Restaurant reviews

[NormanH]

Are these permitted as long as they are genuinely independent and not libellous?

I thought that Forum members might like to share favourite places local to them in case of others visiting the region.

[NickP]

Nice idea Norman, I'll start with two local restaurants in the Loir et Cher

First is:

Sous Les Arbres, Route de Tours, 41100 Vendôme

Not Cheap, but really good food beautifully presented. Superb surroundings, great for special occasions or if you like to treat yourselves occasionally

Good choice menu and extensive wine list.

　

Secondly:

Auberge du Chateau

6 rue du Chateau, 41800 Troo, France

　

Our favourite which is in the next village to us. Not exactly gourmet cooking, but good honest food; well cooked and served by friendly people who make you feel very welcome. Superb decor in a small restaurant  in a beautiful setting

Very small low budget menu €15, wines about €10

[Renaud]

Le Moulin de Val De Seugne, at Mosnac near Pons in the Charente Maritime

Our first choice for a seriously good, posh (and expensive) meal. Across the stream from the restaurant there is an entertaining menagerie of animals - exotic birds, goats, miniature ponies, and rabbits on their own island that appear during the evening as a sort of cabaret. Try to eat on the balcony if the weather is good. Web: www.valdeseugne.com

Otherwise - La Rive by the yacht basin in Mortagne sur Gironde

The running of this restaurant (also called chez Gigi) over the last few years would make an excellent plot for a soap opera as the part-owner chef ran off with a waitress, then his part-owner wife got a new team, one of whom ran off with… (you get the picture).

Happily last year all seemed well and the standard of the cooking had actually risen. It has always had a good atmosphere and a lot of British diners.

Sadly Julie the dog, who looked as if assembled from carpet offcuts, who used to be an enthusiastic spectator at one's table seems to have departed during the upheavals.

[Cendrillon]

Otherwise - La Rive by the yacht basin in Mortagne sur Gironde

The running of this restaurant (also called chez Gigi) over the last

few years would make an excellent plot for a soap opera as the

part-owner chef ran off with a waitress, then his part-owner wife got a

new team, one of whom ran off with… (you get the picture).

Renaud, was the bloke in case "Yannick"? If so he opened Le Bistro de Yannick  at Cravans but he has moved on again and Le Bistro de Yannick is called Le Petit Gourmand and is now run by a delightful young couple. BTW They do a very good set lunch menu.

We have had  good meals at both the other nearby restaurants at Mortagne. Le Port (though I believe it might be changing hands ) and the more bar type place next door.

[Renaud]

I don't know the name of the ex-chef. Thanks for the news about the Le Petit Gourmand, we will try it out.

I guess one of the reasons I like La Rive is that one eats indoors, we found the other Mortagne restaurants by the port very prone to hungry mozzies. Another reason I like La Rive is that it is open all year.

There is a good lunchtime omlette and chips quay-side place further along at Mortagne.

[Jonzjob]

Conque sur Orbial, Le Epicurian. It's the only restaurant in the town as far as I know. Run by 2 young brothers and one of our favorites. The evening meals are good quality and value. Lunch menu, apart from July and August, is excellent value. A lovely friendly place.

Auberge du Auriac, alongside the main hospital just outside Carcassonne. The main restaurant is superb, but quite expensive in the evenings. They do a 40€ lunch menu which includes different wines with each course. The Bistro is another of our favorites. Very good value, same for the food and the staff are delightful. Sitting on the terrace this lunchtime we had a lovely 3 course meal with a good sized steak for the main course with 1/2 liter carafe of rosé. The only question came from one of the waiters who asked where our dog was and was she OK.. We were also watching the golfers trying to belt their balls from the first 'T' up an enormous hill [:-))]

Compte Roger, in La Cité, Carcassonne. Not cheap, but once again very good value and good food. A nice surprise in the tourist FILLED Cité.

[Frecossais]

In a little village in the hills, Auberge du Saint Eugene (Saone et Loire).

Daily lunchtime menu 12euros, four courses includes half a carafe of wine between two and coffee to follow. There are about 6 choices for each course and the cooking is great, the food fresh and the service friendly and efficient.

Sunday lunch menu 22 euros, haven't tasted that, but reputed to be excellent.

Run by a youngish couple, very popular, also open in the evenings. Booking is advisable.

I have just realised I can't give a proper address because we have their card at home in France, and we're in England just now. I will add it when we go back.

