126 FOOD & DRINK
HARRIET MANSELL TO TAKE OVER LA CLOSERIE DE LA BEYNE FOR THE SUMMER, A RESTAURANT IN THE DORDOGNE
Set to open in May, La Closerie de la Beyne marks Harriet Mansell’ s first solo project overseas: a 40-cover restaurant and terrace set within a renovated barn in the Périgord countryside, in France’ s Dordogne region.
Harriet’ s seasonal relocation across the channel follows years cooking in the South West of England, where she successfully operated Lyme Regis restaurants Lilac and Robin Wylde from 2021-2025, achieving recognition in the UK Top 100 lists and the Michelin Guide.
Following a chance meeting with the estate owner during a recent trip to France while developing her soon to launch skincare range FENN, Mansell was offered the chance to take over the La Closerie de la Beyne, and make it her own. Set within a 13-hectare estate complete with two self-catered gîtes, a swimming pool and herb garden, La Closerie de la Beyne was, prior to its closure in 2024, a well-loved, family-run bistro popular with locals.
Located a 30-minute drive from the historic town of Bergerac, La Closerie de la Beyne will open Fridays and Saturday evenings in May, and for dinner Thursday through to Sunday, as well as Saturday and Sunday lunchtime from June onwards. On Friday evenings the restaurant will serve a tasting menu(€ 68), whilst a fourcourse menu(€ 45) will be available on all other days. A three-course set lunch will be offered on Saturdays(€ 38), and children’ s menu will also be available.
Harriet’ s menu will draw on the region’ s rich larder, to include Périgord summer truffles, walnuts and farmhouse cheeses, alongside produce from the estate’ s orchard- plums, figs, cherries, quince and apples- as well as flowers and herbs. Produce from local markets will inform Harriet’ s menu daily.
Harriet’ s dishes in the Dordogne will uphold her distinct cooking style honed through her restaurants in Lyme Regis, which is centred around foraged and wild ingredients— an expertise she has developed through wider projects, including public foraging workshops on the Jurassic Coast and her podcast series If a Tree Falls. Harriet’ s skincare range FENN will also draw on the world of wild and foraged plantlife.
Dishes on Harriet’ s opening menu will include Broad beans & fresh peas with raw fennel, Wild fennel oil & whipped goat’ s curd; Pork cooked over fire with fermented fennel & Monbazillac sauce; and Blackcurrant leaf parfait with Périgord cherries & crystallised hedgerow flowers. The menu will change according to the best produce available at the time, including from the estate’ s own small-holding, which also grows medicinal herbs.
The predominantly French wine list will showcase producers from the neighbouring Bordeaux region, as well as wineries around Bergerac and Monbazillac, including nearby Château Barouillet. Alongside the restaurant, the estate features two self-catered gîtes, sleeping six and eight guests, with a shared swimming pool and sauna. Set at the end of a private road overlooking a forested valley, the estate also includes a permaculture farm, woodland trails and horses.
La Closerie de la Beyne is within easy reach of the medieval town of Sarlat, the prehistoric caves of Lascaux, and the châteaux of Beynac and Castelnaud, with Bergerac Airport located approximately 30 minutes away.
@ harrietmansell | harrietmansell. com | lacloseriedelabeyne. com
THE ART OF LUXURY ISSUE 76 2026