Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a B&B (anywhere in Europe) where they offer to cook you dinner (but not a restaurant)?

We visited Il Vicario B&B in San Gimignano, Italy last year and our favorite part of the whole trip was the dinners that the owner made for us every night. All the guests ate together each night and he served a 5 course meal for 25 Euro each. It was amazing and I'd love to find another B&B who does this but I'm having a hard time.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!

It sounds a lot like the wonderful agriturismo concept to me...

Have a look at Gîtes d'étape in France (not the same thing as Gîtes ruraux which are holiday cottages).

They are all over the place in mountain areas, cater mostly for walkers/cyclists, and offer B&B plus evening dinner. Accommodation is usually very basic (multi-bed rooms and shared bathroom facilities), but the atmosphere is normally very warm and friendly, often with all the guests eating at the same table.

We've been to many Gites in France and Agroturismos in Italy, but most serve meals in a restaurant or a dedicated dining-room- not many have owners and guests eating together.

Our favourite is
www. ilpoggio.net
in South Eastern Tuscany (the only non-touristy part) - but all meals are served in the beautiful restaurant, and there is a small family Tratoria next door.

Just done a Google with ' Bed and Breakfast France avec repas en famille- and there are quite a few listed.

Mmm, I think the only place I have ever seen that was in a very basic métairie in the Jura neuchâtelois. Not only did we have dinner at the same table as the owners (there was only one room and one table, so they didn't have much choice ), they even slept in the same dormitory as everyone else - their private quarters basically consisted of an area behind a curtain at one end of the attic, the rest of which had mattresses on the floor for the guests.

SAC huts also sprung to mind with all the guests sharing dinner, but it adds an athletic component I'm not sure the OP originally intended. Some of the best food I have ever eaten was after climbing, snowshoeing or trekking up Godknowhowmanymeters and watching the sun set over the mountains...

There are some very easily accessible SAC huts though - the Cabane du Mont Fort above Verbier immediately comes to mind, about an hour's easy walk from the cable car station at Les Ruinettes... and they even have hot showers there .

The food doesn't take nearly as good if you aren't wiped out from the climb up, I find

I highly recommend Viewfield House on the Isle of Skye where dinner was served around a communal dining table. Food was all locally sourced & absolutley delicious, with the seating arrangement & the host making everyone really comfortable it ended up being more like a dinner party then dinner in a B&B. After the meal was finished we all went through to the drawing room where a roaring fire was blazing; tea & coffee was served & then the Whisky came out.

The next time I go back to Skye this will be the only place I will stay.

Thanks for that Lou. The only time we went to Skye, it was pouring with rain and foggy- and we would love to visit again (and hope for better weather).

Culzean Castle is also rather nice for such things