Chef Christophe Hay had already achieved an enviable culinary reputation before he transformed the former 17^th-century riverfront hospice in Blois to an extraordinary first-floor namesake restaurant; it’s the centerpiece around which he built Fleur de Loire, his 44-room, 12-suite Relais & Châteaux affiliate.

Our multicourse dinner at Restaurant Christophe Hay — one of Les Grandes Tables du Monde — took place last Thanksgiving. Architect and interior designer Caroline Tissier created a contemporary ambiance with neutral colors to express a synergy with nature. In the predominantly white restaurant accented with matte gold and brass, the walls have a textured surface, reminding diners of the undulating Loire River. Beyond the river, diners view Château Royal de Blois and the city’s Late Gothic Cathedral of Saint Louis of Blois. At the far end of the dining room, diners can view the open kitchen where a multitude of chefs, each wearing a tall white toque, are at work. Between courses, one member of the brigade goes to each table and changes all the cutlery, some pieces of which were stored inside a golden egg that looks like a sculpture. On tables, each individual piece of ceramic tableware is designed by Annie Cosson, whose atelier is next door to the hotel.

© Christophe Hay

The menu offers a variety of multicourse, fixed-price choices with elective wine pairings. Ours showcased signature dishes and started with a selection of colorful and creative bite-sized amuses and continued with items reflecting favored Loire Valley ingredients. La Carpe à la Chambord incorporates shaved truffles atop a whole piece of grilled carp; this dish is Hay’s interpretation of the stuffed fish item originally created for the Count of Saxony at Château de Chambord. The Wagyu beef plate was accompanied by an oval of sweet potatoes from the Fleur de Loire gardens.

© Christophe Hay

Loire Valley cheeses — including goat cheese from Breviande Farm served with wildflowers — arrived atop a curved white chariot on individual glass dome-topped round platters. The cart also had two side apertures, each hiding a shelf which reveals cheese on a plate. Dessert involved delicate poached Anjou pears followed by an unusually interesting presentation of mignardises. These arrived within a tri-level wooden tower in which three plates were hidden behind doors. The carrots for the carrot cake came “straight from the Jardin du potager, our gardens.” Fall is chestnut season, so chestnut cream without sugar enhanced the almond panna cotta. And the fruit tarts featured an exotic, greenhouse-grown, guava-like fruit that tasted like the best of mango, pineapple and strawberry.

The meal was paired with regional wines: Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups 2018 Montlouis Sur Loire Cuvée des Loups; Chinon Vieielles Vignes, Philippe Alliet and Domaine du Collier, Saumur blanc, 2017; and Collection Privé, Christophe Hay Gabriel, a sparkling wine produced in Saumur.

Restaurant Christophe Hay

26 Quai Villebois Mareuil
41000 Blois, France
tel 33 2 46 68 01 81