L’Ô à la BOUCHE

L'Ô à la BOUCHE - 4 Allée de Cyprés, 11 120 Le Somail

Once it was a pizzeria, which we have visited, but with the new owner it is upgraded to quite a pleasant restaurant. The style of the place is really much more interesting than before and the first thing I notices entering the restaurant was the fantastic selection of very classy malt whiskeys.

Another first impression is the owner who is styled like a homeless teenager that have been sleeping under a bridge for a couple of weeks. All right for young people perhaps, but when you are over 50 and run a restaurant it is something else in my opinion, but I am sure some people think it is just right. Anyhow – the food is good at its best but the quality is a little uneven and overpriced compared to what you can get in the area. Possibly because of the location on the banks of Canal du Midi with all foreign tourists that have to stay close to their boat.

Our entrecôte was really good and tender and my wife’s turbot was good as well, but mine that was slightly smaller was over-cooked. So was the lobster one of our friends eat. The service was very nice and we got four glasses of sparkling for free because we had an anniversary. We will certainly return to this place as Le Somail is a great place and the owner is a pleasant guy despite his “modern” looks.

WEB: http://www.loalabouche.fr/
Latest visit: January 2016
Number of visits: 1

AUBERGE LA SELETTE

AUBERGE LA SELETTE – Route Départementale 5 Cabezac, 11120 Bize Minervois

You would think we have few restaurants to visit that are worth writing about, given the number I already have reviewed. It seems however that the number of good places to eat is endless in our neighborhood. La Salette is a restaurant in Minervois, not far from Cabezac where you can visit the local vinery and the well-known olive oil producer and shop – L’Oulibo.

The food is nice at a reasonable prize. We had a very nice lamb steak for main and their Café gourmand was something special. For those who are not familiar with the concept it is a small sample of all the deserts on the menu accompanied by a cup of coffee. The venue is nice with plenty of space inside. The outside terrace is however very noisy and smelly due to the road with very heavy traffic that goes just beside it.

The owners are a Belgian couple, but they speak English, which makes it popular among English expats. Maybe that’s why they have fish and chips on the menu and Belgian chips.

The restaurant has a wine-cellar next door there you can buy local wine.

WEB: http://www.laselette.fr/
Latest visit: March 2015
Number of visits: 1

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

LA CAMBUSE DU SAUNIER ♥

LA CAMBUSE DU SAUNIER – Salin de l’île St-Martin, route de l’Ayrolle, 11430 Gruissan

This is quite a different restaurant – well worth a visit. It is located at the salt production site in Gruissan. The view over the saltines is magnificent, especially in the beautiful weather we had.

They serve mainly fish and sea-food in a very simple setting, which are designed to look even more like sheds, which is quite charming. You sit on simple benches at very rough wooden tables. At every place there are a plate, glasses and cutlery wrapped in a kitchen towel like a bundle. You set your table yourself by using the towel as a small table cloth. You can choose to sit inside a glassed space, outside in shade or at the water on a jetty.

Their specialty is raw sea-food – mussels, clams and oysters but also shrimps and sea-snails. They also have number of warm dishes, mainly from the sea. A few of us had sea-food for starter and I had tiny small clams (tellines) cooked in butter with parsley and garlic, which were fantastic. All sea-food was also of high quality. My salt-baked whole fish was absolutely delicious. The desert of the house was also really good. The only dish that did not lived up to expectation was the salt baked duck breast. The plates were roasting hot, the meat was over-cooked and the vegetable dish was cold. They said they should take it away from the menu and they did not charge for it. This day they only served wine by carafe – no bottles. The wine was from the local wine yard – Cave de Gruissan – which is quite good.

If the food was of top quality the service was almost the opposite. The young waiter was trying to charm the ladies but it would have been better that he had done his job in a professional way. Misunderstanding of orders (majority of us were French) and long waiting. Half the party had finished the starters when the rest got theirs. We had to wait forever for the desert which was strange as the restaurant was more or less empty at that time.

In a building nearby there is a shop with very interesting local products – salt in all forms, marmalade, honey, chocolate, very good wine from the region and much more. This place is well worth a visit in the summer.

