If you’re a fan of “The Tudors” or “Marie Antoinette” or if you’ve ever yearned to inhabit a chateau, then it’s imperative that you make your way to Chateau de Gilly and dine in the 14th-century Gothic-style vaulted restaurant, Le Clos Prieur.
Located on the “route des Grands Crus,” between Dijon and Beaune, opposite the famous Chateau du Clos de Vougeot, this former Cistercian residence from the 14th century was transformed into a “chateau hotel” in 1988. What was once the residence of the Abbots of Citeaux between the 14th and 16th centuries is now a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World with a 6,000-bottle wine cellar. (Lest you’ve forgotten, it was the Cistercian monks who built the acclaimed Chateau du Clos de Vougeot, which is now the home of the Chevaliers du Tastevin.)
What was once the residence of the Abbots of Citeaux between the 14th and 16th centuries is now a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. (Source: MRNY)
The chef of Clos Prieur, Jean-Alain Poitevin, has been at Chateau de Gilly since 2006 and his menu focuses on regional specialties such as duck breast with local honey and roasted peaches, pike perch in crusted gingerbread, Charolais beef, poached eggs in a red wine sauce in the style of “Marie’s grandmother” – and, of course, Burgundy snail tart, with mushroom mousse and sweet garlic cream. Desserts include regional cheeses and a particularly delicious rendition of a local favorite, gingerbread with black currants.
Dining in this ancient wine cellar with its vaulted ceiling, wainscoting, and painted beams, you can’t help but feel as if you’re caught in a delicious time warp, living in the age of Catherine de’Medici.
LINK: Chateau de Gilly
