Chauncy restaurant review

Updated October 12, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

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Imagine your most worldly friend has a French farmhouse and you’re invited to lunch – that’s Chauncy. Host and sommelier Tess Murray sweeps you into the salon for an aperitif; her chef partner Louis Naepels delivers a petite caramelised leek pastry. Then unfurls the most elegant of long lunches: six courses with matched wines or Murray’s equally compelling non-alcs.

Everyone dines at one table, from one menu, with everything included. As the couple confers in French, Chauncy feels like an extension of their home – and it quite literally is. Extra bread lands the instant it’s needed to mop the chive-iest of oils (a gift of the kitchen garden) pooled around a cloud of salt cod brandade.

When hazelnut veloute – artichoke-studded, truffle-topped – seems too rich, Bugey chardonnay arrives like a spritz of lemon. At first you’re a table of strangers, but with Murray’s abundant charm, it takes little to get familiar.

Good to know: Lunch can stretch till dinnertime, so book a night nearby.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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A garden-fresh masterclass in country generosity.

Comfort food in a comfy wood-panelled room. Download the Good Food app to see this review.

Hitting the sweet spot between rustic and refined.