Le Bistrot la Nautique

LE BISTROT LA NAUTIQUE - 12 rue des Nauticards, Port la Nautique, 11100 Narbonne

We visited a new restaurant today. It was Bistrot la Nautique which is situated next to the camping site La Nautique on the inside of Etang de Bages outside Narbonne. The environment is pleasant next to the boat harbor and we sat outside with a sea-view. The place is very simple, quite rustic, but on purpose. The food is mainly sea-food and it was good, but not exceptional. They have a quite large wine list for a place like this.

On the negative side however is the prize. It is far too expensive taken the food and the venue into account. For a starter and a main and coffee plus a small carafe of rosé we paid almost the same as we do for a fantastic multi-course lunch at one of our favorite Michelin restaurants and the difference is enormous in everything - including the view.

WEB: https://lanautiquenarbonne.com/
LATEST VISIT: July 2018
NUMBER OF VISITS: 1

LE CENTAURÉE

LE CENTAURÉE - 9 cours Mirabeau, 11 100 Narbonne

On both sides of Canal de la Robine in the center of Narbonne there are lots of restaurants. Most of them are all right and some are a little more than that. Many are reviewed here but some are too new to have been visited. Bar & Brasserie Le Centaurée is a new experience for us. We were attracted by the many choices of interesting dishes they offered on the today’s menu to a very reasonable price.

I think we made a bad choice when we ordered the “bavette” with chips because some of the other dishes we saw on other tables looked fantastic – especially the salads. Our “bavette” was very generous but it was not very tender and it had been left too long before it was served so it was not really warm inside. The chips were of that English type - “soggy chips” - and I prefer my chips to be crispy on the outside – they were home-made though. The service was very good and my wife who cannot eat sugar had no problem to get a cheese platter instead of desert for the same price. I had a nice “cafe gourmande”, which they should have charged extra for.

When we payed the bill we saw that they had reduce the prize – probably because of my comments on the meat. We will certainly go there again to try the other courses.

Revisited August 2016:  I did not read my own review so this time I again had the bavette and I ordered it rare. Now it was tender, large but a little too red even for me. Nothing wrong though. My wife's skewer on chicken was lovely and one of the boys burgers as well. They had improved on the chips this time so they were more French than English - nice. The service is nice and quick.

Revisited June 2017: Always good food at a reasonable price.

WEB:
Latest visit: July 2017
Number of visits: 5

LES TAPAS DE LA CLAPE

LES TAPAS DE LA CLAPE – Les Halles de Narbonne

This is a new experience in Les Halle in Narbonne. It is a quite simple place as it should be in Les Halles, but nicely decorated. The place has quite an extinctive menu with smaller dishes and the ones we tried were delicious. One tapas was a skewer with scallops and pieces of duck-brest, which was very good. The place has an enormous selection of local wine that can be bought by the glass and also bought for take-away. The whole wine selection is on the web.

The owner is really totally dedicated to wine and food and when he found out that we had been in the wine business he spent a good part of our meal chatting with us.

Revisited in February 2015: Very nice again. I had a burger on KOBE-beef!!! Like butter!

Web: http://lestapasdelaclape.com/fr/
Latest visit: February 2015
Number of visits: 2

RESTAURANT GOURMAND D’ASIE (Closed)

RESTAURANT GOURMAND D’ASIE – Centre Commercial Route de Perpignan, Ave. De Quatorze, Narbonne

This place you must have heard of to find. It is situated in an area where you do not look for good food. The place in itself does not announce itself as a place to go either. Anyhow – we were taken there by some friends who normally know where to go, but nevertheless our expectations were not very high. When we saw the entrance it did not help.  

Well inside the place is simple but very well organized and very tidy. A lot of people seemed to enjoy their meal and we now understand them. It is a buffet restaurant where you eat as much as you like. The food is basically Vietnamese with some dishes from China, Japan and other places in Asia. The food is very fresh, typical and delicious. They make just enough of everything to be eaten in a short time so everything is freshly made. There is a large variety of cold and hot dishes and lots of sweets. You can really sample everything from Japanese Sushi to Chinese Dim Sung to other specialties.

We were 4 people and with wine, beer and coffee the bill ended on 75 euros. As always in Vietnamese restaurants they offer you, for free, their special Vietnamese sake, which taste a little like really bad Dutch genever. It is served in small cups,

different for women and men. In the bottom of the cup you see a nude man or woman in a quite pornographic posture. You can only see it when there is sake in the cup. Be aware if you do not like to be shocked.

Tel: 0468 40 30 77
Latest visit: February 2015
Number of visits: 4

LA PETITE COUR

LA PETITE COUR – 9, Rue Auber, 11 100 Narbonne

We found this restaurant by accident. We were wandering around in the small winding streets just north of the Canal de Robine in Narbonne on May 1st and just saw it and it was closed. On the following Monday we were looking for a place for lunch and we remembered it. I do not think any tourist would find the way to the place but the locals obviously do.

