La Table de Pavie - Hôtel de Pavie

Rating: 18
Author: Gault&Millau

33330 SAINT-ÉMILION

18/20
Prestige Restaurant

BOOK

8 PHOTOS

Chef: Sébastien Faramond
Cooking: Gastronomic
Services: Access for people with disabilities | Accomodation | Private Parking | Valet parking
Style: Elegant | Romantic

Budget (€)

Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

160 to 315

Gault&Millau's review 2026

In Saint-Émilion, within the walls of a former convent set against the rock, the Hôtel de Pavie welcomes its guests in an inhabited silence, between the monastic rigor of the building and the luminous softness of its suspended terrace overlooking the rooftops and vineyards with majesty. The dining room impresses with its height, the elegance of its round tables, Luciano Genovesio's cloudy ceiling, crystal chandeliers and monumental marquetry featuring the village as a backdrop. The cuisine, for its part, is in line with Yannick Alléno's vision: a revisited Bordeaux-style cuisine that celebrates the products of the South-West, supports local artisans and is in constant dialogue with the Pavia vineyards. The spirit is festive, sometimes theatrical: the pedestal finishes, often carried out by the chef himself, Sébastien Faramond, underline this desire to offer a spectacle as much as a meal. The tone is set right from the aperitif with vegetal bites of fennel or quail egg, evoking both the freshness of the garden and the vinous soul of the terroir. The steamed omelette stuffed with pike and Prunier caviar is a moment of grace, surprisingly light. The "balade végétale" turns the kitchen garden into a stage for total, lively expression, orchestrated like a fugue. The juices are powerful, concentrated and uncompromising, like the langoustine enriched with a civet of heads and Esprit de Pavie, where vanilla slips in like a goldsmith's spice. The very theatrical pigeon in two courses: first, "ortolan" style, to be eaten with the fingers, napkin on the head, in a Gascon gesture full of tender irony; then a rosé sorrel fillet with press juice, Médoc chanterelles and walnut purée, a great moment! Dessert continues this line with a dense, subtle chocolate tart, accompanied by a Tahitian vanilla ice cream with an unexpected texture. The final touch is a cherry tart to share: flambéed with kirsch and served with raw cream and reduced juice, a generous, almost family-style gesture. Guillaume Bouillier, Maître d'hôtel for the past fifteen years, combines rigor and naturalness, and the team demonstrates a rare mastery, with every gesture and every word precisely poised. In the cellar, Benoît Gelin has for the past two decades been leading an exemplary sommellerie, flexible, fine and in love with Bordeaux, without neglecting other horizons. The cellar is richly illustrated, with several pages devoted to Saint-Émilion wines. Everything here adds up to a rare experience: theatrical decor, unique terrace, top-flight service and sommellerie, cuisine rooted in the Southwest but revisited with aplomb. The Hôtel de Pavie offers exemplary homogeneity, a true "country palace" where every detail counts.