Owner/chef Michel Philippe has long had a Michelin star for his cooking which “combines terroir and inventiveness”. His Relais & Chateaux property stands amid pine woods and hilly meadows, just outside this lake resort. The best bedrooms are in the flower-bedecked chalet facing the small swimming pool; ones in the main house are good also; a third building connects the two. “The food was superb,” says a visitor this year. “Terrine de canette aux foie gras et pistaches; pavé de cabillaud à la fleur de sel; scrummy pud of Mirabelle ice cream and eglantine sorbet. Brilliant service in the long, narrow dining room. Glassed along one side it has the feel of a balcony which has somehow merged with a splendid old railway carriage. The maître d” wanders about, calmly greeting and chatting, in a way which is kind and polite. The phone booking and arrival were excellent. You feel you are in the hands of people who know what they are doing.” Earlier visitors wrote: “The flowery decor, thick textiles and solid, comfortable furnishings created a warm nest. Our bathroom was opulent.” Breakfast includes pastries, ham, cheese, “luscious home-made jams”. Some visitors have disliked the background music. There are parasols in the garden, terraces with wide views. “A long way from any main roads. Great for cross-country skiing in winter.”