1h30 from Lyon, this two-Michelin-starred restaurant is worth the detour off the A6
Leaving the motorway to find a 19th-century mill on the banks of a Burgundian river is the kind of detour you never regret. In Saint-Rémy, just a few minutes from the A6, Cédric Burtin’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant occupies the Moulin de Martorey, a historic building set along the Orbize river. Halfway between Paris and Lyon, this place offers far more than a straightforward gastronomic meal.
A chef rooted in his terroir, a two-Michelin-starred table
Cédric Burtin didn’t reach this level by chance. Born into a family of Charolais cattle farmers, he grew up surrounded by the Burgundian produce and terroir that still shape every dish he puts on the plate. His training took him through some of the great names in French gastronomy: Daniel Doucet in Charolles, Pierre Orsi in Lyon, then Paul Bocuse, La Pyramide in Vienne, Guy Lassausaie in Chasselay and La Rotonde in Charbonnières-les-Bains.
In 2004, he opened his first restaurant in Sennecey-le-Grand. Three years later, he earned his first Michelin star. In 2023, his work reached a new milestone with the award of a second star. This two-Michelin-starred restaurant has firmly established itself as an unmissable gastronomic destination in Burgundy.
The setting: a mill steeped in history
The Moulin de Martorey is no mere backdrop. This 19th-century building is one of the last surviving witnesses to a network of 13 mills that once lined the Orbize, where the people of Chalon-sur-Saône would come to have their wheat ground. Surrounded by greenery, the place sets the tone from the outset: here, a heritage is being preserved while being brought firmly into the present.
The setting prepares visitors for what they are about to find on the plate. The coherence between the location, the produce and the cooking is total. From the moment you arrive, the décor already tells the story of a living, deeply rooted Burgundy.
From kitchen garden to plate, a short-supply-chain philosophy
Right next to the restaurant, a one-hectare kitchen garden supplies the kitchens with fruit, vegetables and aromatic herbs throughout the seasons. Tended using permaculture principles by gardener Paul, it benefits from compost developed in collaboration with a master composter. Beehives installed in the garden produce honey that finds its way into certain sweet creations and into the house’s signature mead.
This approach is part of a broader commitment to short supply chains. Charolais beef, Bresse poultry and fish from local farms make up the backbone of the menu. Every ingredient has a precise, traceable origin.
- One-hectare kitchen garden cultivated on-site using permaculture
- On-site beehives supplying honey for desserts and mead
- Charolais beef and Bresse poultry sourced through short supply chains
- Trout from the Crisenon aquaculture farm
- Foie gras from the Lou Metche farm
What you eat at this two-Michelin-starred restaurant
At the table, all the threads come together. Foie gras from the Lou Metche farm is presented in several textures, accompanied by green beans and herbs freshly picked from the kitchen garden. Trout from the Crisenon aquaculture farm arrives with a Bresse cream and fir oil. Sirloin from the Belles Robes farm is paired with aubergine. Every dish carries an address, a producer, a territory.
The artichoke tart, prepared leaf by leaf in a slow confit, melts in the mouth and stands as one of the meal’s highlights. The service, described as a perfectly choreographed ballet, plays a full part in the experience. This two-Michelin-starred restaurant lavishes as much attention on the dining room as on the plates.
Desserts are in the hands of pastry chef Marie Simon, World Champion of the Arts Sucrés. Trained alongside Benoît Couvrand and Nicolas Paciello, she has also worked at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc and L’Apogée in Courchevel. Her cherry, worked into a soft clafoutis, a juice and an emulsion, served with a tarragon ice cream, brings the meal to an elegant close. The honey from the estate’s beehives finds its natural place here too.
A wine cellar and menus designed to extend the experience
Head sommelier Matthieu Martinache guides guests through a wine list in which more than 90% of the references are Burgundian vintages. From the kitchen garden to the cellar, the thread never breaks: Burgundy reveals itself in all its facets, from the first course to the last glass.
To plan a visit to this two-Michelin-starred restaurant, three menus are on offer: the Rouage n°5, a 5-course menu at €95 served at lunch from Wednesday to Friday excluding public holidays; the Rouage n°7, a 7-course menu at €190; and the Rouage n°9, a 9-course menu at €240. The restaurant is located at the Moulin de Martorey, chemin de Martorez, in Saint-Rémy (71100), and reservations can be made on the official website. Between Paris and Lyon, this two-Michelin-starred restaurant is well worth building a few extra hours into your journey.
