PS

Anyone been to this restaurant? It got a good write-up in a travel article in the Scotsman at the weekend - good value lunches (8 Euros!), lots of cassoulet, I think. I'm loathed to trust some of these travel pieces, though, and would welcome any comments from people with first hand experiences...

Any idea if Le Petit Prince is open on a Sunday? We're staying just around the corner from it in a few weeks' time and are struggling to find a restaurant that's open on dimanche. Any other info on it - food, drink, atmos, would be gratefuly received as well.

Starbucks in no way resembles any Parisian cafes I've been to. I've always been able to taste the coffee in the beverages I've been served in France...

I was in Bridge of Allan last week. Didn't have any chips though. Apologies if I misinterpreted your antipathy to receiving haggis in the post to squeamishness! I can't apologise for my love of haggis though...

Haggis is great. Mmmmm.... chopped lungs.... But seriously, try it. Them boys is tasty. The increasing squeamishness surrounding offal is a real shame.

There's another excellent Gujarati restaurant about 30 metres away from Kalpna called Ann Purna. I prefer it there as the service is so pleasant. I really don't like Henderson's at all. I've never seen what the fuss was about and have the feeling that it's one of the many fairly poor restaurants in Edinburgh that has become a local institution simply because it's been here so long, not because it's any good. Andy, I'm assuming you were staying at the George Hotel. It's not that cheap is it?

Ooops! Sorry - confusing my gares - Chez Michel is of course very close to the Gare du Nord...

Chez Michel, Rue de Belzunce. Thierry Breton's the chef. Fantastic value - one of the many super-brasseries set up by chefs trained in the city's top restaurants. It's a beaut! I've had some of my best meals there, and it even features in the background of a two-second or so shot in the Bourne Identity.

Two good 'uns in Lyon visited last month: La Meuniere, Rue Neuve: one of the starter options was a sample of ten starters - help yourself from the bowls brought to the table, including lentil salad (I have no idea how they made lentils taste so good!), tete de veau, pied de veau, pied de mouton, herring, musseau in vinegar... and a whole roasted veal kidney for main course. Admittedly, if you're not wanting offal you're probably going to struggle. The other place a proper locals' bouchon called Chez Paul on Rue Major Martin. This wasn't high-cuisine, but good food done simply and correctly. Again, lots of offal and good value pots of beaujolais. Its popularity with the locals was clear from the number of people having to be turned away. The staff were friendly and helpful both to established customers and barely francophone visitors like us. It made for a very enjoyable meal, which, at something like 60 euros for two, was fine value.

Last time I was at La Regalade was October/November 2002 and it was just as good as ever. For value it's up there with Chez Michel in the 10th (I think?) and George Blanc's L'Ancienne Auberge in Vonnas (sorry, nowhere near Paris), which I was at last week and had one of the best meals of my life.

Cheers again everyone Pan, having studied medieval history at uni I am planning on getting to as many such sites as possible - Cluny, Vezelay etc - which is likely to eat into my food-time, but such is life. We're looking at a number of B&B/fermes options at the moment, so we may end up having a few local home cooking experiences along with the odd restaurant blow out.

I'd imagine horse piss is fairly strongly flavoured, which you can't really say about US Bud.

Thanks for your advice everyone. I've also found a few previous threads the old fashioned, trawling way (the search facility seems to be malfunctioning). Cannot wait to get there now...

Off to Burgundy, via Lyon, in a couple of weeks' time and have searched the forum for any recommendations for restaurants/foodie shops/producers/accommodation to no avail. Anyone have any suggestions? I know of Georges Blanc, and will probably be giving L'Ancienne Auberge a try, but any other info would be gratefully received. Thanks Scran

Am I alone in thinking that restaurant staff not topping up my wine is a good thing?

Is A Cook's Tour ever going to get aired in the UK? I enjoyed the book, but have seen neither hide nor hair of the series on TV. Unless it's languishing on some cable channel somewhere....

What's l'addition like at the end of the day? I'm possibly going to Lyon in a couple of months and fancy having a spread of meals at different priced restaurants.

Cafe St Honore is indeed a good restaurant. Not really cheap, but also not too expensive. They do a pre-theatre, apres-cinq menu 5-7pm. The Vintners Room down in Leith is excellent as well. Very rich French stuff available there. I could barely walk out the door last time I was there. A bit more expensive, but very reasonable by metropolitan standards. Petit Paris is decent for honest and cheap French scran. As well as Kalpna, there's another very good veggie indian (Gunjarati?) place across the road from it called Ann Purna. Of the two, it's the one I prefer. Both are very affordable. Valvona and Crolla's cafe/restaurant is well-worth a visit for lunch, and they may be open during the evening during the festival as well. Plaisir du Chocolat in the Canongate is pretty damn good if you're a chocoholic. I've heard the Tower is over-rated as well, though I've never been. I think it's owned by the Witchery people.