The year-old bistro is helmed by chef John Gustin-Burkitt, a Leesburg native who cut his teeth at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, cooked at Domaine Chandon and Brix Restaurant, and spent several years in southern France. The lunch menu is simple and delicious—p’tits gouts (tastes), pizzas, salads and sandwiches—and just what we were looking for.

The restaurant is divided into cozy nooks, with warm, buttery yellow walls, exposed brick, and chalkboard menus. And while we didn’t stay for a glass of wine at Le Bar, it is the late-night spot in Middleburg (well, as late as this country town gets—which is about 10:30 p.m.).

Getting to Middleburg from Clifton wasn’t the prettiest ride. Our good friend Rob had suggested a route that would take us over a mountain, climbing for some seven miles. It would have much more scenic, but our legs were screaming, so we opted for a shorter, flatter alternative that took us past subdivisions and big box stores. The five-mile stretch into Middleburg, however, was spectacular. We rode along U.S. Route 50, passing through quaint towns like Aldie, wineries (where we were tempted to stop for a glass of wine for fortification) and roadside barbecue. And after lunch, the final three miles along Foxcroft Road were our favorite of the day—and possibly the trip.

It didn’t hurt that our destination was the Goodstone Inn, a sprawling estate-turned luxury hotel. Dating back to the 18th century, when it was owned by the Leith family, the property was also the intermittent residence of the New York Warburgs. We had a booked a room in the French Farm Cottage, which sits about a half-mile from the main Carriage House, and where our neighbors were a herd of sheep and a llama named “Legs.”

There’s a new chef in the kitchen, so the restaurant is still finding its footing, but the afternoon tea—scones, smoked salmon and clotted cream, dried fruit—and breakfast of homemade granola were excellent. And the property, with its spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, more than made up for any food faux pas. If we hadn’t had a mountainous trek ahead of us the next day, we would have loved to linger in the rocking chairs on our porch, listening to the quiet and taking in the crisp autumn air.

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