­Just inland from the Costa Esmeralda in the state of Veracruz lies one of the most unusual towns in Mexico. Back in the early 1800s, French men and women began settling in Jicoltapec, near San Rafael, after fleeing Dijon and the wine region of Champlitte in search of work after a parasite ravaged the grape growing industry in France.

Over the ensuing decades, the food, architecture, clothing and traditions the French brought with them melded with the indigenous Mexican culture and the resulting unexpected (but thoroughly pleasing) mix is at the heart of the new Maison Couturier.

Maison Couturier, which opened in late 2009, is built in and around a farmhouse which has been in the family of Carlos Couturier for generations. Once a working banana plantation, the property...