262561 Sat Mar 29 12:07:49 -0800 2003 15 26 International 0 1387397 I am going to Reims for a couple of days in April. I have already booked a table at Les Crayères (3 Michelin stars), and I would like to hear from anyone who has been there recently. I would also like to visit one of the grat champagne cellars in Reims. Which one would you recommend? Thank you very much for your advice and suggestions. Sat Mar 29 12:07:49 -0800 2003 0 Jordi 1 1387398 We visited Reims last March and had lunch at Les Crayeres. It was wonderful!!! If you like smoked salmon try the Saumon Fume a la minute which is a hot smoked salmon served warm. When they lifted the dome on this dish you could smell wood smoke and salmon. It is a very civilized place. We also had a tour of the facilities of our favorite champagne which is Lanson. We went on a Friday after having arranged it online. We hadn't realized that they were holding to offseason hours and the processing facility workers were off. So there we were the two of us and our guide with the whole place to ourselves and a bottle of champagne to taste at the end of the tour. We came away reassured because Lanson has 25 million bottles in their facility. Sat Mar 29 12:15:51 -0800 2003 1387397 0 AGM/Cape Cod 1 1387407 I've been to Les Crayeres several times, the most recent being this last January. Its absolutely fabulous. You didn't mention where you'll be staying in Reims. I would strongly recommend staying at les Crayeres itself. As great an experience as the restaurant is, the hotel is even more so. It has won several awards, including one or two as the finest hotel in the world. If you do stay at Les Crayeres, they will arrange for a private tour at the neighboring Pommery Champagne house. Its about a two minute walk from the hotel. Rumor has it that Pommery actually owns a substantial interest in les Crayeres. We have had the tour. KIt included samples of their finest Champagne. Very, very special. Murray Sat Mar 29 18:10:34 -0800 2003 1387397 0 Murray 2 1387420 Thank you so much for all the information! Unfortunately, I will not be staying at Les Crayères (my budget does not allow me to indulge in such luxury), but I'll definitely try the salmon. And since I'm fluent in French, I hope I'll be able to discuss the food with Monsieur Boyer! Sun Mar 30 08:03:15 -0800 2003 1387407 0 Jordi 3 1387471 One more vote for staying 1 nite. Tue Apr 01 18:44:35 -0800 2003 1387420 0 mc michael 1 1387419 Spent two nights there last December and absolutely loved it. A true luxurious experience! If you have the chance, do spend the night there since the hotel itself also ranks as one of the top in the world. It will also give you a chance to enjoy your champagne without worrying about the trip back. Another good reason is to try their fresh goose liver the next day on raisin toast point! Fresh and full of flavour, definitely the best I have tried! As for specific dishes, my favourite was "Le Saumon fume a la minute" and "Brouillade aux Truffes Fraiches". The first dish is smoked salmon but it is done right before it is served and I will never forget how good smoked salmon can be. The second dish eggs with truffles but it is like a soup and very filling. When it is served, you can smell the truffles from several feet away and this must be the purest taste of truffle that one can find. At the end of dinner, Gerard Boyer himself will come to each table to greet his guests but since his English is only so-so and my French is almost non-existent, I wasn't able to speak with him much. He does seem to be very friendly and on both nights spent significant amount of time to chat with various guests. Enjoy and hope you have a good time! Sun Mar 30 04:37:36 -0800 2003 1387397 0 HKTraveler 1 1387425 We stayed at Les Crayeres as well as eating there and will second all of the rave reviews. While in Reims don't miss the Museum in the Archbishop's residence next to the Cathedral it is not well known but wonderful.. I would try to arrange a tour before you leave, if possible and would suggest Veuve Clicquot or Moet& Chandon. Sun Mar 30 15:41:48 -0800 2003 1387397 0 Dennis 2 1387427 Moet does have a nice tour. And if you like Mucha, they have a number of his lithos advertising the champagne on the walls. Sun Mar 30 17:57:24 -0800 2003 1387425 0 mc michael 1 1387445 I had dinner at Les Crayeres on my honeymoon in May 2000, and I thought it was excellent. The food was the best element, followed by the ambience and then the service. Food highlights included foie gras five ways and veal tenderloin pieces topped with slices of black truffle. Make sure you have plenty of capacity on your gold card. As for cellars, Moet and Veuve will give you the slick, big-cellar experience, but my favourite stop was in the countryside at Pierre Moncuit in Mesnil-sur-Oger. I picked up a couple of bottles of the 1990 Cuvee Nicole Moncuit (the house's tete-de-cuvee) for roughly Cdn.