Not so easy to describe a restaurant in the Berry region, when you know that Balzac was once a regular and described it in one of his books… The years have passed since, but the place remains charming and truly authentic.
Situated in the heart of Issoudun, in the midst of an entanglement of small streets, the restaurant looks opulent yet serene; no doubt the surroundings were part of what charmed our famous writer.
The dining room is impressive, the ceiling surprisingly enough features sunray pleats, each table being individually decorated. La Cognette has managed to keep 19th century traditions alive, and is undoubtedly a good ambassador for the bourgeosie living and justifiably so well out of Paris.
The kitchen is the kingdom of Alain Nonnet and of his son-in-law Jean-Jacques Daumy, famous name in the world of French cuisine. The novelties he has added have made the traditional cuisine cherished by his father-in-law even more perfect. La Cognette changes without losing its soul, it moves on respecting the past and without losing sight of continuity.
To conclude, let’s say that the welcome you will get from Mrs Nonnet and Daumy helps carrying on a certain savoir-faire, necessary to orchestrate the great variety of customers at La Cognette: the rich and famous, or international travellers, ready to alter their itinerary in order to taste "La Cognette".