Revisited July 2014: First time we were here was on the very first opening day and there were a few flaws. This time everything was perfect. There are few places one can get fish and sea-food like here. Still my favourite is for starters is "cassoulet du telline", which is so tasty. Of course i had to have salt baked fish and our friend Anette had oysters as usual. This day the view was fantastic over "des salines" where the water was absolutely rose, tinted by the salt. This is a very attractive summer restaurant which is open all week in the summer and as long as they have customers in the day.

Revisited May 2015: As always the food was delicious and the environment fabulous, especially in nice weather. Our Swedish guests thought it was the top experience of the week. The combination of the rustic design of the restaurant and the very high quality food with a no-nonsense style is something extra.

Revisted May 2016: It is hard to get a table here nowadays - it has become very popular. I however dropped in on my own and managed to get a table a while ago. The week after i reserved a table for me and my wife. We had their specialty  - salt-baked whole fresh lobster. Do I have to say it was really good?

Webb: http://www.lesalindegruissan.fr/fr/restaurant
Latest visit: May 2017
Number of visits: >10

Reasons for the ♥:
Sea-food of all kinds, natural and cooked. This is the place. Nice busy place and a very special rustic design in the middle of a salt production facility. You will remember this place and its food.

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

EN CATIMINI ♥

EN CATIMINI - Le Château 16, Place de la République, 11200 Ferrals-les-Corbières

Restaurant En Catimini has moved from Lezignan-Corbières to the little village Ferrals-les-Corbières and is now located in a beautifully renovated town-house in the center of the village. Our first visit was the result of an invitation from one of our favorite wine producers – Famille Fabre in Luc-sur-Orbieu.

The chef had prepared a gourmet dinner there the food and wine supported each other perfectly. To remember specially was the quail that was absolutely fantastic and the whole dinner was of very high gourmet quality.

We studied the standard menus for the restaurant and found a basically traditional kitchen for the region, but with quite a few innovative varieties that we have not seen before. It seems to be the best of the local combined with a lot of innovation and new thinking.

We were sitting in the little garden there they also grow some of the products they use in the kitchen. They have an impressive wine list with local wines to very reasonable prizes. The service is friendly and professional and we will certainly come back to this restaurant.

Revisited in May 2013: It is mostly something that is not so good when you eat at a restaurant. We could not find anything the second time we visited En Catimini in Ferrals de Corbières. We decided to try one of the little more expensive menus for 40 euros as we had a simple but very good wine-testing menu the first time.  We were sitting in the beautiful garden there it was sheltered despite the little windy weather.

The chef takes her inspiration from traditional French cuisine but shows a great deal of innovation and creativity. This is a very good concept as it suits both traditionalist, who likes more generous food and the modern gourmand that love the new way of playing with texture, tastes and aesthetics. All dishes we got fulfilled both these preferences. Exceptional was the starter Sushi Catalane, based on smoked duck. We both had file of duck as main course. It was perfectly grilled and tender and juicy inside, accompanied with perfectly cooked vegetables. The cheese was a pure (potkäse) of blue cheese flavored with Calvados and served with strings of apple, peppery rocket salad and endive leaves. My cafe gourmand was overwhelming – a little of everything as it is. My wife got 40 cm of lovely chocolate mousse.

Besides having a good lunch we learned about a few new wines both with the food and afterwards when the owner and I discussed the virtue of different AOP Corbières Boutenac wines. It is possible to buy most high quality wines from the area here at the same price as at the producer’s. Served at the table the prize is double, which is a moderate profit compared to Sweden where 300% ad on would not be unusual in a gourmet restaurant.

We are so happy to have another great restaurant within 15 minutes from our home.

Revisited June 2013: We decided to eat Sunday lunch with some American friends They had never visited the restaurant and loved to go here as we had talked about how good it is. This time we had their least expensive menu. The starters were as always superb, but unfortunately the mains did not live up to our expectations. The “tête de veau” that  two of was not made in a way we liked. The mixed grill of fish was, as the leg of duck, dry. For dessert three of us had “ile flottante” and the vanilla sauce was very nice with a taste of orange flowers, but the egg white was a bit tough and not soft as I should be. We were not satisfied something that we could have accepted if we had not taken friends to the restaurant.