The place has a good atmosphere, and the couple who owns it gave us a feeling this could be nice. We were not disappointed. The lunch of the day was excellent. I had entrecote which was perfect and very tender and so was the skewers on veal my wife had. We could choose among three mains and they were accompanied by lovely baked potatoes. The starter was a buffet with a lot of very tasty small dishes.

We sat in the little garden or rather a little patio in the back. The service was excellent. We will certainly go back to this place and try their more expensive menus. This time I got three courses for just 15.50 euros and that was really good value. The only thing we complained about was my wife’s “café noisette” which was cold as it get if you put cold milk into a small cup of espresso. When we complained about it she got a new cup – this time with steamed milk.

They speak Dutch.

WEB: www.petitecour.com
Latest visit: May 2014
Number of visits: 2

AUBERGE DES JACOBINS

AUBERGE DES JACOBINS - 8 place des Jacobins, 11100 Narbonne

Cette photo de auberge des jacobins
est fournie gracieusement par TripAdvisor

Auberge des Jacobins should normally not be in this guide judged from our first visit, but there were certain thing that made us believe that it is normally different. 

The food had its virtues even if the todays dish was not the best. The duck breast was very tender, but the potato dish was dry. The starter – a plate with ham, sausages and other charcuteries were good and enough for two. The house wine was excellent.

On the positive side, the place was packed that vouches for its popularity. The service was good and friendly but the young girl had an impossible task to take care of a packed restaurant on her own. Waiting time was not acceptable. Another problem, which is quite common in French restaurants was very bad acoustics. It was almost impossible to talk even just over the table because of the background noise. Just a few textile objects in the room should have helped.

Latest visit: 2014
Number of visits: 1

LA GRANDE BRASSERIE

LA GRANDE BRASSERIE - Centre Commercial Carrefour, Bd de Creisse, 11100 Narbonne

We have been to this place many times - not because it was very good, but it was the least bad place in the mall. It was also open during office hours that was good when shopping. This would normally not qualify for a review here if it was not for the fact that it has changed drastically. We have been there twice in the last two weeks and it is like a new place. It looks the same and it is mostly the same staff, but everything else is different.

Before the food was not inspiring and a bit sloppy. The staff had an attitude that you should hurry up to leave your place to someone else. Now the food is very nice, salads formidable and everything looks good and tastes good. The staff is joking with you, they shake hands with customers and they look happy.

We asked if they have a new owner or a new chef, but they assured us that nothing have happened - something has happened but obviously they do not know themselves, or - they do not want to tell.

Anyway it is now a restaurant that we can recommend. Good food, good service and small prizes.

Webb: http://www.lagrandebrasserie.net/#!grid/c1pwt
Latest visit: Mars 2014
Number of visits: >15 (new style 3)

LE VITALIANO (Closed)

LE VITALIANO - Cours Mirabeau 9, Narbonne

The large open area around Canal de la Robine in Narbonne is now finished and has come out quite nice. A number of new and existing restaurants have appeared from the cement-dust and machinery noice. One of these that has suffered seriously from having a big hole in front of their entrance for months is restaurant Le Vitaliano.

We visited the restaurant the other day and was very satisfied. They served two excellent pieces of meat – an entrecote for me and a piece of lamb to the ladies. Both were tasty, perfectly cooked and tender. The service was nice and professional. We will certainly return to this place again.

WEB:
LATEST VISIT: 2013
NUMBER OF VISITS: 1

CHEZ BEBELLE

CHEZ BEBELLE – Les Halles de Narbonne, 11100 Narbonne

In Les Halles de Narbonne there are a number of small restaurants. The most famous of them is certainly Chez Bebelle. The owner is a rugby-star and that counts a lot in the south of France. Since French TV had a program about the restaurant it is almost impossible to get a seat there without a reservation.

We went there with some American friends and we were twelve and a baby. This is the place to go if you want really good meat. Americans who are very spoiled when it comes to meat rate this place very high.

The really special thing might however be the “show” performed by the old rugby-star. When the waiters come with the orders he takes his megaphone and yell the orders to one or two of the butchers across the aisle. After a few seconds small packages of meat start flying through the air just over the head of the customers and he always catches them with perfect timing. Nothing less would be expected!

WEB: http://bar-chez-bebelle.com/
LATEST VISIT: 2013
NUMBER OF VISITS: 1
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L'ESTAGNOL

L'ESTAGNOL - 5 cours Mirabeau, 11100 Narbonne

I have mentioned Restaurant L’Estsagnol earlier as it is situated across (en face) the canal from Restaurant En Face, or it is rather the opposite as L’Estagnol is much older and En Face is an offspring.

