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'If you could boil down just about every daydream
you've ever had about French provincial life, it would end up looking like this' "Small-town living in Gascony" by Sean Newsom Sunday Times, 13 May 2007 |
"Beyond Bordeaux and the great rivers lies the heartland of Gascony,
the armagnac country, a rolling landscape almost italian in style,
where appetities are gargantuan and of whose gourmand inhabitants
the whole South-West is respectful."
from Goose Fat and Garlic" by Jeanne Strang
Food and cooking is King around here. You'll find much of the cuisine is based around the duck, with of course foie gras holding centre stage. Whether you're for it or against it, it's a way of life for the folks round here and if you're a fan, you won't taste better the world over - guaranteed!
And where there's food of course there's wine. We are surrounded by vineyards, from the world famous Madiran, to the less well known but growing in popularity, Saint Mont. There's also the smaller privately owned vineyards where you can take an empty water bottle and have it filled with wine for about a euro a litre - and it's lovely wine (in fact if you don't have a water bottle, they'll even give you one!). It's these unknown places, slightly off the beaten track that'll give you memories you'll treasure forever. Because we live here, we can direct you to every one!
When you've sampled the wine, there's also the local speciality, Floc, which is a delightful aperitif and then of course Armagnac, which needs no explanation.
Restaurants we recommend in the village (every one!):
Le Pigeoneau which is a contemporary and stylish restaurant serving up-market local cuisine with a twist.
Le Pont d'arcole on the outskirts of the village (but still only a 10 minute walk) serves really good traditional regional food in a family setting.
D'artagnan is the main café, which offers a great fixed price menu or if you want to push the boat out, try Serge's garlic gambas and steak with foie gras…mmm.
L'auberge, which is usually dominated by local artisans (workies!) serves a great no choice menu and is worth a visit just for the buzz!
At Chez Momi et Domi where you can enjoy a daily menu of home cooked cuisine and local wine at prices that'll have you coming back for more!
Restaurants we'd recommend within a Gascon quart d'heure (25 mins- life here is relaxed!)
La Chaumiere de Bidouze (5 mins by car) is a family run establishment specializing in warm welcomes and regional cuisine.
Le Croc Mignon (15 mins by car) in Viella is a shy and unassuming restaurant, which serves up seriously good nosh at superb prices. The house rose is particularly good too at about 3 euro a litre!
Relais d'Aydie (15 mins by car) serves excellent food at amazing prices but you'll need a hearty appetite to get through their set menus which start at 11 euro including wine.
Le Monde a l'envers in Marciac (20 mins by car) is a resto serving super food in a super-stylish setting. Victoria and Anne-Marie are sure to give you a really warm welcome.
...And for that seriously special occasion, you could always try the 3-Michelin-starred Michel Guérard restaurant next to Eugenie les bains, which is about a 40 minute drive. According to Terence Conran this restaurant serves the most sublime steak of all.
