What a pleasure it is to set out and discover a local French product like cognac. This article brings together a 3-day getaway around the town of Cognac in Charente (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) to uncover the secrets behind making this famous grape brandy, as well as other spirits. We did this trip in February 2020, and again in July 2025 (so we were able to experience the destination in both winter and summer). I was particularly happy about these discoveries because, before 2020, I didn’t know the town of Cognac at all, and as you know, I’m always eager for new discoveries. Cognac is truly a story of lineage, and during these trips, I discovered that it represents a legacy conscientiously and lovingly passed down by men who are no longer here today. It’s quite moving, in the end.
Table of Contents
Visiting the town of Cognac: what to see and what to do!
By train from Paris, count on about 2h30 by TGV from Montparnasse station to Angoulême. Then you have to take a regional train (TER) to Cognac station or take a taxi (or rent a car) to Cognac (about a 45-minute drive).
The town of Cognac has about 19,000 inhabitants and over 46,000 including neighboring communes. The region is called the Spirit Valley because of the many different types of spirits produced there. The city itself has an interesting history, strongly linked, obviously, to the alcohol that bears its name. It was also the birthplace of Francis I in 1494. He ascended to the throne in 1515 and subsequently granted several “gifts” (exemption from certain taxes) to the town of Cognac. You can even see an equestrian statue representing Francis I on the semi-circular square that bears his name in the city center. Cognac also prospered greatly because the town is traversed by the Charente River, which obviously made it an important transit point for trade. During the Middle Ages, the town was quite small and enclosed within a wall. We call this part the “old town” today, and it is quite pleasant to walk around it on foot.
Here is a short, non-exhaustive list of monuments/places to see in the city center: the 17th-century Couvent des Récollets and its beautiful arcades; the very beautiful public garden of the Hôtel de Ville, which spans 7 hectares and has been a protected site since 1943; the Saint-Léger church with its Gothic rose window and Romanesque portal depicting the seasons and zodiac signs, as well as the Saint-Léger priory and its cloister (accessible for free); the covered market in the purest 19th-century style; the pedestrian rue d’Angoulême, the main street that leads from the Château of Francis I to the church; the Porte St Jacques on the banks of the Charente River; the Maison de Lieutenance, which dates from the 17th century, and the beautiful sculptures on its wooden posts, which reportedly date from the 15th century.
Destination Cognac Tourist Office
48 boulevard Denfert Rochereau 16100 Cognac
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Visit the Museum of Cognac Know-How
Located in the heart of old Cognac, on the historic site of Maison Augier, the very first cognac house, this museum, which presents the know-how of Cognac, spans over 2,000 m2. You can discover the stages of spirit production as well as the industry and associated trades. It is a true treasure trove for the history and heritage of brandy. Labelled a “Musée de France” (Museum of France), it is an integral part of the cultural offer of the Grand Cognac Agglomeration. Since 2020, the museum has also been twinned with the Espace Découverte en Pays du Cognac, thereby enriching the experience offered by the town.
In addition to its exhibitions, the venue offers a small, welcoming bookstore area. It’s the ideal place to take a break and deepen your knowledge by consulting various works on cognac.
Visited in 2025
Museum of Cognac Know-How
Les Remparts – Place de la Salle Verte 16100 Cognac
Rates: €6 / €4 reduced / €3 for youths 13 to 25 / access rates for 2 museums
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Visit the Art and History Museum – Merchant’s House
This Art and History Museum of Cognac is housed in the former Dupuy d’Angeac mansion (a cognac merchant), which dates from the 19th century. It is located inside the public garden of Cognac, formed by the union of its garden with that of the Hôtel Otard de la Grange, purchased by the town in 1889 and which became the town hall in 1892. Today, you can discover the art collection of these merchants and evoke their roles within the city of Cognac through different worlds: traveling merchants, archaeologists, or even collectors. An area is also dedicated to King Francis I, a native of Cognac, and another room presents local archaeology. It is a museum that exudes a charm and a fairly intimate atmosphere that we greatly enjoyed visiting.