Restaurang L’Estagnol have a very good traditional kitchen and is highly valued by those who love traditional food from the region. Here you can sometimes find traditional dishes made from inner organs, blood and intestines. I have tried most of them, but I have very seldom liked it. Our good friends from the region love it and say this is one of the better places to get the right thing on the plate.

Do not be afraid, nowadays they are more and more into serving more normal food from the regional kitchen, which is also very well prepared and genuine, so we go there now and then as the restaurant is well located in the center of Narbonne, next door to Les Halles.

Revisited June 2016: It was i long time since we were here. They have been around longer than most restaurants in the area and are mostly very good. We noticed they now serve Black Angus beef. It is often a problem getting tender beef in France, but Black Angus is mostly perfect.

WEB: http://lestagnol.fr/index.htm
LATEST VISIT: June 2016
NUMBER OF VISITS: >5

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 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

LE COTTAGE

LE COTTAGE - 50 Passage Ancien Courrier, 11100 Narbonne

Sometimes you want to eat something different and it is not a lot of choice of ethnic food outside the big cities in France. We have a couple of times visited the little Spanish/Mexican restaurant Le Cottage in the center of Narbonne. For someone who is used to real Mexican food it does not have the right character – it is not at all hot. You can look at it as a French version of Mexican and the quality of the food is good and the prizes reasonable. We had two different fajitas – one with beef and one with chicken. Both were very good - the meat tender and the chicken juicy. We could however have shared one between us – it was plenty.


WEB:
LATEST VISIT: 2012
NUMBER OF VISITS: 2

LE PETIT COMPTOIRE ♥

LE PETIT COMPTOIRE - 4 Boulevard Maréchal Joffre 11 100 Narbonne

This is really one of our favorites. We have never been disappointed and we have been there a number of times. We do not hesitate to say that it is the best gourmet restaurant in Narbonne. The looks of the place from the street is not very exciting. The first time we went there was just because it was a convenient place to go.  We ordered the lunch of the day and we were really surprised by the quality of food in what seems to be a simple bar.

Behind the bar is however a very nice dining room, not big but very nice. In connection to the bar there is a wine shop there you also can eat the lunch of the day. The lunch menu is always very nice, but the real experience is to eat dinner here. They have several dinner menus and they are all very good value. The food is absolutely excellent and the service is professional and friendly. You can always get very good wines with the food. The wine shop is excellent and have a good selection of local wines of good quality.

There are however two complaints. First, the restaurant is not open in the summer and their summer restaurant on the road to Gruissan does not live up to expectations. The other complains is odder. The normal carafe water is absolutely undrinkable. It is taken directly from the tap and so full of chlorine that it even smells chlorine. I can understand that they prefer to sell bottled water, but it is an odd way of selling to serve something that totally destroys your taste buds.

Revisited September 2013: As always absolutely perfect, despite we had their lunch of the day. Even when you order their least costly menus you get better food than most restaurants have on their gourmet menus. Friendly and personal service!

Revisited November 2013: We never get disappointed here, and today was no exception. The small pre-starter was very nice – a rillettes with mushrooms and dill. The starter was a very nice risotto with small cubes of ham, full of taste. The only complaint was that it was a bit too much. It would have been better served in the same little dish as the opening little pre-starter. Now it looked more like a portion of morning porridge. We could not finish it – not because we did not want to, but we had to leave some room for the rest of the meal.

The main dish was absolutely top quality. How about quail stuffed with foie-gras on a bed of red cabbage. I was especially impressed by how the chef had managed to cut out the rib-cage without ruining the bird. It looked absolutely intact with wings and legs.

The desert was fresh raspberries with a pistachio cream – really good and not too sweet.

Revisited January 2014:  It made us happy as usual!

Revisited november 2018: The food is still very good and the management always welcoming. The venue is attractive. The two last times however they have had some problems with individuals of of serving personell that did not have a professional attitude to customers. As they however come and go we still think this restaurant is one of the best in Narbonne.

Birthday lunch January 2019: Luckily enough we could have a very good lunch here as restaurant La Table Saint Crescent had missed our reservation.

WEB: http://www.petitcomptoir.com/
LATEST VISIT: January 2019
NUMBER OF VISITS: >20

Reasons for the ♥:
Our oldest acquaintance with gourmet food in Narbonne. We have never been disappointed. It is one of those places you can take friends and know they will have a good time. 

