HÔTEL - RESTAURANT BALME

It's now a women's restaurant: Michel Gomy has handed over to Carole Verdeau. No revolution, on the contrary, a smooth transition that asserts the new chef's personality, with here and there a tribute dish to her predecessor (warm pan-fried foie gras with poppy seeds). It's still quality cuisine that's on offer: local produce is showcased with chicken from the nearby Ardèche, but also, and above all, Villefort trout, in rillettes for a revisited hamburger, or in a saffron-grape tartare. And don't forget the cochon de Lozère, served medium-rare, or the other famous local specialty, chestnuts, highlighted by the cannelé cévenol with chestnut liqueur. The children's menu is also well worth the detour: it's a real gastronomic menu (spring salads, poultry supreme with chestnut cream, chef's surprise), not a marketing gimmick, which proves the respect we have here for the cuisine and the customer. An address not to be missed.