Visited in 2025
Art and History Museum of Cognac
48 boulevard Denfert Rochereau 16100 Cognac
Rates: €6 / €4 reduced / €3 for youths 13 to 25 / access rates for 2 museums
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Visit the Porte Saint-Jacques
A defensive monument whose construction began around the year 1000, this site is a true emblem of the town of Cognac. Its role was crucial as a coveted gate for crossing the Charente river. Originally, the towers that made up this gate were probably square, and the Charente River then reached directly to the foot of the towers. A stone bridge was located in front, but it was destroyed in 1850 during the construction of the new bridge. It was during the 14th and 15th centuries that the towers were modified to become round, giving them the appearance we know today.
Recently, the monument benefited from a major restoration program that lasted a year and a half, and it has been reopened to visitors since May 2025. It can only be visited through guided tours. You embark on a journey through time, thanks to digital scenography, and at the top of the towers, you can admire a 360° panoramic view of the town and its surroundings. Be aware, however, that with some 90 steps to climb and descend, the visit is a bit sporty.
Visited in 2025
Porte Saint-Jacques
1-3 Quai Maurice Hennessy, Cognac
Rate: €6 / reduced €3
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Take a river cruise with “La Demoiselle”
We really loved this break on the calm waters of the Charente aboard “La Demoiselle” with our favorite photographer. This charming boat, a modern version of the traditional gabares (barges), is named in honor of the dragonfly that inhabits the surroundings and invites you to a soothing and contemplative experience. The setting is magnificent: nature is very present there, offering a moment of calm far from the hustle and bustle of the town. During this trip, we had the opportunity to go through a lock, and we also received enriching explanations that are given live on the boat (in French during this trip) to enhance the journey. We were also able to quietly observe the local wildlife.
Trip taken in 2025
La Demoiselle
Quai des Flamands 16100 Cognac
Duration of the trip: 2h
Rates: adult €10 online and €11.50 at the dock / children 6 to 14 years €7 online and €8.50 at the dock / free for under 6s
3 trips per day from early April to late October
It is recommended to arrive early enough before boarding to ensure a smooth departure
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Attend the Cognac Blues Passions Festival
The Blues Passions Festival in Cognac is a music festival specializing in African-American music, created in 1994. It takes place every year at the beginning of July in the town of Cognac. The various stages are spread across the public garden of Cognac, Place François 1ᵉʳ, and the town’s streets. It’s a great deal because, in addition to the ticketed events, the festival offers many free concerts (in 2025, about 60 concerts, including 40 free “Cognac Streets” performances). We were lucky enough to discover Jalen Ngonda there and see Ibrahim Maalouf and The Trumpets of Michel-Ange again, whom we had previously listened to at Jazz in Marciac in the Gers region.
Tested in 2025
Blues Passions Festival
Evening ticket prices: between 15 € and 58 €
What to see and do around Cognac
Visit the Citadelle distillery
Located at the heart of the Château de Bonbonnet in Ars, in a residence dating back to 1891, the Citadelle Distillery embodies the revival of artisanal French spirits under the impetus of its founder Alexandre Gabriel and belongs to Maison Ferrand. Created in 1989 and initially focused on cognac, the house launched Citadelle in 1996—France’s very first artisanal gin—after five years of procedures to use its Charentais stills off-season. This gin, whose name pays tribute to the royal distillery of Louis XVI established in Dunkirk (where the first gin distillation took place in 1775), stands out for a patented method of progressive infusion of 19 aromatics and the use of organic juniper berries grown directly in front of the castle.
The distillery also pursues bold innovations, such as “gin on tap” or even a pickle edition in collaboration with Maison Marc. In parallel, the company has also developed its expertise in rum since 1999 with the Planteray brand (formerly Plantation), relying on historical partnerships and properties in Barbados (Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery) and Jamaica to offer terroir-driven rums enhanced by double tropical and continental aging.
Pioneering and creative, the distillery also offers a complete immersive guided tour (fields, orangery, new ecological steam distillation room) that we had the opportunity to test during our visit. This tour allows you to discover the distillery in operation. A commented tasting of the full range of the distillery’s four gins, including an exclusive edition, concludes this wonderful discovery.
Citadelle Distillery
Château de Bonbonnet, 1 Chemin de Bonbonnet, 16130 Ars
Distillery tour: duration 1h30 / price 15 € per person
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Stop over in Bouteville
If you take a trip to Bouteville (about a 30-minute drive from Cognac), don’t miss its magnificent castle, an unmissable heritage site in Charente. You can also visit the interior and discover its thousand years of history through playful and modern scenography.
