L'Auberge Basque

L’Auberge Basque is a small inn and restaurant belonging to chef Cédric Béchade, located in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, near the Atlantic Coast in the Basque country, and a perfectly self-contained slice of Basque-accented French country-house life. What sets it apart from many other chef-owned auberge hotels in France and elsewhere is its attention to detail, and its unique personality: this antique inn, more than three centuries old, was expanded with an unapologetically modernist addition, and the resulting building is a lively hybrid of the traditional and the contemporary.

That goes for the interiors as well, furnished from top to bottom by the Belgian brand Flamant; the look is classic in spirit but with a modern simplicity and an inspiring mix of weathered materials and crisp clean lines. Even the humblest rooms are more than a little bit of luxurious, and some add terraces or balconies as they grow. They’re fine enough that it’d be an impressive hotel even without the restaurant — but of course it’s the French-Basque cooking of the Alain Ducasse–trained Cédric Béchade that makes the whole thing tick.