Loiseau des Vignes

Loiseau des Vignes is the Beaune outpost of the Loiseau family — three generations of three-Michelin-star French chefs, anchored by the legendary Bernard Loiseau in nearby Saulieu. The Beaune restaurant opened in 2007 and won its Michelin star in 2010, which it has held for fifteen years. Chef Mourad Haddouche runs the kitchen; the front of house is led by Dominique Loiseau, Bernard's widow and the group's steward.

The cooking is classical Burgundy made modern: escargots de Bourgogne in a parsley-and-Chardonnay emulsion; Charolais beef with a Pommard jus and a pommes Anna; a soufflé de brochet (pike soufflé) that is the house signature and a direct descendant of Paul Bocuse's classic; a selection from a 200-year-old regional cheese producer in Cîteaux. The six-course tasting at €120 is the showcase; the three-course lunch at €45 is the bargain.

What makes the restaurant distinctive is the wine program: 75 Burgundy wines by the glass, served from a set of Enomatic dispensers along one wall, curated to let guests taste Premier and Grand Cru vintages they could never buy full bottles of. A flight of five Premier Crus by the glass is €90 — the most educational hundred euros any Burgundy pilgrim will spend. The courtyard terrace, shaded by 200-year-old plane trees, is Beaune's prettiest outdoor dining room.

For a First Date: Loiseau des Vignes' courtyard terrace is Beaune's most romantic outdoor setting — 200-year-old plane trees, gas lanterns in the evenings, ivy on the medieval walls. The 75-glass wine program gives the evening a natural structure (a flight of three at €35 is the most relaxed way to drink Burgundy), and the soufflé de brochet is a genuine conversation piece. Request a terrace two-top when you book.