Hotel Belami: A touch of class in old Normandy

First impressions

The sight of couples enjoying cocktails on an outdoor terrace in front of a crisp white building overlooking the river Eure immediately tells you you’ve come to the right place. The former home of the French food critic Henri Gault (co-founder of the Gault et Millau restaurant guide), the hotel has just been swishily renovated by restaurateur Nathalie Dormeau.

Looks

No expense has been spared: the old hotel rooms have been dismantled to create fewer larger ones, decorated in luxuriously sleek style, with the small ensuite bathrooms generously supplied with Nuxe products. The real USP is the stunning river views, with the water more or less passing under your toes. Some rooms have exterior balconies. Charming details such as the original winding staircase in the middle of the old house have been retained.

Feel

Staff are young, friendly and eager to please, enthusing about the cocktail of the day or which wine goes best with which course. Guests are understatedly glamorous, probably because most of them are professional couples taking a weekend break from their busy Paris lifestyles, less than an hour’s drive away.

Extras

Chef Olivier Caccamo has created an ambitious but well-judged menu that relies on seasonal ingredients and homegrown vegetables. Buffet breakfast includes homemade fruited breads, Mariage Frères teas and Alain Milliat’s artisan jams. Bicycles and a boules pitch are available for guests.

Outside

The hotel is in the middle of the town of Pacy but feels pleasantly secluded. Monet’s house and gardens is 20 minutes’ drive away in Giverny but is always extremely busy, so arrive and leave early. Then head to the charming town of Vernon, Les Andelys on the Seine, or one of many local chateaux such as Château de Bizy or Château de Gaillon. See normandy-tourism.org.

Dark side

Lugging suitcases up and down the winding staircase is not ideal; nor is having nowhere to put the shampoo or soap while in the shower, apart from the floor.

In a nutshell

A modern take on the traditional countryside inn, combining sophisticated hospitality, attention to detail and delicious food in a picturesque Normandy town makes this a destination in its own right. Why is it not on the Gault Millau website? It should be, with a row of five toques (chef hats).

Doubles from £160, room only; breakfast £17 (belami-normandy.com).