When Hôtel Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, in the Jura region, was awarded the Best Establishment of the Year 2006 award by the prestigious Gault Millau restaurant guide, it was probably something of a blow to restaurants in other more glamorous, more famous parts of France.
Although Jean-Paul Jeunet has already been awarded two Michelin stars, he is by no means a household name. His restaurant is much admired locally but, like a lot of things in the Jura, it doesn't usually get a lot of attention from the rest of the country, much less the rest of the world.
On the edge of eastern France, and closer to Geneva than Paris, it's a region of mountains, rough countryside, thick pine forests and harsh winters, reliant on farming and forestry for its income. Arbois also has a small and thriving wine industry, which is probably why there are several rather good restaurants in the town, of which Jeunet's is the most inventive.
A third-generation restaurateur, Jeunet is proud of his region and his menu is dotted with local delicacies: saucisse from Morteau, and liberal use of vin jaune, the sherry-like white wine the Jura is most famous for.
But the staples of traditional French cuisine are there too: foie gras, pigs' ears, frogs, asparagus, truffles, langoustines. The surprise is in the use of them.
On first sight, the restaurant has all the hallmarks of heavy, serious French cooking. The staff are firm but not chilly, elaborately professional. The decor is serious, distressed paintwork and billowing drapes, thick beams. On the Sunday night when we arrive, the main dining room is half empty and echoing. Two small boys eating with their parents are so overwhelmed by the atmosphere they scarcely say a word all evening. A few expensively dressed middle-aged local couples are exchanging low-voiced repartee. The tone is distinctly lightened by the arrival of a younger couple dressed in slippers and fleeces, presumably having ambled down from the hotel upstairs, with two rather less subdued children.
Everyone is choosing their food with great attention. The set menus range from €68 to €128, from extensive to excessive, and the à la carte offerings are from €19 for a starter, up to €45 for a main course. We go for two €68 set menus and two à la cartes.
Straight away, we all receive mise en bouche, a mouthful of snail puree, cockles in jelly, just the right mix of unexpected and familiar, and then we are off, on a meal that lasts three hours and includes at least five courses each, even for the two of us eating à la carte. A gelée of foie gras, pig's tongue and truffles, langoustine in a creamy sauce, ragout of rabbit and saucisse Morteau, asparagus with dribble of oils, chicken with morilles mushrooms cooked in vin jaune, an exceptionally good cheese board, and a perfect crème brûlée ... The presentation is charming, quirky, and the portions generous.
The service is the gliding, unobtrusive sort, and at no time is any diner left empty handed, despite the way we have ordered. Little snacks of gelée, more mise en bouche, a plate of tiny patisseries. The head waiter proudly intones the ingredients of each dish as it arrives - it's a performance worthy of the food.
And the wine list? Arbois is a centre for viticulture and Jeunet's father was a meilleur sommelier in his time, so the wine list is impressive. As well as a range from the south and Bourgoyne, there are two pages of local whites, and another of local reds.
By the end of the evening we are all floating on a cloud, elated by our experience.
As we leave, Jeunet is there to say goodbye in person. He is proud but not gloating about the accolade of being establishment of the year. "I'm pleased for the team," he says modestly. He adds that the critic is clearly putting his money where his review is, as he is back with his wife and children that very weekend. In fact, the critic is the father of the fleet toddlers who had the run of the dining room earlier. Clearly if their father is prepared to travel to the Jura on a busman's holiday just to eat chez Jeunet, it has to be an exceptional experience all round.
· Hotel Jean-Paul Jeunet, 9 rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, 39600 Arbois (0033 3 84 66 05 67, jeanpauljeunet.com). Open Thu-Mon. The hotel has 18 rooms, from €105 per double. Fly to Lyon with BA (ba.com), easyJet (easyjet.com) and Flybe (flybe.com). Arbois is a 2½hr drive away.
