paris is…paris! nowhere can compare, but if you like food and wine as much as we do, we encourage you to explore burgundy and the savoie. in these stunning regions in eastern france, the frenchies take their eating and drinking seriously. (SERIOUSLY.)

it's got alps in one corner and gorgeous storied vineyards in the other, including loads of up and coming natural wine producers (beru near chablis – go!), french villages of dreams, some of the world’s greatest chefs, the cool city of lyon, and something called andoulliette, which you may or may not want to google (sorry!).

cue up some carl bruni and read on below for a few picks from our second trip to lyon and nearby villages, where we had a lovely french video shoot last fall, and start planning a feast-for-the-eyes-and-stomach trip.

lyon

hotel l'abbaye / @hotelabbayelyon

stay here for a cute (& affordable!) place to stay in a pretty part of town

cafe comptoir abel / @cafécomptoirabel

bourdain did us right leading us to this cozy lyonnaise institution

odessa comptoir / @odessacomptoir

a natural wine bar with super fresh and thoughtful small plates – a nice break from meat-heavy lyonnaise dishes. and wine – *chefs kiss*

wander the narrow streets around here for cool cafes, wine bars (like micro sillon) & vintage shops

lyon collage 2 MIRTH

chez nyack

when traveling we usually only shop to find smaller international brands. chez nyack has lots, like masscob and youyou clogs

chez jeannine et suzanne

out of this world, mind-blowing, eat-until-you-feel sick pastries

st. antoine market

do as the french do and walk the vegetable market along the river. the signs are as pretty as the produce

voisin

bring back voisin, a lyonnaise specialty candy, like sweet silk pillows for your mouth

beaune

the charming wine capital of burgundy where you can bike through the vineyards and medieval wine villages, tasting along the way, or book a day with melanie from "my french tour" who will drive you around to smaller producers on the most beautiful roads through the cote de beaune in her vintage 2cv.

meursault

a favorite wine village, bikeable from beaune

la dilettante

a tiny natural wine bar that makes radishes exciting

fromagerie alain hess

the mother of all cheese shops

there are legions of charming villages to explore in the burgundy & savoie regions. this is a place of epics road trips, getting off the freeway and exploring, from Vézelay and FLAVIGNY-SUR-OZERAIN in the north, autun in the middle and and cluny to the south.

chateau de bagnols

set in the beaujolais vineyards, this gorgeous fortress-turned-resort overlooks stoned medieval villages and makes for a fairy tale place to stay.

LAKE ANNECY

bright-blue-lake-meets-alps might be the recipe for the most heart-stoppingly beautiful place on earth.