my stylish french girlfriend – nathalie delormeau

by Sharon Santoni

One of the things I enjoy the most about writing this blog is the doors that it opens for me and the wonderful people I meet along the way.

Nathalie is the perfect example.    I first got to know her when she opened her hotel and restaurant in our valley last year, and we immediately clicked.  She had just finished the total overhaul and major renovation of this country hotel beside the river, and it had been no small task.   As the hotel opened she was facing new challenges that come with the territory:  finding staff; getting to know her clientele; creating the identity for her restaurant.

Nathalie comes from a restaurant background.  She worked for many years in Paris in her own restaurants, but it wasn’t until she and her husband bought a weekend home in our valley that she began to think about moving her activity from the city to the countryside.

She found this hotel for sale, in a prime position by the river, and in the gorgeous little town of Pacy sur Eure, just 50 minutes from Paris.  The hotel needed some major work, but that didn’t stop her.   A year later every square inch of the place had been redesigned and decorated, to create a sleek welcoming four star hotel with one of the best restaurants in Normandy.

I thought you’d like to see a little more of her daily life and the hotel, while reading her answers to a couple of questions that I popped her.  Pacy is a market town, and Nathalie enjoys shopping her flowers and fresh produce from her local suppliers.

Nathalie, thank you for inviting us into your hotel.  Can you tell us what mood you were aiming to create when you decorated the rooms, the living areas and the restaurant?

I want the hotel to feel like a big family home, it is relaxed and friendly, but with a chic decor.    We are lucky to have so many living spaces, especially at this time of year with the terrace and gardens.

We see you working very closely with your chef, and I know that you play a big part in creating the menus for the hotel.  How did you first get involved in the world of fine food?

Food is my passion and always has been!   I first started cooking dinners for friends at the age of 15, and at 18 I became a Cordon Bleu chef and started giving lessons in French cuisine!     Today, I cannot be in the kitchen full time, but it’s important for me to be involved in the creation of new dishes, and putting together our menus which are entirely changed every month.    We only work with fresh ingredients, and I love that together with my chef Olivier, we’ve gained a reputation for the hotel as a place for fine dining.

If someone stays here, and wants to discover Normandy, what can they easily visit from your hotel?

People are always surprised that we are so close to Paris and yet so much in the countryside.   Our guests love to visit Monet’s gardens at Giverny; the stunning chateau, belonging to Jacques Garcia at the Champ de Bataille.  Families come together and make the most of the river on our canoes, or maybe fish from the river bank in the garden.    There are golf courses nearby and horse riding too.  And of course for guests who just want to relax, they are welcome to enjoy the gardens of the hotel, or in the winter stay close to the fire with a good book.

Pacy sur Eure is a very cute little town, what do you like about being part of a small town like this, yet so close to Paris?

What first brought us to this valley were the landscapes, it is such a beautiful region in any season.   Finding the hotel on the edge of this lively little town was a huge bonus.   I love the farmers market every Thursday, and the fact that there are so many fine food suppliers is wonderful.  In all our menus we use local produce as much as we can.  Here I have a bakers, butchers, fishmongers and cheese store right on my door step, as well as some wonderful flowers too.

What are your ambitions for the year ahead, what can we look forward to at the hotel?   

I am very excited about the year ahead, and my big dream project is to partner with a luxury brand of skincare and cosmetics to open a spa and a pool at the hotel.     This would be a fine compliment to our existing services and make us one of the best addresses within an hour of Paris.

 

Thank you Nathalie, for sharing your plans with us, and thank you for all the delicious meals that we get to eat in your restaurant!

I hope you enjoyed this chat with Nathalie.  If you’d like to see more about her hotel, click HERE, and for more pictures take a peek at her Instagram.

Hotel Restaurant Bel Ami

Pacy sur Eure, Normandy, France

26 comments

Nini McCall May 15, 2018 - 2:10 pm

Just lovely! Tried to visit the hotel via the link, but it is broken….
Will check back. Thanks for sharing!
Nini~

Reply
Sharon Santoni May 15, 2018 - 3:19 pm

Hi Nini, the links have all been refreshed, I think that if you try again now they will all work!

thank you

Sharon

x

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Suzi May 15, 2018 - 2:13 pm

Did she not answer your first question?

“Nathalie, thank you for inviting us into your hotel. Can you tell us what mood you were aiming to create when you decorated the rooms, the living areas and the restaurant?”