Revisited April 2014: If last time was a kind of mishap, this time was absolutely perfect. We had a birthday lunch for a friend and were five in the party. Gain three of us had the sushi catalane and it was delicious and even more elaborated, both aesthetically and taste wise since the first time we had it. The giant shrimps were also very good according to the rest of the party. Our friend who loves traditional food had veal kidney, which according to them was an absolute dream. Our piece of pork was tasty, tender and very elaborated.
The quality continued all through the lunch and they made a great effort to customize the dishes to my wife that have to follow certain restrictions.
The service is very professional and friendly and we enjoyed the meal very much all of us. For the first time we were sitting inside in the nicely renovated dining-room.

Revisited July 2014: The lunch of the day with our friends Anne and Janne. We were sitting in the fabulous garden in the shade. The temperature out in the street was 35 but here it was lovely. The food was excellent as usual an we all had frog legs in tarragon sauce for starters and three of us settled for rabbit and one for fish. Service could not be better. One of us have special preferences of medical reasons, which was met in every detail.

Revisited July 2017: We have not visited the restaurant for a while – there are so many good places to go in the area, but En Catimini is always on our favorite list. We went there with our grand-children and their parents. It was perfect to sit in the garden with the boys. As always, the food was excellent and specially the children liked the special children’s menu. They have really managed to prepare food that attract both the eye and the pallet of children. The boys said they were not hungry, but soon the plate was empty.

Revisited May 2018 (Piece-day WW2): As always a fantastic reception and the food was as good as it always is. We bought a case of a very nice dry Gewurztraminer from a local producer. It is nice to have such a good restaurant just 10 minutes from home. It will be even better in the summer when we can sit in the beautiful garden. 

 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/En-catimini-resto/112350452127606
LATEST VISIT: May 2018
NUMBER OF VISITS: 7

RESTAURANT LA BERGERIE

RESTAURANT LA BERGERIE - Châteaux de Lastours, 11490 Portel des Corbières

Restaurant la Bergerie is situated at Château de Lastours. A couple of years ago we visited this restaurant quite often. We had birthday parties there and we often took friends there. We have not been there for some time now and it might be time for a revisit.

The reason why we stopped going there was that they did not change the menu for a very long time. After having tasted all the dishes, which all were delicious, we got a bit tired of eating the same thing time after time. For those who never have been there it is really worth a visit and you can go there quite a few times before you have explored the menu in full.

The service was also very nice and the atmosphere of the restaurant is very pleasant. They only serve wine of their own production, but they are of such quality that you do not need anything else. You can also buy some bottles and bring home and you can have a full tasting in the wine shop.

A little special thing is that the castle also is a center for training and other kinds of activities with four wheel drive vehicles.

Revisited 2015 after 6 years: It was good and more than that! The service was pleasant as usual and the food was exceptional. We had the three course menu for 26 euros. Our starter was cabbage with a stuffing of game (wild bore) and it was really good. It reminded us a bit of the Swedish traditional dish "kåldolmar". My main was "bavette" which was very nice and tender and the different vegetables that came with it were perfect. I had a chocolate dessert - also very good. We will return soon.

WEB: http://www.chateaudelastours.com/
LATEST VISIT: April 2017NUMBER OF VISITS: >10

CHÂTEAU L'HOSPITALET

CHÂTEAU L'HOSPITALET - Route de Narbonne Plage, 11100 Narbonne

Château L’Hospitalet is a very good restaurant with a nice environment but it is also something much more than that. Starting with the restaurant; it is a very popular lunch for business people in the area but also somewhere to go when you are on a vacation trip. The food is quite good at a fairly good prize. The wine you get is of their own production, which means that it is among the best you can get. The owner Gérard Bertrand has been elected the European Wine Producer of the year by The Wine Enthusiast.

At least before, you were offered free tasting of wine with your meal, but I think they had to stop that as it was abused, mostly by foreign tourists, that caused a number of accidents on the winding roads in the La Clape mountains.

This place is a very good place to go for a half days trip or maybe if you are not from the neighborhood, for a week-end. They have a splendid hotel, several gift shops an enormous wine shop, often high quality art exhibitions and music evenings with jazz in the summer.

This place is however, above all, a place to go for wine lovers. The selection of wine is enormous and represents a large number of appellations of Languedoc. The price range is from a few euros per bottle up to prestigious wines for 40 euros and up per bottle. If you eat in the restaurant you get a small discount in the wine shop.

