L'Auberge du Vieux Marly, a terrace-friendly restaurant in the Yvelines, is making a comeback (78)

Residents have been waiting for this revival with bated breath. L'Auberge du Vieux Marly, tucked along Avenue André Guillot in the old village of Marly-le-Roi in the Yvelines (78), reopened its doors this spring 2026 under a new manager: Myriam Guenfood, whom locals in Saint-Germain-en-Laye may know by the banner Myam Food, her casual-dining terrace set on the château’s grounds. She has therefore taken charge of this historic building, open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, with a fully homemade, chalkboard menu that is refreshed every week.

Why does this place have such a storied past?

You can’t talk about Vieux Marly without acknowledging what this house represents. In 1952, André Guillot opened his renowned gastronomic restaurant here, which quickly became one of the region’s most esteemed tables, earning Gault & Millau’s nickname “The Magician of Vieux Marly.” Its clientele read like a who’s who of power and culture: Eisenhower, Kennedy, the King of the Belgians, Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and Mitterrand. These walls, indeed, are full of memory. The building itself began as a farm, later a laundry for Louis XIV’s kennel staff, and after the Revolution it became an inn. After several decades with different lives (tea room, then a bistronomic restaurant under Alexandre Salmon), it’s changing hands once more, with Myriam Guenfood ready to write a new chapter.

The menu during our visit

What’s on the menu at the Old Marly Inn?

The menu is short. Really short. But it's a deliberate choice: everything is homemade, and the lineup changes week to week depending on the market mood. When we stopped by, the starter options included a zucchini, mint and feta tart (6 €), parsleyed ham (6 €), and a cucumber tzatziki (6 €).

For mains, the chalkboard offered a black pudding with house-made mashed potatoes (€17), a vegetarian salad, an Italian salad, and pulled beef with house-made mashed potatoes.

For dessert: chocolate mousse, strawberries with cream, and honeyed rice pudding (€8 each). It’s not haute cuisine, nor is it what we’re after here. It’s straightforward cooking, using familiar ingredients—the kind of meal you’d cook at home.

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The setting and the terrace: the place's real draw

Let’s not kid ourselves: part of the charm lies in the setting. The shaded terrace under the centuries-old lime trees offers a truly welcome respite, especially on sunny days. It’s quiet, green, and you feel a world away even though you’re right in the village center. Inside, the dining area is split into two distinct spaces, with exposed beams and a warm, somewhat retro atmosphere. In winter, a fireplace does the job. In short, this place has real character, which isn’t all that common in suburban restaurants.

Service, drinks, and what we really think about them

Let's be honest: during our visit, the service was still finding its feet. There were order mix-ups and a few delays, but always with a smile and the goodwill to make things right. These early hiccups are common when a restaurant is just starting out, and we hope they’ll be ironed out quickly. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s worth knowing.

On the drinks side, the menu offers: local beers from the Brasserie du Roi (€7.50 per bottle, €5 for a half‑pint), Bordeaux wines at €6 a glass, classic cocktails at €10, and thoughtfully crafted house drinks like lemonade or homemade iced tea at €5.50. There’s also a local apple juice (€4), a detail that fits the place’s spirit.

L'Auberge du Vieux Marly targets fans of the old village, locals seeking a friendly restaurant with a concise menu, and walkers who swing by after a stroll in the Domaine de Marly. This isn’t the spot for a once-in-a-lifetime dinner, but for a relaxed, sociable meal. The restaurant is located at 3 Allée André Guillot in Marly-le-Roi (78160), and is open from Monday to Saturday, lunch and dinner.

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This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.