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Sharon Santoni May 15, 2018 - 2:38 pm

Hi Suzi, sorry that wasn’t showing for you , we have updated the site, it should show now 🙂

thank you

Sharon

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Bev Cook May 15, 2018 - 2:15 pm

What a beautiful location and charming hotel. But you must include the link. I tried to look it up with no success. Please provide.
Thank you

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Sharon Santoni May 15, 2018 - 2:39 pm

Hi Bev

Sorry you are having trouble with the links, they are all working from this end?! ….. May I ask you to have another go, its the links in the last paragraphs, to the hotel website and to the instagram

thank you
Sharon
x

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Sharon Santoni May 15, 2018 - 2:56 pm Reply
Teresa Person May 15, 2018 - 2:24 pm

Beautiful

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Taste of France May 15, 2018 - 2:35 pm

It’s a very interesting combination of sleek with a touch of traditional. That teal with black is gorgeous.
I love her outfit, too. The loose sweater and chambray (?) trousers are the perfect chic yet comfortable mix.

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david terry May 17, 2018 - 11:54 am

How funny….the hotel looks lovely, but my main impression was “Waht a great, comfortable-looking outfit. I want to wear clothes like that, if they make them for men.” This happens to me every time I go to France.
best wishes for all of us,
david terry
hillsborough, NC

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Linda Appell Spires May 15, 2018 - 2:45 pm

Please notify me of link when available

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Sharon Santoni May 15, 2018 - 2:56 pm

Here is the link : https://belami-normandy.com/

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Jennifer May 15, 2018 - 3:09 pm

What a stunning hotel! It would be a dream to sit outside on the patio on a sunny summer evening. For what it’s worth, all the links to the hotel are working fine for me!

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Jill Balli May 15, 2018 - 4:25 pm

We ate there last fall, and loved it. It was the recommendation of Amaury De Tilly at Les Hautes Sources. It was lovely. We hope to be back. Jill a Balli Salt Lake City, Utah
bjballi@gmail.com

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Robert May 15, 2018 - 5:06 pm

Lovely hotel, beautiful setting, and smashing owner! Natalie Delormeau is
a visual blending of Cameron Diaz and Jacqueline Bouvier. Thank you for the insight into a new hotel with a fantastic location.

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Colleen Taylor May 15, 2018 - 6:04 pm

Such a lovely & oh so chic hotel and restaurant. I love the choice of colors in the restaurant and dining areas. I adore the intro to the website, so creative. Nathalie is quite a stunning woman. Thank you for her introduction.X

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Elaine May 15, 2018 - 7:34 pm

Are day trips by train to Paris feasible?

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sharon santoni May 15, 2018 - 10:09 pm

HI Elaine

Yes totally! Either by car, which would take about 50 minutes depending on where you are in Paris or by train out to Vernon, then a taxi

Hope that helps 🙂

Sharon

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Marla P May 15, 2018 - 9:40 pm

Gorgeous!! The link worked. 600E plus per night!! Yikes. I love looking at it. Thanks Sharon.

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sharon santoni May 15, 2018 - 9:49 pm

Hi Marla , so glad you like Nathalie’s hotel, but I’m not sure where you got that price from 🙂

Her rooms range from 169 to 259 euros per night – worth every penny!

best
Sharon

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Our French Oasis May 15, 2018 - 10:42 pm

This looks like just my kind of hotel, absolute heaven, luxury with a personal touch. There is always something very comforting about a privately owned hotel with a personal touch as opposed to the great big chains.

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Ros short May 16, 2018 - 12:50 am

Sharon what bonne chance to have that open in your valley ! Enjoy Best Ros

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Sharon Santoni May 16, 2018 - 9:13 am

HI Ros! Yes indeed we are very lucky to have the hotel in the valley – a great spot for dinner 🙂

Hope all is well with you

Sharon

x

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Julia May 16, 2018 - 3:54 pm

It looks lovely
I think maybe when I visit the area…
Although I am still exploring Brittany 🙂

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Splendid Market May 17, 2018 - 11:53 pm

This looks fabulous, it’s been years since I’ve been to Normandy, but I really love it. This gives me a good reason to go back!

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Suzan Griffey July 23, 2019 - 4:36 pm

So charming, and very stylish! Love this article. Thank you for sharing classic French style!
Suzan
From Ca

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