From the upper reaches of town, this attractive hotel dating from the 1930s broadcasts a non-stop resounding tribute to the electro-magnetic waves and the triode vacuum tube that made the invention of the talkies and the wireless possible. Its Art Deco decor has lost none of its splendour – mosaic flooring, decorative wrought iron and a marriage of glass and mirrors. In the kitchen, chef Wilfrid Chaplain mixes influences from his native Normandy and his adopted Auvergne, drawing out their gentle, little-explored harmonies. Technically proficient, he creates ambitious, subtle and delicate cuisine that delights the taste buds: Normandy scallops, lime crab, gentian and seaweed; Auvergne guinea fowl, salsify and burnt chestnuts, full-bodied jus. As for the platter of Auvergne cheeses, it creates a buzz all of its own.