Maison d'à Côté is a little inn on the church square of a rather non-descript village close to Chambord. Indeed, aside from a visit to the majestic château, probably the only reason that you stop here would be to savour the cuisine of Ludovic Laurenty.
His Menu Libre Expression provides a challenge that he relishes. It's an original idea whereby the maître d'hotel just makes a list of any ingredients which are either not to your taste or to which you are allergic. Then sit back and enjoy a menu specially prepared for you by this inspired chef whose reputation was established well before he earned his Michelin stars. Cuisine of this quality normally comes at a high price and with a good deal of pomp and faffing about. But the prices at Monsieur Laurenty's Maison are affordable and the ambience is pleasantly relaxed - you can even peer into the kitchen to see the young master at work.
Rooms are inexpensive but tend to be a bit hit and miss. Three of them are grouped around a patio, the rest overlook the square. They are nevertheless quiet at night so take the best available and arrive with no great expectations. This is after all a tried and tested 'restaurant with rooms' where the priority is, as always, the restaurant. So remember to book your table when you reserve your room.