While the Michelin Guide has just confirmed their 3e star at the Restaurant Marcon on the heights of Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, the name Marcon is today more than a gourmet restaurant, it is a real institution. In more than 75 years, “Marcon” has made a name and a place for itself in French haute cuisine.
It all started in 1947, when Joannès and Marie-Louise, Régis Marcon's parents, settled in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid. He is a wine merchant, she is a cook. A job she did at the village café, preparing snacks for many years. When she took over the establishment, she also arranged a few rooms there. However, she was not a professional. But his watchword was hospitality. “She had this generosity, this smile, this sense of business… She knew all her customers perfectly and considered them friends,” remembers Régis Marcon.
A cuisine inspired by nature and what it offers
He took over the family establishment, the Auberge des Cimes, in 1979, keen to perpetuate the welcoming traditions instilled by his mother: generosity, hospitality, respect for nature... And he image of the famous mushrooms of Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, local products have thus become their trademark. A wide variety of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and herbs from producers... In short, good products, grown locally or directly in nature. 3-star cuisine, while maintaining the desire not to be too elitist.
We want to maintain a tradition of wild harvesting. That of an evolving cuisine imbued with nature and what it offers us.
Because in fact, the passion for cooking seems to be passed down from generation to generation among the Marcons. In 2004, Jacques Marcon returned to Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid after having cut his teeth at the restaurant of the Town Hall of Crissier (3 stars in the Michelin Guide), at the Lenôtre school in Paris and at the Elysées Vernet. This is the starting point of the Maisons Marcon which counts today:
- the La Chanterelle bakery, the Bar de Païs bistro (Le BP),
- the La Coulemelle restaurant (“which my grandparents had run since 1947”),
- the Hotel Clos des Cîmes – La Découverte (3 stars),
- the SPA des Sources du Haut-Plateau,
- the hotel (4 stars) / gourmet restaurant Marcon
A cooking course under the guidance of the Marcons
And for enthusiasts, it is even possible to take part in cooking classes under the leadership of Régis and Jacques Marcon. A course taught by Gwénaël or Alexis depending on the chosen theme. Days dedicated to flavors where the three-star chefs take pleasure in passing on the house's culinary tips and best practices. Adult course, child course, one-day course, pastry… What will your formula be?
For Jacques and Paul Marcon, cooking was obvious
“I have always been immersed in the atmosphere of the family restaurant. I started helping my parents very young, around 10-11 years old. And in these cases, it's all or nothing! Either it disgusts you, or it makes you want to continue…” For Jacques, it was obvious… After going through all the positions, he now runs the Marcon restaurant alongside his father Régis. “We work together to develop recipes that highlight our terroir, between Velay, Vivarais and Ardèche. »
A cuisine punctuated by the seasons, which gives pride of place to the terroir! In spring wild herbs and Saugues lamb, in summer fruits from the Rhône Valley and blueberries, and of course autumn with its mushrooms and game… Without forgetting the great classics: Puy AOP Green Lentil stew and truffles, the Arctic char, hay-crusted lamb or even the banana-morel combination for dessert. “A cuisine that is both innovative and respectful of traditions,” they explain on their site.
A culinary adventure in which it was not long before they joined Paul Marcon, the younger brother of Jacques, who has just won a 5e place at the Bocuse d’or Europe in 2024, opening the door to the world competition in January 2025, 30 years after the victory of his father, Régis Marcon. Certainly, with the Marcons, damn it can’t lie…
A devoted family in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid
Since 1947 and the installation of grandparents Joannès and Marie-Louise Marcon in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, there has been a real attachment to the village, a desire to bring it to life, to energize it. Today, 77 years later, for the Marcon family this desire is unwavering. This is why they all still actively participate in the life of Saint-Bonnet and more broadly in the region. Obviously through their establishments: “We have a very local clientele. The people we receive have rarely traveled more than 3 hours,” emphasizes Jacques Marcon. Which does not prevent the Marcon restaurant from being full 6 months in advance. To eat at Regis and Jacques Marcon, you have to know how to be patient...
But also thanks to the organization of large-scale gourmet events. As Autumnal Gourmand “which allows us to make the link with neighboring Ardèche,” he continues. Autumn is such a beautiful season! » Or even the traditional Mushroom Fair which attracts more than 30.000 people each year to Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, a small Altiligrian village of 250 souls perched at an altitude of 1200 m. “It always makes us happy to see people there! »
The Marcon Houses
Themes
