and sought out the sparkling copper lift. This is the remarkable machine which transports gourmets down to the dining rooms. Always there is a little tingling in my spine when I am descending thus, for I know that I am about to experience the highlight of any visit to La Côte St-Jacques – dinner from one of the finest kitchens in the world.
Monsieur Lorain has had his trials over the years. In 2001, after he had been immersed in a major expansion and refurbishment of the hotel, the Michelin inspectors (in my judgement, wrongly) took away his third star. But in 2004 it returned. I can confirm that he is now cooking at the height of his powers, and that a meal at La Côte St-Jacques is, truly, a thrilling experience. (A 6 course set meal is offered at 160 euros, and the menu surprise is 175-195 euros, depending upon its dishes. My four courses from the carte were 194 euros. Given the standard of the food, these prices represent good value.) 
As you would expect, the cellar is crowded with the great and the good. I counted 43 chablis, with prices up to 210 euros for the 1997 Grand Cru Blanchots, Réserve de L’Obédience, Michel Laroche. Montrachets go up to the 2000 DRC for 2,885 euros. Red burgundies include the 2000 Romanée-Conti for 3,095 euros. Yet there are lots of more modestly priced bottles, and the 73 red Côtes de Nuits begin with a 2005 Marsannay for 40 euros. And, if you are determined to drink claret, there are some of the legendary offerings from Bordeaux – like 1928 Cheval Blanc (3,300 euros), 1945 Lafite (3,500 euros), 1982 Margaux (1,960 euros) and 1988 Le Pin (2,520 euros).
At breakfast the following day, I spied a bust of Bacchus, the god of wine, in the garden. Grateful for the quality of my drinking over dinner, I went over to say ‘Thank you’. You may view the moment of this brief encounter in the accompanying picture. Then I returned to my table, to be served my morning comestibles by a smart young lady. Off Limoges porcelain I ate good bread and brioche and boiled eggs with toast ‘soldiers’.