Blue Sturgeon

Caviar, cognac and calme at a converted chai in the Charente, minutes from the 'C'!

St Seurin d’Uzet may ring a bell if you’re a lover of caviar. This small village on the Gironde estuary had its moment in the 1920s when it became lead player in a nascent French caviar industry. After a number of years in the doldrums, sturgeon are once more being farmed for their roe, and this simple and stylish B&B looks to this delicacy of delicacies as its touchstone.

The hotel was once a chai (wine store), built in bordelais style by the Prince of Chenac in the 1740s. Robert brought a designer’s eye to bear on the refurbishment and crafted 5 really good-looking bedrooms round a lofty, 9m-high sitting room that doubles as both a restaurant and gallery for his abstract paintings. There’s an eclectic mix of New Design classics and great food, with caviar and oysters as the culinary kingpins, and outside, a plunge pool sits amidst gloriously leafy gardens. With unobtrusive and relaxed hosting from Robert and Eileen, the house and its dreamily peaceful surroundings are a perfect place for R&R.

Highs

• Blue Sturgeon has a high feel-good factor; from the moment you step inside it's nice to be here
• The northern side of the Gironde estuary is very pretty, has great beaches and restaurants, yet sees far less tourism than the Médoc
• Even if caviar isn’t your thing Blue Sturgeon’s simple marché-based food will have you cooing
• This part of France has a microclimate and gets more hours of sunshine than the Côte d’Azur

Lows

• The pool is small and of the freestanding variety. It would feel crowded with any more than 2 people in it
• They play some eclectic music at dinner, from 60s and 70s classics to Gregorian chants to Amy Winehouse, though they are open to requests
• There’s no heating in the shower rooms although with such a mild climate this would rarely be a problem