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Le Baume de Bouteville
Located in the heart of the prestigious 1st cru of Cognac, Le Baume de Bouteville is an artisanal production born from a meeting between Charentais craftsmanship and the Italian tradition of Modena. The brand produces balsamic condiments and gourmet vinegars. Born in the late 1990s from a Franco-Italian union, the house shares several values with its transalpine cousins: respect for the terroir, selection of grape varieties, and the art of cooperage. Since the construction of its cellar in 2004, this institution has won over the most demanding palates, including two Michelin-starred chefs in the region, to reach a production of 40,000 bottles per year today. The house’s expertise relies on the blending of grape must and white wine vinegar, orchestrated by the Cellar Master. And the brand’s signature lies in the use of brandy barrels, which give the vinegar its woody and amber notes.
Good to know: the place also organizes guided tours of the production site (initiation tour at 5.50 € per person; discovery tour at 11 € per person; or a convivial tour at 24 € per person) to discover the history of Bouteville and its manufacturing secrets. The tours (in French or English) last between 30 minutes and 1h30 depending on the tour, they are without reservation, and they naturally end with a tasting of the products. And finally, you can end your tour with a quick stop at the shop for a direct purchase at the factory.
Le Baume de Bouteville
Rue Montmorency 16120 Bouteville
Cognac, a brief introduction
Before telling you about my discoveries and giving you some good addresses, I think a brief introduction to the history and nature of cognac is certainly necessary (or maybe not; if that’s the case, I’m impressed, because I knew absolutely nothing about it before this trip). First of all, the creation date of the cognac appellation is 1936. Cognac is therefore a wine-based product made by winegrowers. There are more than 4,300 active winegrowers producing cognac in the appellation area. Then there are merchants (about 275 for cognac) who buy the raw material to produce and market their own cognac. “Bouilleur de cru” is the name given to winegrowers who have a still at home to distill their own spirits.
The wine produced for distillation, which will become cognac, is a very acidic wine obtained exclusively from white grape varieties. The variety mainly used today is Ugni blanc because it is perfect for distillation. It is not poor-quality wine, as some might say, but a wine with the qualities necessary for good distillation. And these are obviously not the same qualities as wine in the classic sense, which sometimes causes misunderstandings. There are 6 growing zones (crus) in the cognac appellation: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires.
The cognac distillation process is very specific: it is a double distillation done in copper Charentais stills. Distilling means concentrating aromas. The wine is distilled twice in a still to obtain a wine essence. Then, aging takes place in oak barrels for at least 2 years. You have to understand that, unlike other spirits, cognac is a pure product of blending.
The different types of cognac:
- VS = Very Special / brandy whose youngest component is at least 2 years old
- VSOP = Very Superior Old Pale / brandy whose youngest component is at least 4 years old
- Napoléon = brandy whose youngest component is at least 6 years old
- XO = Extra Old / brandy whose youngest component is at least 10 years old
Today, 98% of cognac production is intended for export (mainly the United States, followed by Asia with Singapore and China), which is really huge! If we look back at the history of cognac, we realize that from the start, it was a spirit made for foreigners. Indeed, the town of Cognac developed thanks to the Charente river and the fact that it was exempt from the salt tax because it was the birthplace of François 1st. This favored the salt trade and subsequently allowed the birth and expansion of the cognac trade.
In 1540, the first stills arrived in Cognac, but at that time, the brandy (which meant “life-saver”) was distilled only once. Double distillation, which is still the one used today, was implemented in 1610. Furthermore, cognac can also be used to make pineau des Charentes, a fortified wine that is a blend of grape must and cognac. This fortified wine is produced exclusively in a region that spans a large part of the two Charentes.
Good to know: there is never any sulfur in cognac, so that’s actually great news for those who suffer from headaches and no longer drink wine because of it (I’m thinking in particular of our favorite photographer’s mom).
A few figures:
- Cognac accounts for about 17,000 jobs in total in the region.
- The BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) was created in 1946.
- The Angels’ Share (the evaporation of alcohol over the years during the aging process) accounts for 32 million bottles per year (see photo below).
- 72.4° of alcohol, the maximum for a cognac.
