Les Chênes

The Verdict on Les Chênes

Les Chênes is not the kind of place you stumble across while touring the Auvergne's bigger-name destinations. The misconception worth correcting upfront: this is not a casual roadside stop. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) signal a kitchen that takes traditional French cuisine seriously, and a 4.8 Google rating across 385 reviews confirms that local and visiting diners agree. At the €€ price point, Les Chênes delivers Michelin-acknowledged quality without the three-figure-per-head commitment you'd face at the region's more celebrated addresses. If you're planning a trip through the Puy-de-Dôme and want a considered meal rather than a convenience stop, this belongs on your itinerary.

The Space and the Setting

Augerolles is a village in the Livradois-Forez natural park, a part of the Auvergne that sees far less tourist traffic than Clermont-Ferrand or the Chaîne des Puys. Les Chênes sits on the Route de Courpière at the village's edge, and the address tells you something about the experience: this is a destination in the countryside sense, not an urban dining room. The physical setting matters here because it shapes the format. You're not arriving for a quick lunch squeezed into a busy city schedule. The room, by all available signal, is the kind of traditional French dining space where the layout encourages a longer pace — tablecloths, considered seating, the kind of spatial calm that urban bistros can't replicate. For a food-focused traveller, that unhurried quality is part of what you're paying for.

Weekend and Morning Service: What to Expect

For travellers considering Les Chênes as a weekend destination, the format rewards advance planning. Traditional French cuisine at this recognition level typically anchors around a structured lunch service — particularly on Sundays, which in rural France remains the week's most important meal. A Michelin Plate restaurant in a village this size is almost certainly built around that rhythm. This is not a brunch-in-the-modern-sense venue; think instead of the classic French Sunday lunch: multiple courses, regional produce, a proper wine list, and no pressure to turn the table. If that format suits you , and for the explorer-minded traveller who has come specifically to eat well in the Auvergne, it should , then Les Chênes at the €€ price range is among the more accessible ways to experience Michelin-level recognition in rural central France. The operating hours are not published in our current data, so confirm directly before making the drive.

Booking and Logistics

Booking at Les Chênes is rated Easy , this is not a restaurant requiring weeks of forward planning the way a Michelin-starred destination in Paris or Lyon would. That said, a rural Michelin Plate venue in a small village operates on limited covers, and arriving without a reservation on a Sunday lunch service is a genuine risk. Book at least a few days ahead for weekday visits; for weekend lunch, a week's notice is sensible. Phone and online booking details are not currently listed in our data , check recent Google listings or visit the address page directly to source current contact information.

Getting to Augerolles requires a car. The village sits in the Livradois-Forez park east of Thiers, roughly accessible from Clermont-Ferrand as a day trip. If you are building a wider Auvergne food itinerary, pair a meal at Les Chênes with exploration of the surrounding natural park rather than treating it as a standalone evening destination from a major city. For broader dining context in the area, see our full Augerolles restaurants guide, and if you're staying overnight, our Augerolles hotels guide covers accommodation options nearby. You can also explore bars, wineries, and experiences in Augerolles to build a fuller visit.

How It Compares

Comparing Les Chênes against other Michelin-recognised traditional cuisine venues in France helps frame what you're getting. For a closer geographic comparison, Troisgros - Le Bois sans Feuilles in Ouches and Bras in Laguiole represent the higher end of rural French fine dining , multiple Michelin stars, destination-level pricing, and booking windows of months rather than days. Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern offers a comparable countryside-restaurant-as-destination format but with a significantly higher price ceiling. Les Chênes is the right call if you want Michelin-acknowledged quality in a genuinely accessible price bracket and are already travelling through the Auvergne. For other traditional cuisine references worth knowing, see Auberge Grand'Maison in Mûr-de-Bretagne and Cave à Vin & à Manger - Maison Saint-Crescent in Narbonne for broadly similar positioning in different French regions. For further context on France's broader top-tier dining scene, Mirazur in Menton, Flocons de Sel in Megève, AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, Assiette Champenoise in Reims, Au Crocodile in Strasbourg, Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse, Paul Bocuse - L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, and Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris represent the country's higher-starred tier and a significantly different price and booking proposition.

FAQs: Les Chênes, Augerolles

• Is the tasting menu worth it at Les Chênes? At the €€ price range with a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, Les Chênes offers strong value for structured French dining in the Auvergne. The Michelin Plate designation means the kitchen meets a recognised quality threshold without the three-star price tag. Whether a tasting menu specifically is available is not confirmed in our current data , contact the restaurant directly before assuming that format.
• Can I eat at the bar at Les Chênes? Traditional French cuisine restaurants at this recognition level in rural villages do not typically operate a bar-dining format. Les Chênes is built around the dining room experience. If bar seating is important to you, this is not the venue to prioritise , but if a proper sit-down meal is what you're after in the Augerolles area, it's the clear option.
• Is Les Chênes good for a special occasion? Yes, particularly for a couple or small group on a weekend trip through the Auvergne. The €€ pricing, Michelin Plate recognition, and rural setting combine to make it a practical choice for a celebratory lunch without the formality or cost of a starred urban restaurant. It's better suited to a relaxed, occasion-marking meal than a high-ceremony dinner.
• What should a first-timer know about Les Chênes? You need a car to get here. Augerolles is a small village in the Livradois-Forez park, and public transport access is limited. Confirm opening hours directly before visiting , they are not published in our current data. Book ahead for weekend lunch; walk-ins at a small-capacity rural restaurant are a risk worth avoiding. The price point is accessible: €€ means you won't face the per-head shock of destination dining at a starred city address.
• What should I order at Les Chênes? Specific menu items are not available in our current data, so we can't make dish-level recommendations without risking inaccuracy. Traditional French cuisine in the Auvergne typically draws on regional produce , lentils, pork, Cantal cheese, freshwater fish , so expect a menu grounded in local ingredients rather than international technique. Ask the team on arrival what the kitchen is currently focused on.
• What are alternatives to Les Chênes in Augerolles? Within Augerolles specifically, alternatives are limited given the village's size. For comparable traditional French cuisine in the broader region, our Augerolles restaurants guide covers the current options. If you're willing to travel further into the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Troisgros in Ouches and Bras in Laguiole are the benchmark references, though both sit at a considerably higher price tier.