$25(!) per bottle and it still ranks as the best white Champagne I have ever tasted. It is made from 100% chardonnay, all from grand cru vineyards. The 1996 should be available now. Since you speak French, you should have a nice visit with Mme. Moncuit in the tasting room. Call in advance. Mon Mar 31 11:25:23 -0800 2003 1387397 0 TheColonel 1 1387453 I have been there 5 times (twice in the past year). All the raves are well deserved. And the food and wine prices are quite low compared to Paris. Especially Champagne. If you go on a weekend they always have a prestige champagne on sale for about half price and very well priced tasting menus. But, you say, that means we would not be able to have the saumon fumé a la minute (which as everyone here has said you must try). But alas, do not worry, just say you would like an additional half course of the saumon or ask them to replace o6 ne course of the tasting menu (you suggest which one) with the saumon. Also, if a dish on the tasting menu is not what you want just ask to replace. THEY ARE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. And they will not charge you a lot extra for switches, in fact you may not get charged anything extra. All the big houses are nice, but also try a small house. I strongly recommend Ployez-Jacquemart in Ludes (a beautiful 20 minutes drive from Boyer. Call in advance to set a time +33 3 26 61 11 87 or email at ployez.jacquemart@wanadoo.fr One of the sisters that owns this house works at the reception at Boyer. If you say you are going to Boyer for a meal and stop by Ployez on the same trip you will be treated like gold and see a very different world from the big house and taste some great champagne. Finally, take a second mortgage and stay one night at Boyer. For the extra 200 dollars compared to a room elsewhere you will have a memory for a life time. And no worries about that extra bottle of champagne during the day and driving a car back to your hotel. Tue Apr 01 02:47:52 -0800 2003 1387397 0 mdibiaso 2 1387468 It has been years since I was at Boyer's. It was wonderful. Stay the night there. Tue Apr 01 18:17:58 -0800 2003 1387453 0 ALbert the eater 2 1387469 Jordi, I couldn't agree more with mdibiaso. You say you can't afford to stay at les Crayeres. I'm sure this is true. I say you can't afford not to!! Especially since you are having dinner there. Go into debt if necessary, but stay there one night. If you don't, you'll almost certainly regret it. If you do, you'll remember it forever. I'm sure its more expensive than where you are staying, however its not as expensive as comparable places where you will probably get less for more money. I apologize for telling you how to spend your money. However I would feel guilty if I didn't urge you to do so. Murray Tue Apr 01 18:18:00 -0800 2003 1387453 0 Murray 3 1387470 I will put my two cents in here. We didn't stay at Les Crayeres-we only had lunch. We regret it. When we go again we will make a point to stay there. Tue Apr 01 18:41:16 -0800 2003 1387469 0 AGM/Cape Cod 3 1387481 But a note caution: Crayeres, on 3 occasions, has been superb. However, on our very first visit, Madame Boyer showed us to our room. It was somber and gray. It faced the front. No magic. "But Madame," I explained in fractured French, "My travel agent said this hotel would be the highlight of my trip, and this room is not acceptable." Aha! Then we were shown the large, light floral peach room facing the rear lawns and distant church. Quelle difference! And the breakfast of warm pastry, goat cheese, honey and jams--so exquisite. Every meal we've had there was flawless, with service that was warm, kind and informed. If you can manage it, one night of bliss can yield a lifetime of memories. Wed Apr 02 02:57:40 -0800 2003 1387469 0 Toby 4 1387482 Yes request to look out over the lawns. Our first visit was also looking out the front (I did not find the room, dreary, in fact it was wonderful) but the rooms to the lawns are bigger and nicer. If you have an AMEX I believe they have specials currently on stays at Boyer. You can always ask if they have any specials on rooms looking over the lawn especially midweek (weekends are almost always fully booked and probably difficult to get bargains) Wed Apr 02 03:38:00 -0800 2003 1387481 0 mdibiaso 1 1387466 When are you going? There's a huge flea market in Reims on April 5 & 6. Tue Apr 01 17:05:26 -0800 2003 1387397 0 mc michael