Château de la Couronne
Dordogne, France[view map]
Local restaurants
Marthon has a small handful of eateries a short stroll from the hotel. The pick of the pile is Les Glycines (+33(0)5 45 70 23 90), a salt-of-the-earth spot serving simple but delicious traditional fare. It's open for lunch, but dinner must be booked in advance. Chez Steph (+33(0)5 45 62 09 11) is a busy brasserie about 10 minutes' drive from the hotel, in La Rochefoucauld, where you'll find excellent pizzas, tender cuts of meat and an indulgence-inducing selection of home-made desserts. 25km further afield, in the cobbled hilltop town of Angoulême, Jardin de Kasmir (+33(0)545 95 03 03) in the old quarter, is an excellent Indian, and Le Terminus (+33(0)5 45 95 27 13) is a great spot to stop – no pun intended – for seafood.
Worth getting out of bed for
The urban appeals of Bordeaux are fewer than 90 minutes away, but closer still is Angoulême, a buzzing hub of cobbled streets and Continental café culture. For those more into kayaking than cappuchino, the countryside around Château de la Couronne offers ample golfing, canoeing, fishing, horse riding and marvelling-at-nature opportunities – Nicky and Mark will be happy to help you arrange outdoorsy outings.