Auberge du Bon Laboureur

The Auberge du Bon Laboureur is a former 1786 coaching inn in the village of Chenonceaux, a few minutes' walk from the château. Today it is a five-star hotel spread over five houses, and its fine-dining restaurant, in the so-called Maison Jeudi, is also open to those who are not staying there. It is the natural special lunch after the gallery over the Cher.

The menus

The cooking is French, generous and updated, with seasonal produce and, when possible, local. The autumn 2026 menu offers three routes:

• Découverte, €72: starter, main and dessert. For example, pressed foie gras with figs, marinated monkfish with confit fennel and langoustine cream, and a cinnamon and coffee dessert.
• Gourmand, €126, or €96 with fish or meat: roast langoustines, John Dory with sweet potato and hollandaise sauce, Parthenaise beef with parsnip risotto, cheeses and dessert.
• Végétal, €58: pumpkin tart with Sainte-Maure de Touraine cheese, mushrooms with black garlic and chestnut, and tarte Tatin.

À la carte, starters range from €26 to €38, mains from €25 to €48 and desserts are around €20. Prices include VAT.

The wine cellar is the other reason to come: the Le Tour des Cartes competition, from Terre de Vins, has awarded it best wine list three years running, with many Loire domaines, grands crus and exceptional vintages. The sommelier helps you choose.

When to go and how to book

The fine-dining restaurant is open Thursday to Monday, at lunchtime and in the evening, and closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. In good weather you eat on the terrace, looking onto the gardens. Book online or by phone. The bistro and bar are part of the same house, but the bistro serves only hotel guests.

You walk from the château; if you arrive by train, Chenonceaux station is also in the village.