- Tasting advice: once opened, cognac can be enjoyed for between 2.5 and 3 years without any degradation, and it is best to drink it from a tulip glass (like the one below) in order to highlight all of its aromas.
Discovering some Cognac Houses
Below, I’d like to introduce you to a few cognac houses—all of them quite different from one another, I might add—which I had the opportunity to discover during this trip or a little later. I will also finish with a presentation of the Tonnellerie Doreau, which isn’t a cognac house itself, but which plays an active part in this world.
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The Maison Hennessy
This major trading house represents 50% of the cognac market share worldwide. This truly makes it the driving force of the designation. Hennessy also has experimental vineyards (at the “Lieu-dit La Bataille”) that allow it to conduct tests to reflect on the future of the appellation. The house’s goal is to be able, through its blends, to reproduce the same cognacs over time. Furthermore, the house’s iconic cognac is the Cognac XO, which Hennessy has been producing since 1870.
Thus, for cognac professionals, today’s high-end cognac (which therefore has a certain aging maturity) is the legacy of people who are no longer here and who knew how to identify the moment of elegance in the cognac, the moment when the eau-de-vie is taken out of the barrel to stop its aging. At Hennessy, the oldest eau-de-vie in a barrel dates back to 1893. Hennessy offers several types of tours to discover the house and the cognac, all of which end with tastings (prices below). As for us, we had the chance to experience the VIP tour “from the vine to Cognac”, which led us into the most private areas of the Maison Hennessy, usually closed to the public: the vineyard, the distillery… We obviously finished the visit with a very beautiful tasting of a wide range of Hennessy products.
Cognac Hennessy
8 Rue de la Richonne, 16100 CognacTours to discover Hennessy: Hennessy Classics 20 € / Hennessy XO Symbole / Hennessy Exception / From Vine to Cognac tour 250 €
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The Maison Hine
This house was created by an Englishman in 1763 in Jarnac. It was originally just a trading house, but since 2003, Hine has acquired a few vineyards that now represent 25 to 30% of its supply. The house has wanted to exercise total control over the aging style of its cognacs from the very beginning of its existence. Today, Hine has belonged to a French group since 2013. I really liked the house’s emblem, which has been represented since 1867 by a majestic stag. The origin of this mascot comes from the surname of the founder, “Hine“, who was originally from Dorset in England, where the stag is a lucky animal.
Cognac Hine comes from vines located exclusively in Grande and Petite Champagne, with 100% Ugni Blanc as the grape variety. The Hine Cognac style is a fine and elegant product with little wood influence. The house therefore has specific requirements for the barrels it purchases for the aging of its eaux-de-vie. They are selected from fine-grain French oak with light toasting. This year, Hine is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its best seller, the Antique XO. As a little anecdote, the Maison Hine has been the sole supplier to the Royal House of England since 1962. Maison Hine also distinguishes itself from other cognac houses because it is one of the only ones that still makes vintages! These are produced exclusively with unblended Grande Champagne cognacs.
During the tours/tastings organized on site, you can discover the specific production methods of Hine cognacs, but also visit their cellars, which include a 18th-century cellar—the oldest in the house. During the tour, you pass through “le Paradis” (the Paradise), where the house’s oldest eaux-de-vie are stored in glass carboys called “dame-jeannes”. Some even date back to 1850… It is truly fascinating to wander through time in the basements of Jarnac, and if you are passing through the area, I highly recommend you take this tour. It is free, and then it depends on the kind of tasting you want to do (but the basic tasting with 2 types of cognac is still free!).
Maison Hine
16 quai de l’Orangerie 16200 JarnacTours & tastings from October to May, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm / from June to September, Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 12 pm and 1:30 pm to 7 pm + Saturday from 1 pm to 6 pm
Duration: 2 h (from free to 70 € depending on the number and type of cognacs tasted)
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Cognac Pasquet
This small brand created by Jean-Luc Pasquet in 1977 offers cognacs that it develops from start to finish. Indeed, the Pasquets are both winegrowers and “bouilleurs de cru” (distillers – see above in the “presentation of Cognac” for an explanation of this term). The vineyard they work has existed since 1730, and they obtained the organic label in 1998. The Pasquet family truly works through old-fashioned farming and does not have contracts with major cognac houses, which differentiates them from other houses. Their terroir straddles two crus: Petite and Grande Champagne.
