The story
In 2022, Candice and Jonathan Riboulet chose to settle on the verdant Viadène plateau, facing the Cantal mountains. For Candice, a native of Argences-en-Aubrac, it was a homecoming after honing her craft as a mixologist in Paris, London, and New York. Jonathan, meanwhile, had spent years training alongside some of France’s most celebrated chefs. Together, they transformed an old coaching inn into a welcoming hotel and restaurant that feels both contemporary and deeply rooted in its landscape.
Jonathan Riboulet’s résumé reads like a tour of French gastronomy: Anne-Sophie Pic, Michel Guérard, Olivier Roellinger, and a dozen years with the Bras family in Laguiole. That lineage is evident in his cooking – precise, ingredient-driven, and quietly inventive. At L’Argence, he works with local producers and short supply chains, letting the Aubrac’s bounty speak for itself. His modern cuisine balances tradition with creativity, whether in a weekday bistronomic menu or the more elaborate evening offerings.
The restaurant has earned a “Coup de cœur” citation in the Michelin Guide, which also lists it as Recommended – a recognition that feels earned rather than chased. The dining room is light-filled, with a terrace that opens in fine weather. Candice’s cocktails add a playful counterpoint to the meal. Dishes change with the seasons: a starter of smoked trout from the Aubrac hills with quinoa and herb oils; a main of gambas in a light crust with creamy polenta and crustacean sauce; a dessert of steamed lemon madeleine with rhubarb. The weekday menu at €20 is a genuine bargain, while the evening menu at €39 offers a full expression of the chef’s style.
The inn sits quietly in Sainte-Geneviève-sur-Argence, a short drive from Laguiole. The six rooms and two apartments are spacious and wheelchair-accessible, and the garden and terrace make for a restful stop after a day exploring the Aubrac. Whether you come for the modern cuisine, the cocktails, or simply a good night’s sleep, L’Argence delivers with understated confidence.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
An old building that was wasting away in the foothills of the Aubrac region has been brought back to life by bartender Candine Knyf (Mama Shelter and Candelaria in Paris) and chef Jonathan Rigoulet (Pic, Guérard, Roellinger and most importantly, Bras). The result? A modernist, classy hotel-restaurant that combines wood and glass decor. The night we went, we had all of the following: some incredible organic zucchini from Condom-d’Aubrac grilled on the plancha and served cold, dotted with elderberry oil and balsamic vinegar, tickled by a cow’s milk caillé cheese with sesame seeds and pesto, plus grilled capers and croutons; a very fresh organic trout steak from Nicolas Mairiniac of Les Monts d’Aubrac, caressed by a delicate beurre blanc sauce, with grilled beets and a sweet potato purée; before a somewhat less impressive finish, a Paris-Brest cream imprisoned within a cinnamon shortbread crust, with strawberry ice cream and dotted with chocolate. // Gérard Roubeix
Location
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