Perched on the frills of the medieval city, Chatres sits the hotel Le Grand Monarque that perfectly exemplifies the genre ‘French Colonial Chic’. Forgot the bustle of the streets, the cheap and cheerful shopping crowds in the city centre — push pass those heavy white French doors and you’re instantly transported back in time. There’s hardly a trace of design-hotel modernity — not in a bad way: this place looks every bit its age, which is five centuries. Chew on that.
Built in the beginning of the 16th century, the establishment was a coaching inn — a pivotal one given its location in the Paris hinterland — till it became a hotel in 1634. Since then, the establishment has attracted the likes of travelers such as Empress Marie-Louise, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and writer Rudyard Kipling. Whether its literary connections, a colourful past of a brush with royalty, the phrase ‘if walls could talk’ is apt here.
In an attempt to create memories for the screen-obsessed little one, we set out to discover the establishment with fervour. Sprinting through red velour carpeted hallways down to the heated pools of the spa and then back up through antique staircases to the light-drenched brasserie for a spot of homemade ice cream served in steel coupes, slowly beading a little at the edges from the grasp of warm chubby hands.
There’s just something about this place that’s equal parts traditional and homely, and all parts joie de vivre.
Why Book?
It’s smack-bang on the Place des Epars, one of the main squares in Chartres that was guarded by a fortified enclosure in the 12th century. Meaning that — indulging in a little retail therapy, admiring the rich collection of stained glass windows in the Cathedral of Chartres, or promenading the cobblestone streets as nightfall initiates the Chartres in Lights festival (a free event that runs from April to January) are activities at your doorstep.
The jewel in the crown — that when you’re done with the material world and need a place to rest your head — dive back into Le Grand Monarque’s old-world grandeur. The regency style furniture, damask, rich embroidery and more, carefully curated to evoke opulence and the allure of slow travel.
Being the first hotel in 2020 to obtain the green key label, the establishment is committed to shortening supply chains, reducing water consumption and providing transparency about the origin of its products. Eco-conscious guests looking to travel with a lighter carbon footprint, rest assured that you’re making a wise choice.
The Backstory
First a coaching inn dating back to the 16th century, the current brasserie was still a courtyard where horses towing carriages trot through, till present owners Nathalie and Betrand Jallerat took over in the late 1990s.
If you look carefully, several horse’s attachment rings have been preserved in certain corners of the restaurant, frozen in time. Great foresight and a dedication to delivering hospitality at the highest level led by Georges Jallerat in 1968 was what was required to restore the building to its glorious grandeur.
Wellness
I’m just saying, you could essentially revolve your stay around the wellness aspect of it. At Le Grand Monarque, there’s 850 square meters of space dedicated to manifesting that world-class detox experience you’re pursuing. 3 worlds of relaxation — a thermal swimming pool, a multi-sensory labyrinth of saunas, polar baths, Swedish showers, etc and finally 9 treatment rooms and firm hands servicing an extensive treatment menu that ranges from Ayurvedic massage to Whole-body EMS (electro muscle stimulation) and even Thai massages complemented with grape Marc, known to be rich in antioxidants.
Le Grand Monarque works with French products from Vinesime, developed from the extracts of grapes in Burgundy — a detail that speaks volumes of the hotels deep-rooted dedication to the wine business.
What do we taste?
In the kitchen, it is the young and enthusiastic Chef Thomas Parnaud who’s at the helm. His extreme passion towards sourcing locally means that efforts run the gamut of the entire establishment’s F&B endeavour — from the Brasserie la Coeur to the Michelin-starred Le Georges and the intimate bar, Le Madrigal.
It’s all very level-headed — think good price to quality ratio at breakfast, fresh and earnest produce at the bistro and finally, extravagance and devilishly complex cooking at Le Georges.
At the latter, there’s slow cooked Silure dressed in potato water and Sorel for example, flourished in Oscietre caviar. Then, an elusive dish of blue shrimp sourced from Pays Nantaise, just tempered slightly and dressed in an umamifed oyster butter sauce. The pièce de résistance, crispy prawns heads stood on end for crunch. Do not pass up on the hotel’s signature souffles, the 70% Mayan Red Costa Rican chocolate version is a billowy masterpiece that conjures ‘Oohs and Ahhs’ from across the room.
Meanwhile, the brasserie is a wonderful tapestry of classic techniques, old school plates and innovation. The sheer ebullience of Chef Parnaud’s food language conveyed through dishes such as the (then) seasonal white asparagus with folds of smoked trout, luscious crème crue and trout roe. It continues apace with the plat du jour: blanquette de veau accompanied with luscious potato puree.
It’s almost impossible to avoid food envy with the Grand Marnier souffles drifting to all corners of the dining room….After all, the brasserie plates upwards of 9000 of these a year, they’ve got it down pat.
Anything left to mention?
Oenology is a linchpin in Le Grand Monarque’s renaissance and the hotel’s treasure trove of wines quite literally act as its keystone. Four underground cellars, 30,000 bottles and 3,200 references — it’s worth going the extra mile to enquire about tastings on site in order to revel in the staggering collection. The establishment is devoted to the aging potential of Loire valley wines and the democratisation of such gems across its F&B outlets. Head Sommelier Nicolas Duclos boasts about the outstanding and increasingly scarce 2018 vintage Sancerre which they sometimes offer at €60 – €70 per bottle at the bar.
Le Grand Monarque
Address: 22 Place des Épars, Chartres, France