They also have a plot with the “Folle Blanche” grape variety, which was the old grape variety used for making cognac before phylloxera in the 19th century. Today, it is very rare to make cognac with this grape variety. Regarding the aging of their eaux-de-vie, the Pasquet family has a dry cellar and a humid cellar, which allows the cognacs to age differently.
The Organic Range: 4, 7, or 10 years of aging
To try: La Belle Inconnue, a sparkling drink combining grape juice and cognac (9.90 € for 375 ml and 14.50 € for 750 ml).
Jean-Luc Pasquet Cognac
Chez Ferchaud Eraville, 16120 BellevignePrice of cognacs: from 34.50 € for 700 ml
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The Meukow house
Meukow is an independent, family-owned house created in 1862 in the heart of the city of Cognac by two brothers who came from Silesia and were tasked with supplying the court of Tsar Alexander II of Russia with cognac: Auguste-Christophe and Gustav Meukow. For the past forty years, the house’s emblem has been the panther, which has proudly adorned Meukow Cognac bottles since 1993. Below you can see the Meukow VS bottle, which received the Exceptionally Silver Medal at the “International Wine & Spirit Competition” in 2018 (price 28.50 €). A small originality in this field: Meukow’s cellar master is a woman, Anne Sarteaux.
Meukow Cognac
7 Rue François Porche, 16100 CognacGood to know: the house offers an entertaining and initiatory tour titled “From Amber to Light” to visit its world (price 10 €)
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Visit to the Tonnellerie Doreau
This visit was incredible, to say the least, and I have vivid memories of it. The Doreau cooperage has existed for about 30 years and manufactures barrels for the storage of alcohol (wine, cognac…). According to strict specifications, because barrels for cognac must be made of oak. While visiting the cooperage, we were able to witness all the stages of preparing a barrel, from cutting the trunks (the selection of wood is done all over France, and the wood must rest for 2 to 3 years before being used), to heating the wood staves, and finally assembling them. The cooperage mainly sells its barrels to cognac producers (70%), but they also manufacture them for wine storage.
A few figures: the cooperage produces 22,000 barrels per year, which is about 80 per day, and the average price of a barrel is about 600 €.
The cooperage is also committed to a responsible process: for every oak tree cut down, one is replanted. To manufacture barrels, trees that are at least 150 years old are used, which makes this a highly competitive market.
Doreau Cooperage
65 Route des Grands Champs, 16130 Gensac-la-Pallue
My favorite food spots in Cognac and the surrounding area
As always, I’m sharing with you below the few great spots I’ve had the chance to test on-site, including a few restaurants and bars. If you’re coming to discover Cognac, I think this might be useful to you.
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My favorite spots in Cognac
We’re starting this selection with a series of great spots located in Cognac.
A bistronomic spot in Cognac? Restaurant Poulpette
An excellent spot in Cognac that you absolutely must discover and try if you are passing through town! I insist! The menu is super short and based on the chef’s inspiration and the day’s market findings (2 starters, 2 main courses, and 2 desserts)—that shows you just how fresh the food on your plate is! The chef’s creations are perfectly balanced; it was a treat and a journey for the taste buds from the start to the end of the lunch without a single false note. We left the table extremely enthusiastic, as you can feel in my story.
Little extra: the place also offers a lovely selection of local wines if you want to drink something other than cognac for a change.
Tested in 2020
Restaurant Poulpette
46 Avenue de Lattre de Tassigny, 16100 CognacThe great deal: lunch menu starter + main + dessert 26 €
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Dinner on a terrace at a chic spot in Cognac? La Brasserie des Flâneurs
Located in the heart of the magnificent setting of Relais & Châteaux La Nauve in Cognac, La Brasserie des Flâneurs is the perfect place to enjoy the gentle pace of Charentaise life. Housed in an elegantly renovated 19th-century distillery, it offers “garden-to-plate” cuisine under the direction of chef Anthony Carballo.
On the plates, the focus is on freshness and seasonality, highlighting produce from the property’s kitchen garden and orchard. The beautiful terrace where we dined that evening opens onto a 4.5-hectare century-old park and its canal bordering the Charente River. Like us, I recommend you take advantage of the setting for a little stroll before or after your meal. It really is the ideal place to appreciate the mildness of summer evenings, with a glass of wine or a cocktail in hand.
