Tea, Coffee and beautiful cakes made in their own Boulangerie-Patisserie, served in a friendly atmosphere. Situated just off the main square.

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It's nice to see younger people starting up restaurants in Languedoc, breathing some new life into the sector. 'Le Cafe' is run by a young couple, who have decorated it in a very modern style (lots of earthy colours, funky lights, sculptural wood and clean lines). The food is simple by very well executed - my beef and salmon brochettes were excellent - the beef was juicy and even had a hint of chili (mon dieu!) and salmon had been marinated (sacre bleu!) before being grilled, and was soft and delicious. The staff were very friendly and smily, and an open-plan to the restaurant meant you can see the chefs at work behind their counter. It's right in the main port area - opposite the Noilly Prat building. If you're in the mood for something a little more modern and 'cool' then this is the place for you.

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I'm stretching the definition of restaurant here: a "restaurant" is where you go to "restaurer" yourself when jaded. Grand Frais in Narbonne is a store where you can buy a truly breathtaking selection of fresh vegetables, fruit and meat. It opened 14 months ago and has already made Carrefour and Geant look like Somerfield. Six or seven types of tomato: six varieties of mushroom: every herb you can think of: chirimoyas (custard apples) from Spain: pineapples: cheeses "fermier": five types of melon: every conceivable green or root vegetable: the list goes on. Customer service is exemplary - ask if a melon is ripe, they'll cut one open for you. This is my type of "restaurant".

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Beautifully situated small restaurant on side of Canal.Run by delightful young enthusiastic couple from Paris. The set menu has 3/4 choices in each category and is E29 Recommend the Cauliflour Soup, Quail, and chocolate desert as being perfect, an Amuse Bouche and a Trou Normand are also included in the Set Menu.Well worth a visit. Easy Parking. Closed Wednesdays.

We had a delightful meal -- nicely served and beautifully presented. The restaurant is pleasantly decorated and the tables are set, so that one can have conversation without being overheard. The €29 menu is good value and it was a diffucult choice among the three main courses -- lemon sole, duck and veal. We chose the lemon sole, as it is rare to find this fish on menus here. We will return soon!

Having spent a week in Poilhes we went to the restaurant twice, great food and wine, we tried the 18 euro menu the trout was excellent great value for money.

We stayed in this area for 4 weeks in May 08 and this was by far the best restaurant .The food was superb and the service was great .We thought both menus were good value for money .

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Really interesting simple small Wine Bar-Restaurant, serving French dishes and Tapas. Concentration on range of good Wines. Good ambiance and friendly service.

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My builder recommended this restaurant one dark and stormy night when everything seemed closed for the season. My wife and I turned off the D908 at Poujol sur Orb and drove through the torrential rain for what seemed like forever up a narrow twisting mountain road that he told us led to the village of Combes. Finally we arrived at the Auberge (don't worry, you can't miss it) and sat down to one of the most memorable meals I've ever had in my life. The restaurant is one of several owned by an association of chefs dedicated to using locally sourced ingredients. The food is delicious and beautifully presented and the wine list is extensive and reasonable, specialising in Languedocian producers. There is a stunning view from the terrace and from the big table by the picture window. If you're up to it, go for the menu gastronomique - then you can roll all the way back down the road to Poujol sur Orb. Alex and Sally Norton Olargues

I concur completely with the review above. We were surprised to find so good a restaurant so far off the beaten track. The food is inventive and delicious, and the huge windows overlooking the Orb valley below are equally memorable. Definately worth the drive.

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A lovely,friendly restaurant in the Hotel Le Guillaume d'Orange, run by a young couple who clearly love food (she cooks and he serves, though sometimes he cooks also !). The menu is limited to two formules at 17,50 or 25,00 euros excluding wine, with about 4 choices per menu and per course. The food is local,seasonal, fresh and beautifully presented. There is a very good wine list featuring wines from the Languedoc and the waiters are very knowledgable about the wines. Service is professional and friendly, nothing seems too much trouble. The decor is understated and a mix of modern and traditional. The ambience is very relaxed.In the warm weather you can eat outside on the terrace overlooking the Herault river. I have been several times since this young couple took over in spring 2006 and have never had a bad meal.In terms of quality/price I think it is one of the best restaurants in the Clermont l'Herault area.

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Very interesting restaurant with a lot of local wines (Berlou)- not expensif). Decor very nice and in the summer you can eat outside in the middle of this little small village. the neighbour: Cave cooperative de Berlou - open 7/7 for the local wine

Real find in charming village surrounded by vines of AOC St Chinian. Consistently creative and sensitively prepared cuisine. Exquisite flavours from a broad repertoire - we particularly liked the lamb and fish dishes. We shall return!

