Ten kilometres outside Vichy in a village dominated by a 12C fortress, this inn is near a bridge over the Allier dating from the 1930s. In a contemporary interior, the owner-chef signs a single set, market-sourced menu at a bargain price and a more elaborate score in the evenings: roast tomatoes in aspic, espuma of stracciatella in a gazpacho or a ‘blesotto’ of bouchot mussels and cockles with a shellfish foam. When the weather is fine, the shady terrace overlooking the river is truly blissful!