Tested in 2025
La Brasserie des Flâneurs
Relais et Châteaux La Nauve
12 rue de la Nauve, 16100 Cognac
Price: Flâneur menu starter + main course OR main course + dessert 38 € (lunch only) and starter + main course + dessert 45 €
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An afterwork evening in Cognac? At Les Abattoirs
These fun afterwork evenings take place once a month on Thursday nights at Les Abattoirs, and the theme is different every time. The venue is also decorated for the occasion, and some people even come in costume. This spot dedicated to contemporary music also offers an eclectic musical program with about 40 concerts a year.
On the program: three bars, a cocktail bar (some of which feature cognac!), gifts, blind tests, a DJ, platters to snack on (8 €)…
To taste: local Atlantic beer; cognac cocktails (7 €) including the famous Cognac Summit, created by the BNIC.
Tested in 2020
Afterwork evening at Les Abattoirs
One Thursday per month starting at 6 PM
33 rue des Gabariers 16100 CognacRates: from 6 PM to 7 PM 1€ + 1€ deposit / from 7 PM onwards 5€ + 1€ deposit
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Dinner in a cozy setting in Cognac? Restaurant la Belle Époque
This restaurant is located in the Héritage Hotel, with a style that I would call almost British, featuring period woodwork. The place also has a very beautiful bar that possesses a nice selection of cognacs.
Tested in 2020
Restaurant la Belle Époque
25 Rue d’Angoulême, 16100 CognacRates: starters 9 € / main courses between 15 € and 17 €
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Dinner by the Charente River? Dinner at l’Atelier des Quais
This restaurant located along the Charente River offers simple seasonal cuisine with a notable effort to use local produce. The dishes might lack a bit of finesse for my taste, but the quality of the products is there, and the service is very warm. The establishment also has a nice selection of Charentais wines and, of course, cognacs!
To taste with cognac: the foie gras trilogy, including one semi-cooked in Pineau des Charentes (14.90 €); house-smoked salmon fillet with oak cognac cask (19.90 €); the Summit-style tartlet with a cognac mousse (8.50 €).
Tested in 2020
Atelier des Quais
1 Avenue de Lattre de Tassigny, 16100 Cognac
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A cocktail bar in Cognac? Bar Le Luciole
This bar with a very trendy and intimate atmosphere has been open since June 2017 in a former auto body shop located in the heart of the city of Cognac. It is an excellent cocktail bar, and it’s a spot I highly recommend if you want to taste high-quality cognac cocktails! That evening, we were lucky enough to experience a Cognac and food pairing with Experience sur Mesure, which combines the skills of a chef and a sommelier.
On the program:
- Frozen Cognac at -18° from Raison Personnelle 2.1 Grande Champagne & scallop carpaccio with granny smith apple julienne.
- Floral cocktail based on Pasquet 4-year-old Cognac & pollack tartare, crunchy vegetables, and passion fruit vinaigrette.
- L’Avignon cocktail with Merlet Brothers Blend Cognac smoked with incense, white cedar, pink peppercorn, chamomile, and pepper & Poitou-Charente lamb nut in a herb crust with hay-infused jus.
- Cognac Montifaud Réserve spéciale Michel Vallet & roquefort emulsion, pear and dried fruit toast.
Tested in 2020
Bar le Luciole
14 Place du Solencon, 16100 Cognac
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Where to brunch in Cognac? Hôtel Chais Monnet
This luxury hotel complex has been established since September 2018 in the former cellars of a cognac house. Inside the establishment, you’ll find a high-end hotel, two restaurants, a cocktail bar, a spa… The place is ultra-designed, and you can see that the architects clearly had fun with the volumes…
For our part, we went there one weekend to enjoy the brunch that takes place every Sunday from 12 PM to 4 PM. If you wish to try it, I highly recommend that you book in advance. The place is absolutely sublime, and the buffet is just incredible! The pastries made by the establishment’s pastry chef are a real treat, so I advise you to save enough room to try them all (and that won’t be easy…). In any case, this small (by which I mean large) brunch really made me want to come back to this magical place to discover more!
