When Régis Marcon suggests “talking about Haute-Loire”, he naturally arranges to meet at his home, where it all began, and where it all continues, in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid. The town of 250 souls is calm on this December morning. The three-star Michelin chef awaits us at La Chanterelle, a bakery and pastry shop owned by Maisons Marcon, the family business. Dressed in jogging pants, Régis Marcon returns from his morning jog. He greets the few customers installed in the tea room, then invites us to make introductions with a quick tour, by car, of Saint-Bonnet, the city with 28 shops. A little later, after putting on a shirt and once installed in a small lounge at Clos des cimes, his three-star hotel, located in the village, Régis Marcon has things to tell us…
The “The List” ranking
At the end of November, the specialized website La Liste unveiled its 2025 ranking of the 1,000 best gourmet restaurants in the world. With an overall score of 99%, Régis and Jacques Marcon's restaurant placed 2nd, tied with eight other prestigious establishments. The best score, 99.5%, was awarded to ten other colleagues this year.
“We are the second French, just behind Cheval Blanc or Guy Savoy in Paris. We are very happy, but we also have to know how to put this success into perspective. This ranking is updated every year, it is quite fragile. It's work that pays, we don't have a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. All that matters to us is customer satisfaction, bringing them to Saint-Bonnet and giving them an experience. »
His attachment to Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid
A commitment that perpetuates a family story. “Our adventure here comes down to my dad and my mom who ran a bistro. When my father died, my mother found herself with an inn and seven children on her hands, it wasn't easy. I was immersed in this world very early on, but at the time, we were told “Your future is not here, you have to go to the city and study to succeed elsewhere”. » Except that Régis Marcon did not have gastronomy in mind. “My parents had worked hard, I saw my mother crying behind the stove several times, it saddened me and I didn't want to cook. I wanted to study Fine Arts, but I was sent against my will to the hotel school in Grenoble. » Chance (well) did the rest. “During these two years, I had the chance to meet an extraordinary teacher who introduced me to cooking in a different way, as an art in its own right, for me as a drawing enthusiast. »
