Le Cerf

 

The Route des Vins d'Alsace is a well-marked route, 170km long, stretching from Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south and winding through 100 of the 119 wine-producing villages and larger towns of Alsace.  All along the Route you’ll find récoltants and négociants eager to extol the virtues of Alsatian wines and to explain what makes their’s particularly special.  Take a leisurely drive along the Route as it threads through the narrow medieval village streets of half-timbered houses and flower-decked balconies.  With storks' nests on chimneys and church steeples and the Ill River (after which the region is named) wending its way past the vineyards with their crucifixes and shrines, it’s a wonderful experience for anyone with a passion for good food and wine. 

 

Le Cerf, a two Michelin-starred restaurant with accommodation, is an excellent place to stay and dine in Marlenheim, the northern starting point of the Route and a picturesque village with renaissance houses, 18th century churches, a neo-classical-style castle dating from the 19th century, and mills on the River Mossig, which flows through the village.

 

The accommodation is country-rural and very French. The rooms look like a Valentine’s Day dream, complete with chequered curtains and wooden shutters, and for your peace of mind your car is locked in a secure parking area next door.

 

The food at Le Cerf is exceptional. You might dine on dishes like ‘Truffle Shoe’, a whole peeled truffle wrapped in a mantle of chicken farce (enriched with the truffle peelings) surrounded by a wafer-thin pastry, baked and served with a Sauce Pėrigourde garnished with a few fresh and tiny young asparagus spears, or maybe the Ragout of Snails served with eel and a very thin roll of the local river fish in a sauce made from the juices of the local choucroute and parsley. Stuff to dream of….

 

Le Cerf

30 Rue de Général de Gaulle

67520 Marlenheim

+00 333 88 87 7373

www.lecerf.com