Tested in 2020
Hôtel Chais Monnet
50 Avenue Paul Firino Martell, 16100 CognacBrunch price: 42 € or 51 € with a glass of Champagne
Brunch every Sunday from 12 PM to 4 PM
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My favorite spots in the Cognac area
We continue this selection with two spots located in the Cognac area.
A spot in Châteauneuf-sur-Charente? La Tonnellerie
Nestled in a bucolic setting by the water, the restaurant La Tonnellerie in Châteauneuf-sur-Charente is the ideal place for a lunch on the terrace facing the lock. The establishment, located in a traditional Charentaise building, highlights cuisine with Asian and Thai influences, prepared by the owner’s wife, Lilly. With its large shaded terrace and friendly atmosphere, it is an ideal spot for an exotic meal on sunny days, also serving as a bed and breakfast for travelers passing through if needed.
Tested in 2025
La Tonnellerie
345 Chemins des Quais, 16120 Châteauneuf-sur-Charente
Price: starters 12 € / main courses 20 € / desserts 8 €
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A spot in Jarnac? Restaurant Le Verre Y Table (Closed)
This restaurant and wine bar with a nice play on words is located in Jarnac, the town where you can also find the Maison Hine that I mentioned earlier. It is therefore a very good spot to eat after a visit to this beautiful cognac house, for example. Here too, I recommend you take the opportunity to taste some local wines (Cuvée Jean Marin by Pascal Gonthier).
Tested in 2020
Le Verre Y Table
42 Avenue Carnot, 16200 Jarnac
Open from Tuesday to SundayPrice : menus starting from 33 €
The good deal : lunch market menu at 19 € with appetizer + main course + dessertUpdate from 04/02/2026 : this address unfortunately closed its doors in December 2024
My favorite places to stay in Cognac and the surrounding area
An art hotel in Cognac? L’Yeuse, Gallery Hotel
This hotel located on the outskirts of Cognac, with a magnificent view of the hilly landscape of the Charente valley, is a gallery hotel dedicated to urban art. It is set in a typical aristocratic building from the late 19th century with about 24 rooms and suites. The latter was built by an architect from Charente, owner of the Gourry cognac house. The address also features a restaurant with a panoramic terrace (where you can also have breakfast), as well as a charming outdoor pool with a spa.
Tested in 2025
Hôtel L’Yeuse
65 rue de Bellevue 16100 Châteaubernard – Cognac
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Where to sleep in the heart of Cognac? Hôtel François 1er
This 4-star hotel (formerly Hôtel de Londres) is ideally located in the heart of the city, which is particularly convenient. We had a very nice room at the back of the building overlooking a small, very quiet interior terrace (as I still have just as much trouble enduring the noise of cars at night…).
The little extra: the hotel has an indoor pool with hammam, which we unfortunately didn’t have time to enjoy.
Tested in 2020
Hotel François 1er
3 Place François 1er, 16100 CognacRates: room from 112 € for 2 people
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A guest house near Cognac? Logis de l’Arceau
This beautiful guest house is located about 10 minutes by car from Cognac as well as from Pons, in Charente-Maritime. It is also located right next to the Citadelle distillery that I mentioned earlier in the article. We were very well welcomed by our hosts, Paul and Emma. The Logis de L’Arceau is the former property of the Martell family. You will find guest rooms as well as high-end holiday cottages. The place is magnificent and offers a beautiful pergola at the back with a pool, and that is where we had our breakfasts.
Tested in 2025
Logis de l’Arceau
96 route du Pont de la Roche 17520 Celles
Rates: approximately 100 € per night with breakfast
Thanks to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac for the invitation to discover the secrets of making cognac, to David Boileau for his fascinating explanations and to Citadelle, Charentes Tourisme and Destination Cognac for the organization of the 2025 trip.
I hope that with all this I have made you want to discover Cognac, and if you also have your own favorite places and tips for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments below!
Find all my travel articles below:
⇒ All my articles about Nouvelle-Aquitaine
⇒ All my articles about wine
⇒ All my articles about wine tourism
MY WINE TOURISM DISCOVERIES
⇒ The Burgundy Wine Route
⇒ Lirac Wines
⇒ Vacqueyras Wines
⇒ Cognac, discovering the city and its alcohol
⇒ Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux
⇒ La Percée du Vin Jaune in the Jura
⇒ Luberon Wines
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and MelleBonPlan
Photos are not copyright-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