Revisited May 2015: We have not been here for some time for other than buying wine. The food has changes from very traditional French food in a gourmet version into something much more posh. It looks very much like the food in top gourmet-restaurants – small portions, a lot of purées and fancy names, but it lacks the intense tastes that make up for quantity in the modern French gourmet kitchen. Even for me who is a very small eater, it was a little too little. I had one of my favorites – wing of ray – which was good but a third of what you mostly get in other restaurants. The price 29 euros for a three course lunch would have been OK if the food have had a taste that lived up to the looks of it and maybe a little more generous portions.

WEB: http://www.chateau-lhospitalet.com/restaurant-bar-lounge.html

LATEST VISIT: May 2015

NUMBER OF VISITS: >10

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. 

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: +++ 

LA TABLE DE SAINT-CRESCENT ♥

LA TABLE DE SAINT-CRESCENT -  68 Ave. du Général Leclerc, 11100 Narbonne

Guide Michelin

The only restaurant in Narbonne that has been awarded a star by Guide Michelin is La Table de Saint-Crescent where the eminent chef Lionel Giraud resides. As been quite common among the most famous chefs around here the food is inspired by tradition regional food but in a semi-molecular version. This means that you recognize the food you eat as something familiar, but the looks of it is something totally different and the tastes are much more intense than your taste-buds are used to.

They serve a very affordable lunch-of-the day and a number of set menus. The most exclusive menu costs around 50 euros, but includes selected wines for every dish. As with most restaurants of this class a visit is much more than just a meal. It is a happening for all your senses. One of the reasons is that the service is relaxed, friendly and professional. We have often noticed that the really high class restaurants in France have a very relaxed relation to their guests, which is something you miss in many other countries.

The restaurant is located in the same building as Palais de Vin in Narbonne so it is possible to explore the local wines after the meal if you find something you would like to bring home.

Revisited April 2014: This is the fourth time we dine here and the prize has gone up a bit since last time but so has the quality so we feel we have gained anyway. This time it was Easter dinner with friends and we were very satisfied both with the food and the service. They have also put up some noise reduction buffers that was really needed. Now the noise level is very pleasant, which has improved the atmosphere substantially. It is also done in an architecturally acceptable way in the ancient room.

Revisited August 2014: We celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary this time. Food and service were as always perfect. A little complain though - the chairs are very stylish and almost an exact image of the restaurant's logotype, but with a bad back you can not sit through a three hours meal in them. I asked for a cushion to sit on and that was all right.

Birthday lunch January 2016:  Couldn´t be better. Everything was absolutely perfect and the service was very pleasant. This is one of the places we go to when we like to celebrate something special. It is more than i meal - it is an experience for all senses.

Birthday lunch January 2017: Every visit is a surprise and the food gets better every time. The prizes have gone up a little since we were here the first time, but not much.

Disappointment January 2019: Today we should have had my wife’s birthday lunch here as we have had a few times before. We made the reservation three weeks ago on Internet and this morning we got a mail that we should confirm that we are coming. We did so. Arriving at the restaurant they said they were overbooked. They offered us to sit in little totally empty boring room next to the toilette upstairs. We off cause refused. The head-waiter was called on and he offered us to eat in the kitchen with the chef. I guess it should be regarded as an honor, but when we looked at that table it was in the actual kitchen with all alarm and smell that goes with it. When we left, they mentioned that they could offer us a free meal later. It will be interesting to see if they remember that. They have our contact details.

Interestingly enough - the day after this debacle we got an e-mail from the same computer that asked us to rate our visit - food, service and venue.

We however saved the day by having a very good lunch at Le Petit Comptoire.

WEB: http://www.la-table-saint-crescent.com/index.cfm
LATEST VISIT: January 2017
NUMBER OF VISITS: 7

LA TABLE DE FONTFROIDE ♥

LA TABLE DE FONTFROIDE - Abbaye de Fontfroide, 11100 Narbonne

La Table de Fontfroide is located in the ancient Abbaye de Fonfroide. They say the have served food to travelers since the end of the 11th century. It might  be a surprise to get inside the restaurant as the entrance looks quite anonymous and the sign Restaurant -Snack, does not promise any culinary experiences.

