Auberge Bressane
Sitting directly opposite the Monastère de Brou, the Auberge Bressane has been serving the region's signature dish for decades and remains the benchmark address for anyone who wants to understand what all the fuss about poulet de Bresse is really about. The dining room is unapologetically classic — white tablecloths, Burgundy stems, a wine list that respects the local appellations.
What to Order
The poulet de Bresse à la crème is the dish to order: a half-chicken braised slowly and finished in a sauce of reduced cream and vin jaune from the Jura. The flesh is denser and more flavourful than any supermarket bird you have eaten, with a faint nuttiness that comes from the chickens' free-range diet of maize and dairy by-products.
Start with the quenelles de brochet — a pike dumpling in a rich Nantua crayfish sauce that is the other great dish of this part of France. Together they form a meal that is a genuine lesson in regional cuisine.
Practical Details
The lunch menu offers the best value: a two-course formule typically runs around €25–30 and includes a glass of local wine. The à la carte prices are higher but the portions are generous enough to justify the splurge on a special occasion.
Reservations are strongly recommended for weekends and essential during the summer tourist season. The terrace tables facing the monastery are the most coveted seats in the house.
More of Bourg-en-Bresse
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Bourg-en-Bresse →
