LE PETIT PASTIS (CLOSED)

LE PETIT PASTIS - 17 cours Mirabeau - 11100 NARBONNE

We dropped into a new restaurant in Norbonne the other day. It is advertised as Café Comptoir Restaurant and is very nice. The design of the place is modern to apply to the young an busy professionals - very unpretentious but nice.
We had the today's menu that was very good as was the house wine. Young waiters in casual uniforms served us with a smile and we liked it a lot. This might be our new favourite for lunch in Narbonne.

Revisited for lunch in May: This place will be one of our favourite lunch places in Narbonne. The day was fantastic – 23 degrees and no wind. We managed to get a table outside and I ordered the today’s set menu and my wife a Caesars salad. 

For starter I got slices of ripe melon and good classic dried ham, which was exactly as it should be. My main course was half a mini cock that was perfectly cooked, juicy and tasty. It was accompanied by green pies and green beans that were cooked “al dente” and perfect. My dessert was a lovely pannacotta with fresh raspberries and a sauce made of raspberries. My wife’s Caesar salad was made by the text-book, which is not anything you can trust in many restaurants. It was very good and generous. They had even managed to get the egg cooked so the yolk was running. My set menu  was only 13 euros.

The service is pleasant, relaxed, young and very attending. 

Revisited May 2013: We were not so happy this time. My meat was OK but the salads that was so good last time did not live up to the usual quality. The Caesar salad had the wrong salad, which was not very crisp and brown on the edges. It could be that this was a Sunday with very little customers and they did not care about these as much as the regular lunch guests that come regularly. Maybe it was other staff in the kitchen?

 
WEB:
LATEST VISIT: 2014
NUMBER OF VISITS: 4

LA ROSE de FRANCE

LA ROSE DE FRANCE - 24 Place Dauphine - 75001 Paris

Sometimes we leave Languedoc and go other places, like Paris. We have twice visited a tiny little restaurant on Ile Saint Louise that we like for the very Parisian atmosphere and the good food. It is really a treat to sit there in the sun, eating good food and look at the busy Parisiens passing by. In this restaurant we got sichuan pepper on our Foie Gras for the first time - try it, its as good as rose pepper.

WEB: http://www.larosedefrance.com/
LATEST VISIT: 2011
NUMBER OF VISITS: 2

LA TABLE DU CHÂTEAU

LA TABLE DU CHÂTAU - 16, rue de Paris - 11200 Bizanet

We are a bit ambiguous in our view to this restaurant. We have had absolutely splendid meals here and some of our friends think it is one of the best restaurants near us. A couple of times though the food has not lived up to expectations. The most disturbing occasion was when several of the party got chicken that was not properly cooked so blood was running near the bone. Such thing happens so we just asked for better cocked food.
When the chef came out we thought it would be to apologise, to to our surprise he started to lecture us on have difficult it was when the chicken legs were uneven in size. One would think that a chef should master such minor problems and do not have to talk to the guests about it.
Anyhow - when this restaurant has its good days it is very good and worth a visit or maybe more. The setting is pleasant and the service also despite this mishap.

WEB: http://www.latableduchateau.fr/fr/presentation.php
LATEST VISIT: 2011
NUMBER OF VISITS: 4

LA TAVERNE VIGNERONNE

LA TAVERNE VIGNERONNE - 1, Montée du Château - 11200 Tournissan

As so often we jumped into this restaurant by accident. We were in the little village Tournissan just south of Carcasson and it was lunch time. We saw this sing from a wine producer who also offered food. The little restaurant was located just beneath Château Pierre Guillaume. It was just a small cave with a few tables and a little garden with a view that could be more exiting.

Exciting was however the owner who came out and told us about his restaurant enthusiastically. He had started a cooperation with a young star chef that prepared a selection of gourmet dishes in advance as "sous vide". The only thing they did in the restaurant was to heat it up, present it and serve a selected glass of their own wine production to every dish.

The food and wine was excellent and the service could not be more friendly. We enjoyed it and returned a couple of weeks later to buy some of his excellent wine and have lunch.

WEB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-taverne-vigneronne/151709228192176
LATEST VISIT: 2011
NUMBER OF VISITS: 2 

ÔportailÔ

ÔPORTAILÔ - 6 Place du Portail Haut - 34210 Olonzac

If you want to try something else than French food - why do not try something inspired by Turkish tastes? In the village of Olonzac you find this tiny restaurant with quite good food and a sympathetic owner who make you feel welcome. We have been there a couple of times with friends that live around the corner.

The only little problem is that the young waitress that served us looked like she would rather be some other place and absolutely refused to give us a friendly smile together with the food.

Revisited October: We were 6 people and everybody but me was very happy. My lamb-shops had very little meat on them, mostly fat. The other person who had the same got better meat. Service was very nice this time.

WEB: http://www.oportailo.fr
LATEST VISIT: October 2013
NUMBER OF VISITS: 4

LA TABLE DES CUISINIERS CAVISTES

 LA TABLE des CUISINIERS CAVISTES - Place Lamourgier - 11100 Narbonne

On my wife's birthday we  wanted to try a restaurant we had never visited. We went to several restaurants ahead to explore and the reception we got at this restaurant was very good and it was no problem to make alterations to the set menu.

The restaurant is situated in the center of Narbonne just behind Les Halles so it is close to the best products. The place is quite small and has an open plan so you can see into the kitchen. There are two different areas - one with high tables and stools for the young and busy and one with ordinary seating for us more relaxed guests.

The food was absolutely excellent and all of us five were very satisfied. Sometimes it is hard to find good eating places when you are a group where some like traditional food and think more innovative way of cooking is a bit silly and some like to experience new tastes. This place satisfied all of us.

As the restaurant also have a caveau you can get the most interesting wines from the are that fit perfectly with the food.

Revisited September 2013: We have been here a couple of times after the first time and been very happy with service and food. Today we had however taken a couple of friends who wanted a good meal. It was not up to normal standard. We had the 21 euro three course menu. The starter was excellent but half the party had duck breast for main and that was over-cooked and dry. We had ordered rosé. The gravy was however very tasty and the vegetables perfectly cooked. The rest of us had cod that had very little taste. The dessert was very good and the cheese platter of high quality. My problem is that I had recommended this place and our friends were obviously not impressed, which is a pity. We will however give the place another chance as we mostly have been satisfied.

Revisited January 2017: Very good and packed, as it was one of those days many restaurants were closed.

WEB: http://www.cuisiniers-cavistes.com/
LATEST VISIT: November 2018
NUMBER OF VISITS: 8