La Folie Barbizon – B&B & locavore restaurant

Who’s it for?

For those who dream of an inspiring break less than an hour from Paris, between forest and murals, in a country house like no other.

The pitch:

Entirely redesigned by architect Marion Collard, La Folie Barbizon has been reborn as a place to stay apart from the rest, on the edge of the Fontainebleau forest. This whimsical 18th-century country house, transformed into a 21-room, 4-star hotel, now welcomes artists in residence, curious travelers and hedonists in search of inspiration.

The hotel has made creation its common thread: ceilings painted like Botticelli skies, sculptures inlaid into the walls, curtains embroidered with stories… Every room, every nook and cranny, is experienced as an inhabited work of art. A hybrid space, supported by Lionel Bensemoun (a leading figure in Parisian nightlife), Chapitre Six and the Greenline Foundation, that brings heritage and avant-garde into sensitive dialogue.

How to get there:

By car from Paris, take the A6, exit n°37 Fontainebleau; then follow signs for Barbizon.

We like :

– Mads Christensen’s seasonal, plant-based cuisine, served in a restaurant bathed in light and surrounded by greenery.

– The immediate proximity of the Fontainebleau forest.

– Local roots, from the products of the kitchen garden to natural wines, open workshops and integrated artistic residencies.

– Decorations, either vintage or created on site, reflect the artisanal and artistic spirit of the place soul of the place.