Julien

Hôtel Restaurant Julien & Spa is a family-run house in Fouday, in the heart of Alsace, founded in 1955 when Yvette and Julien Goetz opened a roadside restaurant with five rooms. Subsequent generations expanded and modernised, adding a renovated restaurant, new dining rooms and Spa by Julien with wellness facilities between 2000 and 2013 and beyond. The kitchen champions traditional Alsatian and classic recipes transmitted across generations while welcoming international influences. A convivial seasonal wine selection is curated by an on-site sommelier, and the property holds a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand. Four warm, distinct dining rooms include L'Auberge d'Yvette (Vosgian farmhouse décor), La Kaminstub (a cosy room), the bright Salle à manger and La Schirgoutte (wood-and-leather mountain tones); a convivial bar has thick carpet, wood panelling and soft armchairs. Cuisine pairs traditional Alsatian and classic French dishes with a terroir focus, marrying refined regional recipes and international flavours with local producers. Specialties include choucroute; cassolette of kidneys and sweetbreads sautéed with girolle mushrooms; nem de gambas; salmon gravlax with dill; millefeuille of beef with pan-seared foie gras; sea bream fillet with Royan ravioli.