Languedoc dining

[PaulaJK]

We are considering a rather casual, wandering exploration of this region in early September. We'd appreciate any dining recommendations. Also, has anyone dined at Jardin des Sens?

[Vinotas]

We are considering a rather casual, wandering exploration of this region in early September. We'd appreciate any dining recommendations. Also, has anyone dined at Jardin des Sens?

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Where will you be? The Languedoc is a HUGE area, so you might want to be more specific. From your question, however, it sounds like you'll be in Montpellier, or at least based there.

In the city, there is the Jardin des Sens (never been myself), l'Atypique (very good, TINY bistrot in the Old Town, I wrote a blog posting about my experiences there: http://vinotas.blogspot.com/search?q=l%27Atypique), Le Petit Jardin (nice atmosphere and garden out back).

I've never been but I've heard good things about Le Mimosa in St Guiraud, about 45 minutes away by car. Also, L'Auberge des Cedres in Pic St Loup is excellent but expensive. Another good place is in Magalas, O Bontemps (also blogged about it, here: http://vinotas.blogspot.com/2007/09/two-gr...languedoc.html).

On the Etang de Thau there are many small fishing villages with some pretty good, fresh seafood too. I am there right now (outside Meze) and had dinner (fresh sea snails, raw mussels, grilled cuttlefish) last night at a lovely place with one of my local winemakers (Felines Jourdan), Les Jardins de la Mer, in Bouzigues.

Hope this helps,

Cheers!

Edited May 30, 2009 by Vinotas (log)

[PaulaJK]

Thank you for your recommendations.

We will meander from Montpellier to Collioure to Carcassone to

Toulouse. Of course, we'll be doing day trips to other cities.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

First, Graham Tigg is a must read. We have never been sorry after following one of his leads.

We love Le Mimosa and recommend staying at their tiny hotel that is located a few km away from the restaurant. You will not find a more knowledgeable tutor for the best wines from the area than David Pugh.

Auberge de Cedre is a good address with a split personality: the rooms in the main building are fairly primitive while the garden room is quite large and comfortable with en suite bath; meals are basic pension during the week with a more ambitious menu served only on weekends.

I strongly recommend reading Virgile's Vineyard which catalogs a year in the St. Saternin area with excellent references to people and places related to local food and wine. Although we have spent some amount of time in the area, this book (which I picked up at Le Mimosa) has provided us with many new addresses. (You should be able to find it at your public library).

Just west of Uzes is a wonderful and unusual restaurant: a restaurant on a poultry farm that serves only, right, poultry. La Bruyerette, in a hamlet of the same name and near the village of Aigaliers ( 04.66.20.64.92) serves several lunch and dinner menus from Thursday through Sunday. We enjoyed a delightful Easter Sunday lunch this year. (I learned of this good address, many thanks, from eGullet's Abra.)

Edited to add: I want to point out that Auberge de Cedre has upgraded most of its rooms to "en suite" or including private baths. This is major upgrade at this sweet address.

[kerriar]

Vinotas - I don't think Auberge de Cedre can be classed as pricey.

Leaving aside the inexpensive accommodation (which was really not to everybody's taste - Margaret's news about the upgrade is welcome), the website is showing menus this year at €30 and €39. Even going a la carte will not push this up too much.

The wine list however is difficult to beat - nearly all local and great rapport prix/qualité. Over the years, the cellar has been assembled with skill and enthusiasm. These wines Languedoc wines are increasingly on the lists of some of the world's great restaurants but never at these prices.

More generally, you won't go wrong with Graham Tigg's guidance.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

The wine list however is difficult to beat - nearly all local and great rapport prix/qualité. Over the years, the cellar has been assembled with skill and enthusiasm. These wines Languedoc wines are increasingly on the lists of some of the world's great restaurants but never at these prices.

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Indeed. Here is the current wine list.

[grahamtigg]

Thank you for all the supportive comments on my site.

I would also recommend Arrazat's Aubergines which is Patrick Moon's follow up book to Virgil's Vineyard. It has a bit more substance with plenty more food and drink related addresses.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I am delighted to find that Auberge de Saugras finally has a website. Thanks to another of Tigg's recommendations, we enjoyed a lovely Easter lunch here several years ago. It is in a wonderful area of high garrique northwest of Montpelier. While the food was quite good, what I remember most was the welcome, the setting and the feeling that this was a very individual kind of place. All of the other diners were locals enjoying a holiday. I "need" to return here and spend a night or so and the website makes it much easier to plan. Notice also the excellent carte of local wines.

[pmetz]

I also would like to recommend Le Mimosa in Saint Guiraud, a great place for a gastronomical dinner.

Also highly recommended is the little sister of Le Mimosa,La Terrasse du Mimosa, a wine bar, wine shop and restaurant in Montpeyroux, roughly 5 km from St. Guiraud.

The wineshop has by far the largest selection of local wines, all at the same price as at the winery. A very low 8 euros corkage is charged to consume the wine in the restaurant....great deals can be had. Open every day during summer, lunch and dinner.

Edited June 4, 2009 by pmetz (log)

[Matthew Grant]

For The French Catalan coast TRY HERE

In Collioure I can recommend La Balette whcih was recently awarded a Michelin star (and is slap bang next door to the Neptune which lost theirs). Crappy room though but it might be nice if the weather is warm enough to sit on the terrace. No major fireworks but solid cooking. Service seems nervous and unorganised. I've made the place sound really awful but it really isn't that bad and the cooking is pretty solid including a good "anchovy sushi" dish.

For something a little more casual you could try Casa Leon (rue Riere) which served a very nicely cooked Turbot and grilled prawns. For something a little different (though not too much) Le 5eme Peche has a Japanese chef with seemingly decent pedigree including stints at Michel Bras and Le Grand Vefour amongst others that I can't remember. I hesitate to use the word fusion but as thats what they called it we'll let it go. Again lovely fish with a few hints of Asia thrown in.

Otherwise most places are the same old menus in a different typeface but they are on the whole busy enough that the fish is likely to be fresh.

[Vine]

We went to Jardin des Sens 2 years ago and had a superb meal. The service was friendly and very helpful (great guidance on which local wine would go best with our food) - invitingly casual for a starred restaurant. The room itself feels quite large and has a very different, but comfortable feel to it versus more traditional settings. I would recommend a night at the hotel with dinner - that way you can enjoy the food and wine and then walk to your bedroom. Cheers

Edited June 10, 2009 by Vine (log)