Auberge de la Grive

Auberge de la Grive is a small, modern French country inn and Michelin-starred restaurant located between Compiègne, Soissons and Saint-Quentin. Set in a white-stone auberge in a bucolic village, the dining room seats a maximum of 12 covers around a single U-shaped communal table facing an open kitchen with a central island; the atmosphere is warm and convivial, encouraging sharing and direct interaction with the chefs. A guest bedroom occupies the same white-stone building, set in grounds of two hectares of meadow and 1.5 hectares of forest, allowing guests to stay on site after dinner. The kitchen practises contemporary, sincere gastronomy rooted in seasonal, local produce with a constantly changing carte; the menu emphasizes sincerity, sharing and dishes that evolve with available ingredients. Nicolas Gautier is the chef; he and his wife Cécilia founded and run the auberge, and he grew up in the Aisne where his parents ran a restaurant in Fontenoy. Specialties include seasonal starters, lotte (monkfish) with vinegar and smoked garlic, mussels with black radish and yogurt, and the house bread Le pain de Grive.