For three and a half years, a large-scale project has been underway at the Château des Tesnières. Located a stone’s throw from the town of Torcé, south of Vitré, this castle, built in the 1860s by Count Ferdinand de Langle and his brother Alphonse, was bought in 2021 by Chantel Dartnall. Originally from South Africa, this chef ran a gourmet restaurant called Mosaic in Pretoria for 15 years.
“I moved to France in 2021 after closing my restaurant in South Africa. I’ve visited a lot of places all over France, but when I came across Château des Tesnières, I immediately fell in love with it. It’s a magical place,” explains the chef.
“No restrictions on the budget”
She then undertook to completely renovate this castle with an announced value of 1.5 million euros. And, as she says herself, she didn’t have to spare. “I was lucky to have no restrictions on the budget for the work. We have preserved the original neo-Gothic atmosphere of the castle, which we have richly furnished with antiques and collectibles from around the world. » The hotel will open in spring 2025 and has four suites, each dedicated to female figures: the Queen of Sheba, Scheherazade, Anne of Brittany and the Chinese Dowager Empress Cixi.
There is the castle… and there is the park, with an area of 15 hectares. Over the past 18 months, 150 trees and 6,000 species of plants have been planted there. A vegetable garden has also been installed.
Among the 100 best restaurants in the world
Because the Château des Tesnières will not only be a luxury hotel, but also a gourmet restaurant. Not really a coincidence since Chantel Dartnall is an internationally recognized chef. In 2017, she was even voted best female chef in the world. Its restaurant Mosaïc was also among the 100 best restaurants on the planet according to the ranking of the specialized site La Liste three years in a row, in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
“I offered botanical cuisine there and I intend to continue here in Torcé. » To do this, she intends to draw on the estate’s plants and vegetable garden. Finally, the cellar has also been completely renovated and 30,000 bottles have been stored there.
