The story
Le Bistrot de Madeleine is a modern bistro kitchen at 67 place de l'Église in Lucinges, France, and it holds a Michelin 1 Star (2026) for high quality cooking. Chef Benjamin Breton runs the bistro beside his fine dining table, L'Auberge de Lucinges, in a 19th-century building about 20 minutes from the Genevan border.
Benjamin Breton opened the bistro in September 2021 after training in Loir-et-Cher and working in Switzerland from 2014 to 2021. He was chef de cuisine at Fiskebar, the signature restaurant of the Ritz Carlton in Geneva. The site describes his plates as nostalgic, generous and comforting, built on traditions. Producers named on the site include the Ferme de Clavisy for meat and Fromagerie Guibert, run by a MOF cheesemaker.
Le Fooding listed the restaurant in 2026, and its reviewer described an evening on the bistro side, served à la carte. Dishes included braised broccoli over fresh herbs with a tonnato sauce, and swordfish from Le Grau-du-Roi, glazed in a hazelnut sabayon with a mussel reduction. Braised beef cheeks came with a red wine sauce and root vegetables such as sunchokes and salsify. Dessert was Ethiopian coffee ice cream with crushed Piedmont hazelnuts.
The bistro has a warm, wood-heavy room with wine-coloured banquettes, suited to a relaxed meal with friends. Outdoor seating, a private room and an interesting wine list are available. Next door in the same village, L'Auberge de Lucinges serves a seven-course tasting menu in a more formal setting.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
After meeting at the legendary Brasserie des Voirons in Lucinges, Benjamin Breton and Pierre Lelièvre (both of whom used to work at Le Fiskebar in Geneva) decided to open up their dream inn, located just a few kilometers away from the Swiss border. On one side, you’ll find a cozy bistro with lots of woodwork and wine-colored banquettes where you can chill with friends; on the other, a fine dining spot with clean lines and soft seats, where a graphically pleasing and precise seven-course tasting menu is served: smoked beetroot and shio koji beurre blanc sauce; lake trout killed ikejime -style, celery root with vin jaune and lovage; Breton blue lobster, seaweed from Le Croisic and Chartreuse; lamb from the Ferme de Clavisy… But the night we went, we opted for the bistro side of things, which was frankly just as impressive as its big brother: served à la carte, there was braised broccoli over a mound of fresh herbs (parsley, mint, dill, etc.) and a luscious tonnato sauce; swordfish steak from Le Grau-du-Roi, mi-cuit and glazed in a buttery hazelnut sabayon and a mussel reduction; braised beef cheeks so tender they could be eaten with a spoon, with a perfectly made red wine sauce and root vegetables (sunchokes, salsify); before some majestic Ethiopian coffee ice cream and crushed Piedmont hazelnuts for dessert. // Gwen Jacquère
High quality cooking
Location
Facebook
Instagram