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[quote user="PeterCD"]Anywhere in the Charente Maritime?[/quote]

You could do a lot worse than the bistrot at the Intermarché in Montguyon.

9€50 for 3 courses, wine for a couple of euros, coffee for 1€.  Main course served on hot plates!

If you paid me that, I'd be hard pushed to cook for you chez moi.

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If you are in the north of the Gers near to Montreal du Gers THE best value and most consistently excellent place to eat is at

STE MAURE DE PEYRIAC (actually just in the Lot et Garonne) and it's called LES DEUX GOURMANDS. Tel: 05 53 65 61 00

 
The exceptionally friendly proprietor and his chef worked in one of the famous Parisian hotels in time past and they have brought an attention to service and quality of food to this lovely roadside inn.  From Monday to Friday lunchtime it's usually full with an eclectic mix of workers from the nearby factory to owners of the neighbouring chateaux  when they serve a 5 course meal with local wine and coffe for 12 Euros per head.  It's simple food that is well cooked and delicious. Sunday lunchtime is completely different - this is the day of the Menu Gastronomique which always starts with some form of foie gras, followed by a fish course, meat course then dessert.   This is considerably more expensive at 32 Euros per head without wine but the meal is of a quality that would cost more than double that in a city.  On a Sunday it's usually always booked weeks and weeks in advance but i guess that during this time of recession it might now be easier to get a table.  Although there is a roadside terrace virtually everyone chooses to eat inside in the large white stone dining room where heavy oak beams help soak up the noise of family and friends dining ensemble.  A truly French eating experience and such excellent value from Monday to Friday.  The restaurant is open every except Saturday for LUNCH only.
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A Charente Maritime place for PeterCD:

The Union Hotel’s restaurant in Mirambeau has authentic French charm and good food. Not grande cuisine but good value. Slightly ‘Allo ‘Allo. The large dog that is not allowed to enter the restaurant is called Rex.
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Renaud, is that the Logis Hotel's restaurant on the main street through town?

We always go for the Logis Hotels where we can.  Never been disappointed and only once did we think...........mmm, not up to the usual standard.  But, even there we found it good value.

BTW, the Chateau Hotel in MIrambeau is up for sale.  Now where would we go for a proper slap up meal in our neck of the woods (always assuming that slap up meals are still affordable to us Brits?)

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Another idea is to head to the local covered market at lunchtime...the one in Limoges has 2 fantastic little restaurants opposite each other offering a 3 course lunch (all local market produce) & carafe of wine for less than 10 euros - great fun as everyone sits on benchs at long tables.  You need to be seated by 12.15 though as they both fill up incredibly quickly.  Another little gem is the tiny bistro situated in the antique market St Michel in Bordeaux - en excellent 2 course lunch in lovely surroundings.  You won't find many non-French speakers in either place......till now of course......

As to my previous posting about the Cheval Blanc at Luxe......it is always busy during the off season with French business men, but yes a lot of English second home owners & residents do eat there as word spreads fast...& the regulars probably book weeks in advance, but we are always too busy between the months of April & October to eat out anywhere, so our experience has always been very French.... anyway, when the food is that good I am not interested in the nationality of my fellow diners - the food being the most important reason for being there........

 

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Would certainly recommend the Relais de Preixan, a village just off the main road Carcassonne - Limoux. Does fixed price (I think 12/15) at lunch time, carte optional and a selection of priced menus and carte in the evening.  Very good value, v.big portions, mostly traditional dishes plus lots of boar/biche etc in the hunting season.  (Christian, the chef, is a member of the chasse, hunts regularly so can guarantee freshness!)  Good sized terrace overlooking the river in summer, huge fire and ambiance during the winter.  A good stop off for anyone travelling this way, good few brits/dutch (tourists) in the summer but only us come the winter!  Closed all day Mon, Sun eve.  Also concur with Quillan re Cepie resto.
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[quote user="sweet 17"]

Renaud, is that the Logis Hotel's restaurant on the main street through town?

We always go for the Logis Hotels where we can.  Never been disappointed and only once did we think...........mmm, not up to the usual standard.  But, even there we found it good value.

BTW, the Chateau Hotel in MIrambeau is up for sale.  Now where would we go for a proper slap up meal in our neck of the woods (always assuming that slap up meals are still affordable to us Brits?)

[/quote]

If you want a slap up meal I can recommend CHATEAU DES SALLES in Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde, we stayed there whilst looking for a house and had some wonderful meals. We are now  friends with Sylvie who runs the chateau and buy our wines from there, their Pineau is excellent and all are made on the estate.

I am looking for places to eat in Mirambeau too as we will be signing the final papers at the Notaires on 21st March and will be staying with friends before moving into our holiday home in Nieul le Virouil‏.  Will definitely try the Union Hotel’s restaurant  it sounds intriguing!

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I don't think that the Union is part of any chain. I think the Logis hotel is the Cheval Gris which has a depressing dining room. In summer you eat in the garden which indeed is lovely but last time we went they had an unpleasant attitude towards our veggie daughter so we avoid it now.