LE CÔTÉ PUB

LE CÔTÉ PUB - 27 Cours Mirabeau, 11100 Narbonne
We just happened to end up in Le Côté Pub one day and it was a very nice experience. It is a kind of yuppie place with very good food. We only tried one of their salads, but that was impressing. I have never seen a salad that big and with so many exclusive things in it.  I was totally full and still it could hardly be seen that I had eaten. If you go there – share!
We were sitting outside, but the inside is very modern and stylish. The service is very nice even to old-timers like us. I think we must have been the oldest in the restaurant. Everybody looked very busy and professional. We liked the place though and were impressed by the food we saw being served at the other tables.

Revisited it to try something else: As we had the enormous salad last time we, this time, tried dishes from the menu and were very happy with the quality


WEB: http://cote-pub-narbonne.com/
LATEST VISIT: 2014
NUMBER OF VISITS: 3

LES HALLES DE NARBONNE

LES HALLES DE NARBONNE - Boulevard du Docteur Ferroul, 11100 Narbonne

This is not a regular eating place. It is a number of small restaurants, some just a few tables that are housed inside the large Halles de Narbonne. You find everything from the simplest places where you sit on stools at the counter to places with a few restaurant tables. They all benefit from the fact that they are in the middle of a food temple. Do not be surprised if your order of a steak is followed by the waiter yelling to the butcher across the aisle, who immediately cuts out your piece, wraps it in paper and throws it in the air to the chef who catches it an puts it on the stove. The selection of wine is almost infinite and if you are not very hungry there are many places that serve just wine but you can order a plate of small things from the surrounding food stands.
You must however be there in time – they close just after lunch and it is mostly absolutely packed in the small eating places at lunch time.

Revisit September 2012: A couple of times we have visited La Bodega des Halles. They are specialized in Spanish ham of high quality accompanied with delicious olive oil and a good selection of local wine. The place is very simple and very friendly. For 33 euros the three of us had one portion of the most expensive Pata Negra - Bellote, a portion of Serrano, wine, bread, oil an coffee (the coffee was on the house). You do not need a portion of your own, but if you want anything else than ham they have other things, like cheese.
This is one of the places you can sample the best wines of the area by the glass at a small price. 
Revisited latest time Mars 2014: We go here regularly all year with friends or by ourselves and it is always very nice and we always try a new wine they recommend to us.

Revisited May 2013: Another interesting place for eating is Chez Bebelle that is quite famous from TV. It is owned by a former rugby star that uses his skills when he catches the meat thrown by the butcher across the isle.


Revisited La Bodega: Fabulous as always!


WEB: http://www.narbonne.halles.fr/
LATEST VISIT: March 2018
NUMBER OF VISITS: >15

LE GRANDS BUFFETS

LE GRANDS BUFFETS - Rond point de la Liberté, Espace de Liberté, 11100 Narbonne

If you are new to French food and would like to take a grand tour through everything on a French table or if you are a big eater you should go to Le Grands Buffets in L’Espace de Liberte in Narbonne. It is also a great place to take guests to explore the French cuisine. For less than 30 euros you can eat as much as you like of everything of every French specialty. 

There is seafood, ham, foie gras, charcuteries and a lot of other things as starters, there is a grill with everything from frog legs to meat of all sorts, there is hot and cold dishes, salads, cheese and in the end a desert table with hundreds of different things to taste.  You can buy wine by the glass and in bottles of the most famous wines from the area and they do not add anything on the prize. They charge you the same as you would pay at the vineyard. This means you can order a glass of wine that you would normally think is to expensive. If you like a wine you can buy a bottle or a whole case and bring home.

The service is efficient and nice and used plates vanish from your table as you pick up new food from the buffet. You must take your time and eat slowly at this place. It is a good idea to reserve a table because this is a very popular place.

The restaurant is very nice but quite big. There is a play-room for children if they think their parents get stuck with eating too long. The strange thing is that the restaurant is housed within a sport center with a view over the swimming pool.

Revisited 2013: The restaurant has got a new owner and has gone from interesting and good in its kind, to excellent. The idea is the same - you eat as much as you like of typical French dishes and you can try most of the best wines of the region to the same price as at the vine-yard. It is served in bottle or by the glass.

The differences from before are all to the better. The selection of wine is much larger and today you can afford to try a glass of wine that you probably never would do at any other place. For people who like too sample some of the worlds most fantastic wines at one place, this is the right place. It is quite possible for our economy to by a glass of wine that cost over 1200 euros per bottle and pay a little over 10 euros for a glass. I do not know any other restaurant that would give you that opportunity.

The selection of hot dishes are also much larger and more interesting and the cheese table that before was a bit poor is now fantastic. As before - the selection of desserts and starters are formidable.

Revisited February 2018: It has improved very much since we visited it last time.

WEB: http://www.lesgrandsbuffets.com/
LATEST VISIT: January 2018
NUMBER OF VISITS: >5
QUALITY DEVELOPMENT: +++