One of Beaune’s finest restaurants: A locally-sourced organic farmhouse inn restaurant
Discover the La Ruchotte carving knife
Frédéric Ménager: Chef, farmer and vegetable gardener
An alternative Chef
After training in some of France’s most renowned kitchens as sous chef at Chef Alain Chapel’s three Michelin Star restaurant and roaster for three Michelin Star Chef Pierre Gagniaire, Fred Ménager opened his own restaurant in Côte d’Or, France more than twenty years ago. Ferme de La Ruchotte® is a farmhouse inn and organic restaurant near Beaune, where Ménager works as chef, chicken farmer and vegetable gardener. His focus is on offering seasonal organic cuisine while prioritizing the use of ingredients from the surrounding fields and the farm’s rare species of flavorful chicken. This locally-sourced organic restaurant in Bligny sur l’Ouche serves 20 to 25 guests, offering a high-end environmentally sustainable menu which is anchored by a rustic and sophisticated setting, and above bold in its authenticity and no-frills cooking.
La Ruchotte’s team
La Ruchotte® prizes family above all else. Because well-being and authenticity are omnipresent in each of his decisions, Frédéric Ménager takes special care to surround himself with individuals who share in his passions and his values. He speaks of his trusted team members with warmth and compassion:
"In the kitchen, I can count on Justine, her tireless motivation and great listening skills. Justine is a true phenomenon in the business! Gaëlle, brimming with enthusiasm, supports even though he is still undergoing training. Félicie - beyond being an incredible young woman - is a graduate of the greatest French design schools. Catherine takes great care of our Faïencerie de Gien plates and our beautiful knives from Liadou du Vallon. Nicolas is the newest member to the La Ruchotte® family and one of the most talented pastry chefs. He has only been employed by the great Maisons! Having worked in prestigious establishments such as Bernard Loiseau and the Charlemagne, my sommelier Soïzic Moutel is the key pillar of my team. At 25 years of age, I see her as an example of the younger generation pushing our profession to evolve on a daily basis. Wolfgang and Steve make an outstanding team on the Farm. Coming from very different backgrounds, they have a contrasting yet complementary vision surrounding the future of agriculture. As for the magnificent Carole, she welcomes our customers like no other, making sure all of their needs are met.”
Fred
La Ruchotte’s menu
Nestled in the Ouche Valley, near Beaune - the Capital of Burgundy Wines – the farmhouse inn and restaurant honors a style of cuisine Frédéric Ménager holds dear to his heart, French Cuisine Bourgeoise, a traditional style of middle-class home cooking. He skillfully blends these time-honored recipes with a pinch of Haute-Cuisine to create an unforgettable fine-dining experience.
A locally-sourced organic restaurant with no set menu
The farmhouse inn and restaurant La Ruchotte® has a menu that changes daily, following the constant eb and flow of the changing season; the dishes are designed around what nature has to offer that day. Once the daily harvest is collected, the Chef’s deep understanding of seasonality is allowed to shine, imbuing each recipe with creativity and talent. This unique menu, beautifully in tune with the land, places the utmost respect to animal and plant biodiversity. The Ferme de la Ruchotte® embraces permaculture practices and, above all, prioritizes the well-being of its livestock.
A unique menu
The concept is simple: a unique 5-course gourmet meal, a few occasional suggestions based on the Chef’s discoveries, as well as tasting menus organized throughout the year. Simply put – a deliciously authentic gastronomic experience. Each vegetable, meat, bread and dessert, reflects the incredible care given to the farm’s animals, vegetables and fruits, 365 days a year.
Explore La Ruchotte’s menu and specialties
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Nature’s seasonal suggestions
Frédéric Ménager designs his dishes around what’s in season and what can be foraged from local forests in order to bring you carefully curated and continually evolving daily menus. It’s not uncommon to find La Ruchotte’s® famous frogs’ legs on the à la carte menu of this organic farm-to-table restaurant. The menu often features freshwater fish, which is usually sourced from the Loire River and one of Chef Ménager’s favorite ingredients to sublimate in his kitchen.
