L'Auberge d'Augy

Five minutes from Auxerre, behind an address that sounds more practical than poetic, lies the sort of auberge France must never lose. The welcome is warm, the terrace is flowered and shaded, and the two private car parks remove all unnecessary drama before lunch. Chef Jany’s cuisine is generous, rooted in the region and refreshed by whatever the season suggests. A gougère filled with escargots, garlic cream and parsley tastes unmistakably Burgundian. Seven-hour beef falls apart at the touch of a fork. The house tête de veau with sauce gribiche keeps the old repertoire alive, while scallops with clementine or fish with gentle spices show that tradition here is not a cage. Menus change regularly, portions remain honest, and local bottles are treated as companions rather than trophies. Come on a Thursday for the tête de veau, or on any sunny day for the terrace. This is convivial country cooking with excellent value - the kind of address you pass once by chance and thereafter approach on purpose.