Well inside however an absolutely fabulous room opens up - high ceilings and beautifully renovated. The excellent food is prepared by the young chef Yohan Renard. The service is absolutely perfect, professional and very friendly. They serve both set menus and a la carte. The food is traditional southern French cuisine of highest quality. We have never been disappointed in all the visits we have made to this restaurant. When we at one occasions had some comments on the food we were well compensated and the chef took great interest in our opinions.

The restaurant serve only wine of the Abbey´s own production and it is excellent. A choice you have is to include wines on the menus. In those cases you get wines that match every dish in generous glasses. After your meal you can take a lovely walk in the fantastic nature, have a guided tour of the abbey, visit the shop or buy some bottles of wine in the wine shop.

Revisited regularly at least once a month on our own or with friends: This is the place we go to most often and we love it. The staff and the chef know us by now and Johan always comes out and chat with us if he has the time. When it comes to time it is quite impressing that one chef, one sous-chef and two young people with no experience in the kitchen can cook for a packed restaurant. When we were there last week it was two coach-loads of people plus a lot of ordinary lunch eaters and despite of the stress, the food and service was absolutely perfect in every detail. On our visit today it was packed as usual. We got a new favorite – it was pigeon baked into a “mille-feuille” with a fantastic sauce on wine. The week before I had their set lunch-menu fish dish as my favorite. It is a cod prepared as “morue”. It reminds of the Portugese bacalao, but I loved this as much as I hate the Portugese dish. It is served with a very fluffy sabayon flavored with horse-radish, which suits my Swedish task perfectly.

Revisited October 2013: They have changed their menu, which always is nice. As always the food was excellent and the service very nice. I always try the odd things so I had duck hart for starter, which was delicious, very tender and tasty. My main was cheek of pork made a la boeuf bourguignon with mushrooms. The others had fish which they were very happy with.

Revisited March 2014: As always very good. Some dishes are changed since last year.

Revisited April 2014: An unforgettable birthday - the chef designed a special birthday-menu for me. Even our French friends who are very picky and are old restaurateurs were absolutely astonished by the quality of the meal.

Revisited June 2014: This time we celebrated an 80th birthday. The new menu was very good and it was a very nice experience as usual. One of us had the "baron d'agneu" and was not as happy as the rest of us who had the fish-dish. The new "d'amuse-bouches" on octopus was really good.

Revisited August 2014: For the first time we were sitting outside, which was lovely. The restaurant was as always packed. We had a la carte this time to get the fantastic dish with tagliatelle and scallops in a fantastic sauce. It costs a little more but when the weather is nice and in good company...

Revisited March 2015: My birthday and fantastic reception as always. They have new menus and everything we tried were delicious.

Revisted March 2015: Another birthday and a specially made lunch of four+ dishes. If you have not had their ravioli with scallops and morels, you have to go back and try it. 

Revisited May 2015: The verdict from our Swedish friend was - "One of the best meals they ever have had".

Revisited July 2015: It was the first day with the new lunch menu, which always is a little special. We tried most of it between the four of us, but not the fish-dish - we'll have that next time. It was delicious - we could not really agree who made the best choices, but we were all happy.

Revisited though 2016: It is getting even better. Now they change menu every week.

Revisited several times 2017: Splendid.

Revisited 2018: It pays to be a regular customer. When we visited the restaurant in the summer for a birthday with Norwegian friends they told us that we should not order from the menu as the chef had composed a special meal for us. Do I have to say it was fantastic.
When we just dropped in on a chance the other day we got the last table and ordered the lunch of the day. To our surprise the waiter came with an extra dish that is our favorite with the compliments from the chef. 

Revisited January-March 2019: We have now had two birthday lunches this year at the restaurant and the chef has composed a special menu for us. It has been absolutely fabulous.

WEB: http://www.fontfroide.com/abbaye_de_fontfroide_-_restaurant_la_table_de_fontfroide.htm
LATEST VISIT: March 2019
NUMBER OF VISITS: >40

Reasons for the ♥:
What can I say? Affordable gourmet food with the same quality every time. How it is possible to do that with hundreds of eating guests at the same time I can not understand. A real favorite near us there we feel like honored guests every time.