[Jonzjob]

Never forget that

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Googleadd.jpg[/IMG]

is your friend [:-))] [6]

Is this the one??  http://www.france-resto.com/restaurants/annonces-/saint-eugene/auberge-saint-eug-egrave-ne.html

[Frecossais]

That's the one Jonz. Great little place.

Google? What's that?

[Jonzjob]

Google?

Quite large by the looks of it [:-))]

[Jonzjob]

Further to my post over the page.

 We went out for diner to one of our favourite restaurants last evening. The Epicurian, Conque sur Orbiel and had a lovely meal. Normaly it is busy, but not too much so. Last night there was a surprise birthday party in the back room and the birthday boy, about 60, arrived directly after us and got the surprise of his life!! The front room filled up and there was a lovely atmosphere. The 2 brothers who run the place are really nice and have a superb attitude and it was handshake for me and bisous for OH on arrival.

The food is always good and the 3 large courses are 28€. An a-pair-a-teeff, a beer, started it off and I had a large nems salad followed by a magret de canard, a WHOLE one on a bed of sliced fried potatoes, rat-a-too-wee and a stuffed tomato. OH had smoked and tartar salmon salad, once again large with loads of salmon followed by 5 good sized lamb chops and the same veg as me. It was washed down with 1/2 litre caraf of very nice local red. Neither of us could manage a pud so the beer was knocked off of the bill.

All of the service is done by one brother whilst the other does the cooking. It was a lovely meal with no delays, just a nice space between the courses and there were over 40 covers there! The brother serving also had time to stop and chat every now and then. It doesn't matter if you are a local or on holiday, everyone gets the same big smile and welcome!

[NormanH]

Côte Sud 21 place Pierre Semard Béziers (Behind the indoor market Les Halles)

The surroundings are a bit down at heel with a group of harmless lads from the local Foyer de jeunes travailleurs hanging around pretending to be delinquents but the food is good

It has recently moved.

We had eaten at the old address, but the new venue has an intimate patio, air-conditioned main room, and a terrace.

Two

of us had the €12.50 menu de jour, but there were also blackboards

advertising a selection of Tapas, and the fish specialities which change

from day to day according to the catch.

The €12.50 offered a choice

of starters and I had cuttlefish on the shell in a provençale dressing

of chopped tomatoes and parsley, while my friend had 12 large prawns

accompanied by a garlic mayonnaise

The other couple chose to eat à

la carte and had a fish soup served with croutons, rouille and grated

cheese, and a large seafood salad of mussels prawns, anchovies on

lettuce and tomato

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/386795_103864306431777_389139492_n.jpg[/IMG]

The main courses for the menu were rouille de

seiche a speciality of the region which was tender pieces of firm fish

cooked in a spicy sauce into which mayonnaise had been stirred to

thicken it, and calamars à l'encre, fresh squid (not the usual battered

rings) cooked in its own ink. This was delicious and even better with a

good squeeze of lemon juice

Our friends shared a Turbot, which was

brought out and showed to them to prove its freshness, then grilled and

filleted for them by the chef, although they could have chosen to do it

themselves.

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/294322_103859073098967_1336755756_n.jpg[/IMG]

This came with a sauce based on sweet muscat wine with

leeks.

Accompaniments were simple and allowed the fish dishes to shine.

There

were several other groups and couple eating in the Patio, and the

ambience was of a busy midday business area restaurant. We were served

reasonably quickly, but there is a warning in the menu that you might

have to be patient at busy times, since everything is cooked to order.

This suited us fine as we prefer quality which we certainly had here.

Good ingredients, freshly cooked with delicious sauces, and for very

little money

We had a bottle of white wine and 4 coffees and the bill for four came to €81

In the evening at the weekend the ambiance can be a bit like a fête de village, but you can escape the jollity of the apéros at the bar by going in the patio at the rear.

Menu in French

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/528144_104063886411819_954611580_n.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/399735_104064679745073_373241291_n.jpg[/IMG]

[Gardengirl]

Norman, having read your recommendation, I thought it must be worth a trip along the autoroute to try it out when we're back down there - maybe make a day of it, as it will take about 90 minutes each way. I've also just read a review of Côte Sud elsewhere, without the lovely photos though. That seafood looks great in your photos - and that turbot looked really lovely!

[NormanH]

Send me a PM if you are thinking seriously of coming and I will make sure it is a time when it will be open.

At the moment it is almost everyday, but from September 10th they are going to close a couple of evenings mid week.

[sueyh]

Can anyone suggest a good restaurant in Lille, Nord 59.  We are visiting there for two nights for a hospital visit and also to do the Marche Noel in December.

Thanks

Suey