We have never tried to eat at the Chateau Hotel we wanted to stay there for the time we finally bought our house but they tried to bump us up to one of their most expensive suites even though the hotel was mainly empty so we went to what is now our first choice for a seriously posh (and expensive) meal:

The Moulin Val De Seugne (try saying that after a few drinks) at Mosnac. Great food and wine but prices to match. Across the small river from the restaurant there is an island with an entertaining menagerie of animals - exotic birds, goats, miniture ponies, and rabbits that appear at different times as an impromptu sort of cabaret. Try to eat on the balcony so that you can watch them. The restaurant is located north of Mirambeau - follow the signs from St.Genis de Saintonge. www.valdeseugne.com

Look forward to trying the Chateau des Salles.
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I would recommend  " Le Royal Chauray " in Chauray of course, very close to Niort. 

It is a Chinese/Vietnamese resto which proposes a buffet  ( varied and good food)  at noon for 8.90 euros.

Eat as much as you can formula, good food, very nice staff , very clean and relaxing.

I just love their nems, and their beignets de crevettes, + the canard laqué or porc au caramel.

 

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I must agree that the Val de Seugne is excellent but far from cheap.  Le Moulin des Goguettes on the137 just south of Pons is a routier, 10.50 euros for the daily menu inc wine,lots of locals every lunchtime. Also in Pons the Aire des Loisirs resto is very good value but summer only - it gets a bit damp at this time of year! Three other good value eating places in Pons,Hotel Bordeaux, Auberge Pontoise and  the Francaise. Plenty of good food in 17.

Peter 

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Sorry but no.

Here's another for those that like a Chinese.

Commercial centre near Carcassonne Airport directly opposite ED's supermarket (that's left out the airport, straight over first roundabout and on the left corner of the second). Spanish style all you can eat Chinese for €12.50 per head plus wine (€4.50 1/2ltr). Afraid I made a pig of myself we went up 5 times, loved it, best Chinese I've had in France and a bargain at the price.

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We haven't been for a little while so not sure if it's still the same but, when we were in the process of buying our house, the Monte Cristo near Neuvic (24) was recommended to us.  We went several times and the food was excellent, plentiful ad very reasonably priced.  It's definitely a locals place - the dining area is also the bar and I imagine that, pre the smoking ban, it would have been a tad hazy!  It doesn't look much from the outside and the menu is limited (most eat the p de j which changes daily and is the same price for lunch and evening) but it was excellent.  Sadly too far away for us now.

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Chez Marion just to the east of St Seurin (Gironde/Dordogne border) on the N89 does a five course lunch with wine for 12euros they are also celebrating St Patrick's day with an Irish stew and draught Guiness supper for 18euros

Chris

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I was struck by an item a couple weeks ago in the International Herald Tribune, pointing to a silver lining in the

economic cloud: 'more opportunities for fine dining at lower prices.'  Some quotes:

'Some well-known chefs have indeed started to cut their prices--especially on lunch menus--in order to adapt themselves

to the tough economic climate.  One example:  Gerard Vie, the former chef at the Michelin-starred Trianon Palace restaurant

in Versailles, where the average price of a prix-fixe menu is now 150€ ($195), is among them.  About two months after opening

Les Terrines de Gerard Vie, a bistro on the Rue du Cherche-Midi in the 6th arrondissement, Vie is offering a lunch menu for

24€, with a glass of wine.  At 10€, his robust terrine of marinated herring with warm potatoes and white wine may be sufficient

by itself, even for the starving stomach.'

I don't know about you, but how about that 150€ bargain!  Can you beat it?

For more suggestions, check out my blog:  http://parisrestaurantreviewsandbeyond.blogspot.com/

Just a quick suggestion - don't dine at a restaurant in Paris solely on the basis of it being cheap.  If that's all you

know, you will most likely waste your money.  You're far better off in the countryside, where you're less likely

to get a rotten meal by chance.

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[quote user="Mortstiff"]I was struck by an item a couple weeks ago in the International Herald Tribune, pointing to a silver lining in the
economic cloud: 'more opportunities for fine dining at lower prices.'  Some quotes:

'Some well-known chefs have indeed started to cut their prices--especially on lunch menus--in order to adapt themselves
to the tough economic climate.  One example:  Gerard Vie, the former chef at the Michelin-starred Trianon Palace restaurant
in Versailles..............'
[/quote]

And what happens when top chefs cut corners, well perhaps that's what happened HERE.

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Alledgedly, it has now increased to over 400 people. Every test imaginable has been conducted on the meals, some have been tested more than once and although it has been discounted, I do wonder about sabotage.  Maybe it was a normal stomach virus and that is being talked about now as not everyone ate the same food.  Very strange. 
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We recently stayed in Troo for a couple of days and ate at Auberge du Chateau up by the old tower on the hill. We had a marvellous, simple 3 course meal (steak cut like butter!). The menu is just a choice of 3 starters, mains and dessert/fromage - all for just 15 euros!! A similarly-limited wine list of about 8-10 wines will set you back 10 euros for any bottle. On top of this, it was a terrific, family-friendly, informal restaurant with only about 8 tables. Not to be missed if you are in the area.
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[quote user="Bear France"]We recently stayed in Trôo for a couple of days and ate at Auberge du Chateau up by the old tower on the hill.[/quote]

Sounds superb; especially as I love grottos and troglodyte caves. But I am having a problem with finding which resto you mean - is it on this list?

Sue - who, in the very dim and distant past, used to live in Nottingham and was very tempted to stay underground in the caves that are beneath the feet of the people who are shopping in the Broadmarsh shopping Centre. Imagine it, if you will, taking an escalator down to the 13th century - formidable! One of the v best things about Nottingahm, IMHO, apart from the Trip to Jerusalem, that is.

Sue [:)]

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