Saint-Germain-en-Laye: magical Maison du Val! | Gilles Pudlowski's blog

La façade © GP

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It was a hunting lodge for Louis XV, who lived in the neighboring Château de Saint-Germain-Laye and found an intimate retreat there. It was then a retirement home of the Legion of Honor. It is now, since last autumn, a country residence open to all called the “Maison du Val”, with its forty-nine “tradition” or “escape” rooms, modern furnished, their views of the wooded park of 4 ha or the noble courtyard, its beautiful lounges, its magnificent library with 10,000 books, its bar with a hint of the 1960s, where you can make your own favorite cocktails.

The library © GP

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Don’t forget the Scandinavian baths, the yoga classes, the bowling green, the archery targets, the dairy with its tables forming a sort of village square, plus the magnificent walks in the forest, including that of the botanical discovery of the Val, with its carefully marked trail of a blue salamander, its duck pond, its panels offering open-air lessons on the theme of trees, plus the old paddock transformed into a garden of children, private cinema, pedal vehicles, card games and a hundred other details to discover.

The dairy © GP

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The icing on the cake: the exquisite cuisine simmered with care and happiness by the talented Etienne Berg who once lived at Lavinia. This vegetable expert, who treats the sea and the land with equal success, playing a little “bistronomic” music full of seduction. Witnesses, these sCesar-style endive salad, avocado tartare and crumbled brown crab, roasted broccoli and hazelnuts, bird’s tongue salad and arugula pesto, green beans and stilton, courgette carpaccio marinated in olive oil and olive oil argan and lemon, red cabbage, honey and ricotta, Thai rice salad or perfect egg and Jerusalem artichokes that make appetizers full of mischief.

The bars © GP

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There are still these exquisite and mischievous dishes, which have the name Guilvinec saithe, braised Jerusalem artichokes and chicory, roasted scallops and kumbava sabayon, hake with white wine sauce, polenta, cauliflower, mashed Perche pork tenderloin caramelized turnips with Fallot mustard sauce, osso Bucco and gremolata, pulled pork with mushrooms or beef cheek parmentier that change according to the mood of the day, the season and the market. We add the lively and striking wines, unearthed by the scholar Etienne who was at a good school at Lavinia.

A room © GP

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Burgundy Chardonnay from Olivier Tricon in Chablis, crisp Haute Selve red in Languedoc or delicious Merlot from Jean-Yves Milaire’s Château Cavale in Bordeaux make class escorts. We were going to forget one of the highlights of the house: its pastries, with all the classics of the genre, sometimes revisited, cumbava pavlova, Paris-Brest, mini rum babas, Saint-Honoré, meringue pies with pineapple, coconut fondant, mousse or royal chocolate entremet, all of remarkable finesse.

Paris Brest © GP

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The miracle is that all of this is all inclusive“, including hearty breakfasts, delicious afternoon teas and lively aperitifs (with a superb pâté en croute or a puff pastry to swoon!), drinks included… and unlimited. Of course, no one abuses it. And everything here has a taste of coming back, with its friendly service, its well-set tables in vast rooms and cozy corridors, which leave everyone their privacy. In short, here is an ideal country house for peaceful weekends in the countryside.