Frédéric Ménager’s Haute Cuisine Bourgeoise
It’s not surprising that Frédéric Ménager’s talents are recognized well beyond Beaune and the Côte d’Or. The farmhouse inn and organic restaurant La Ruchotte® offers a high-caliber, healthy and original gourmet experience. Fred Ménager elevates the elemental pleasures of close-to-the-earth-foods with the traditional savoir-faire of France’s most renowned kitchens, cooking according to the seasons and inspired by what grows on his organic farm. When he does not grow them himself, he strives to select rare and exceptional products to ensure that only the best possible ingredients enter his kitchen. Also working as La Ruchotte®’s chicken farmer and vegetable gardener, Chef Ménager has forged close ties with his local suppliers. From ingredient to execution, nothing is left to chance. Years of work, energy and passion have revived traditional French country style cooking with an air of haute cuisine, upholding and embellishing its time-honored flavors.
“Our "tattooed chef" and music fanatic, sublimates the magnificent ingredients he gave life to in his garden with the passion of a pianist.”
Fred COSSARD
A mouth-watering sneak peek
As creative as he is dedicated, Fred Ménager understands ingredients from the perspective of both farmer and chef when it comes to sublimating the products at his farmhouse inn and restaurant in Beaune. It goes without saying that just reading the names of these dishes will make your mouth water:
- Poached egg, emulsion of garden-fresh herbs, pineapple sage fritters
- Melon soup, marinated raw zucchini, tomato confit, olive oil
- Boudin made with our farm’s pigs, quince compote
- Pâté en croûte made with our farm’s pigs, pistachios, gizzard confit, fermented vegetables
- Ikejime method Pikeperch from the Loire River, red wine sauce, old-fashioned garnish consisting of bacon, sautéed mushrooms and brown-braised onions
- Pan-fried ceps foraged from local woods, bacon made with our farm’s pigs, flat parsley
- Quenelle made with our farm’s poultry in a consommé, Burgundy truffles
- 9-month-old poultry from La Ruchotte® roasted in a pressure cooker with juice
- Pig breast from our farm marinated and cooked for 72 hours
- Poached pear with verbena
- Cream tarte with blueberries from Bérangère
- Profiteroles made with Nicolas Berger chocolate, vanilla ice cream, cocoa beans
- Gluten-free and lactose-free iced nougat with candied fruits from Maison Florian, nougatine of pistachio, hazelnuts and almond
"He is a remarkable cook and an exceptional vegetable gardener whose environmentally-conscious and sincere approach allows him to make ingredient-driven dishes that highlight true flavors.”
Éric Pras (3 Michelin Star Chef)
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Customized accommodations
Do you eat gluten or lactose free? Are you vegetarian or vegan?
At the Ferme de La Ruchotte®, Chef Ménager is more than happy to adapt his dishes as long as you take the time to inform him in advance. If it turns out that you don’t like one of the dishes, he will challenge himself to find the perfect alternative.
High praises for the farmhouse inn and restaurant in Beaune
The Ferme de la Ruchotte® located in the heart of Burgundy near Beaune is highly-recommended by the greatest names in French gastronomy, to name but a few: Eric Pras (3 Michelin star chef), William Frachot (2 Michelin star chef) and Bruno Verjus (1 Michelin star chef). Renowned French press publications cannot stop singing praise for La Ruchotte®: Le Monde, Libé and Le Temps. Although our alternative Chef refuses awards from tourist guide companies and features in tourism books, some cannot help but feature the restaurant or give it awards despite the fact their stickers will never adorn the windows of his fine-dining establishment.
Organizing your gourmet experience at the farmhouse inn and organic restaurant Ferme de La Ruchotte near Beaune
Address
La Ferme de La Ruchotte®
La Ruchotte
21360 Blingy-sur-Ouche
France
Make reservations at the farmhouse inn and organic restaurant Ferme de La Ruchotte near Beaune
Located north-west of Beaune (21), the restaurant farm is open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday. To reserve your table, you can fill out our reservation form or call +33 3 80 20 04 79. Follow us on social media to stay-in-the-know about upcoming events at La Ruchotte!
Your gourmet visit to Côte d’Or
Your fine dining experience does not need to stop at La Ruchotte®, the Côte d’Or and Burgundy offer extraordinary culinary opportunities that meet the needs of even the most discerning foodie. If you would like to continue your gustative journey during your visit to the region, Frédéric has listed his favorite restaurants in Beaune, Meursault, Chagny, Bligny and the Ouche Valley and beyond the surrounding villages into the Côte d’Or and Burgundy.
If you are looking for accommodation, we suggest exploring Ferme de la Ruchotte®’s partnering establishments in Côte d’Or (21). Our team at the farmhouse inn and organic restaurant has provided you with their selection of the most charming hotels in the region:
