Returning visitors to the Combourieu family”s converted farmhouse (Logis de France) again found it “outstanding”. “Surprisingly sophisticated” yet inexpensive, it is on the edge of a village in the remote Cantal uplands. “The fourth-generation owners are so proud of their auberge. Madame and her team are always smiling. Service in the restaurant, always filled with locals, is first class, even under pressure.” The food and wines are “excellent value”. André Combourieu”s cuisine (Michelin Bib Gourmand) comes in generous portions. Special dishes can be ordered the day before (one reader recommends this rather than half board). Bedrooms in the old building are “rustic”. “We sat on our sunny balcony, enjoying birdsong and views of green scenery.” More modern rooms are in the “mini-château annexe”, Le Clos des Gentianes, which faces a lake. “In the attractive bar/lounge, a log fire was lit on cool evenings.” The outdoor pool has a “bucolic setting”; the indoor one is “rather shallow”. Breakfast is “a bit of a DIY bun-fight; generous, but with “make your own toast”, and “serve your own coffee” from an urn, huge croissants which you can smell baking after 7 am”. There are mountain bikes for hire, marked walks and cross-country skiing.