We were out for a ride after attending Chartres Cathedral and pulled into the Église parking lot in Illiers-Combray. Noticed this attractive looking restaurant was open for Sunday lunch and decided to stop in. We were greeted warmly and seated in a tasteful dining room and shown the special menu for this French Mothers Day ("Fête des Mères"). We spent the rest of the afternoon savoring the many courses and a nice bottle of Saint-Emilion. Mothers who were in reserved parties each received a rose upon departure and everyone seemed to be having a great time. When the crowd thinned out we had a very pleasant discussion with the proprietor, whose English turned out to be better than my French. I would recommend La Madeleine to anyone visiting Chartres and wanting to get away from the tourist crowd for an afternoon or evening. read more