No, we ended up eating dinner in the hotel restaurant at Moulin des Ruats, which is also one of the nicer restaurants in the area. In fact, it was one of our best meals of the trip. The all-you-can-eat bread/pastry basket the next morning for breakfast was stupendous. My 13 and 11 year old sons still talk about it! The hotel was simply a fabulous experience.
We did eat lunch in Vezelay on the main drag at La Dent Creuse, sitting outside on the deck:
A bit less than half way from Troyes to Beaune is the little medieval town of Noyers-sur-Serein. Half timbered buildings, narrow streets. Charming. Just a couple of minutes off the main route.
I’ve eaten there twice (though granted for the last was around 12 years ago) and had two spectacular meals. The first back in the 90s was among the best I’ve ever had and the second was merely amazing. A lot may have changed in the last 12 years but it would be top of my list to consider upon a return to the area.
I agree. I’ve driven in France many times - very easy to get around.
Funny thing is that most routes seem to be set up for north/south. Biggest pain in the neck drive was going from Bordeaux to Lyon - just took longer than it would have with a major toll road running across.
If you have a leisurely driving day some of the towns to see including Troyes are Chablis, Flavigny-Sur Ozerain (filmed Chocolate here), Semur-en-Auxois, Vezelay. We always take the small roads which are easy drives especially with google maps on your phone, which is usually better and more up to date than the GPS in the cars.
Fully agree with Jerry. You can drive from Reims to Beaune using only the highway, it’s a 3-hour straightforward drive, but it’s going to be boring: you’re going to miss most of the scenery and be away from towns, which means you’re unlikely to just stop along the way on a whim.
Since you seem to be having time, I’d follow Jerry’s suggestion and turn it into a full-day trip through Burgundy. Take the scenic road from Reims to Troyes via Épernay, then go to Tonnerre and Chablis (going through apple country, there’s a farm with a small museum where you can have organic cider and apple juice), you can check the Abbaye in Pontigny, then go south towards Morvan (hilly area), stop in Vézelay, and end your day in Beaune.
Re: lunch I’d advise against a “late” lunch in Troyes. It’s not such a big city and you’re unlikely to find any place of interest serving food after 2pm, even in May. If you can cover Troyes and possibly Chablis in one morning then a good stop would be at Le Pot d’Étain in L’isle-sur-serein which has a killer wine list (and very decent food).