Just when you think that you have been to the most exclusive place on Earth, you get surprised once more thinking: you can’t beat this one! Michel Guérard’s outpost by the sea is this exclusive compound with a couple of beach wooden houses called Les Maisons Marines – better known as Huchet.

In the wilderness of Landes countryside, Huchet begins where the pine forest ends and where sand dunes disapear into the ocean. Surrounded by endless carpets of immortal flowers and their delicate smell, Huchet is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The unwritten rule is that Huchet can be booked only through Eugénie if you were already their guest or if you were invited by the Guérard’s family.

The accommodation is provided in two sun-bleached houses, the boat house and the carpenter’s house which date back to 1859 when Baron Charles-Eucher Boulart build its hunting lodge called the Pavillon Anglais with its characteristic Asian influences. Attached to each other, these wooden houses are spacious and comfortable. Interior is decorated with eclectic mix of antique French and Asian furniture, persian carpets, oil paintings and quirky objects such as bird cages, paddles, oriental pottery… Once again elegant touch of Mme Guérard is present everywhere: from combination of marble and wood in the bathroom, selection of plants and gardens surrounding the houses, decorations with pine tree cones and baskets, pottery…. The overall atmosphere is laid-back and refined at the same time.

The main house with its high ceilings and grand salons is the place to chill, to dine, to read, to listen to the music, or to sit on the porch and admire the view over the dunes. Claudine and Isabelle are always somewhere around to get you a drink, a snack or simply to give you tips about the place.

This place is not completely isolated and secluded but it provides a complete privacy to its guests if they prefer to stay alone. No crowds for sure! There are kilometers of sand beach just behind the golden sand dunes in front of Huchet. Big waves, surfers, nudists and a few striped sun umbrellas…

Frequent coffee times (+ tea ++ cookies +++snack) were not a bad idea at all!

Of course, in a place like this, no matter how casual it may look at first, there is quite a strict dining protocol! It starts at breakfast when Claudine and Isabelle present the chef’s proposal for dinner that you will eventually confirm with some changes and your preferences. So dinner is a pretty serious staff at Huchet!

At sunset the aperitif is served on the porch. We used to meet there with our “next door neighbors” from Paris and talk about almost everything until Claudine and Isabelle would told us that the table was ready. Once again, the food was so fresh and delicious without being pretentious. There was so much attention given to the quality of food and its presentation, selection of archive wines and exceptional deserts. Our compliments and applause to the young chef at the end of each dinner were more than deserved.

Here are some of Victor’s outstanding creations:

Transparent inspiration – glass plates (I have not seen them for a while!) and jellies…

Inspiration: Bloody delicious

E voila!! Charlotte cake for us and applause for Victor 🙂

Inspiration: See food moments

Despite its exclusivity this place is for nature lovers, surfers, artists, for people who truly enjoy and appreciate sights and sounds of this stunning nature. But of course, simplicity does not mean austerity! On contrary this place is as lavish as it can get without invading the wilderness of the land which surrounds it.