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This most French of French restaurants offers some truly spectacular food - the sort you'd probably pay a small fortune for in London or Paris. But the €28, €38 and €54 menus are really very reasonable when you consider the quality of the fare. After a d'amuse bouche of frothy cream of artichoke broth with nut oil and hazlenuts, I dove into a delicious starter of foie gras, boudin (blood sausage) on top of mashed potato and a glazed slice of apple. My main of pigeon breast (incredibly tender) and livers was also superb. After a pre-dessert the ordered deserts looked like something out of the museum of modern art - very architectural and spectacular and very rich. Unfortunately, like so many French restaurants, the ambiance was lacking. The decor, strangely circa 1985, felt more like a dated office suite than a restaurant. And the service was very formal and stilted, lots of grastronmic deferance and pomp and circumstance. Overall, though, I don't mind sitting in an office and waited on by nervous staff when the food was quite this superb. I haven't had food any better than this anywhere in Languedoc. If they could just move the whole thing into a space more fitting, with heavy wood panneling, perhaps, antiques and an open fire, it would be perfect. I have to add that this is also a place for the wine connoisseur. The wine list is an impressive book with a fantastic collection of wines from all regions and this is backed up with knowledgable Somellier. We chose a wonderful AOC Chablis Grossot to go with the starters (most of the party was eating fish) followed by 1995 Hermitage Grippat and then an excellent local Pinot Noir from Bedarieux, VDP d'OC Clovallon 2005. A place for a celebration or just that special occasion.

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It rare that a restaurant gets it all right. So often in France it's the decor that lets it down. But not here. Overlooking the etang, with the odd flock of flamingoes flying past the window, Le Portanel (in the gorgeous little vilalge of Bages) is beautifully decorated in a mildly nautical theme. It's all light and bright and cheerful, with not a plastic table mat in sight. The food is lovely, mostly sea food, it too is light and tasty. The crab soup is gorgeous. And all the fish is incredibly fresh. Make sure to book a table by the window - because the view is superb (especially for lunch). The staff are also extremely friendly, and not overly formal.

Le Portanel occupies a commanding position overlooking the Etang de Bages in the small hilltop village of the same name. The Etang provides both the majority of the ingredients for the menus and the backdrop to the large picture windows, which make up one end of this restaurant. A table by the window is, therefore, an absolute must. Menus range from €18 to €35 plus a local speciality €38 Degustation D’Anguilles if you are in the mood for 6 courses of eel variations! Our €25 menu consisted of four courses but the delightful gazpacho amuse bouche and fabulous petits fours with coffee really made it into a six course feast. The highlight was the ‘Fraicheurs D’hivers’ first course, which clearly allowed the chef to demonstrate his diverse culinary expertise. The single fresh oyster, tuna carpaccio, marinated scallop, spoon of caviar, unexpectedly delicious eel terrine and confit courgette and red pepper was one of the most sublime plates of food I have ever eaten. Everything that followed was excellent but struggled to complete with the brilliance of the starter, although special mention must be made of the perfection of the macaroons that accompanied dessert. The lunch was enlivened by an excellent bottle of white wine from La Clape, directly opposite on the other side of the Etang, and efficient and attentive service. Even on a Friday in January there was a good atmosphere and plenty of custom for a midweek lunch. I suspect a booking is essential later in the year.

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This fish restaurant in the charming little fising village of Bouzigues promised a lot. It's perfectly placed - with views across the Etang de Thau, over the oyster beds, to Sete, and to the left, a good view of Bouzigues itself, with its pretty pastel houses. The ambiance was good - quite buzzy (it was a sunny sunday in March), with tables piled high with ostentatious platters of oysters, prawns and muscles. The food is good - but it's realively simple fare - oysters, grilled fish, prawns and squid. My fish soup was excellent - light yet very tasty. The 'Meli Melo' - a mix of fish brochette, grilled squid and grilled giant prawn was OK - the prawn was over-cooked and tough, but the fish was superb. For what it is, the prices are pretty high. My Meli Melo came in at €27 - which is more than an entire menu at most restaurants. But I suppose you're paying for that superb view. The sevice was a little flat - we managed to squeeze a smile out of a rather lemon-faced waitress by the end of the meal, but it was hard work. You get the impression that, ideally placed, they don't have to work too hard to fill the place, and are probably making a packet.

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Found whilst on a canal holiday on the Canal du Midi. Tucked away on the rive gauche (Quai des negociants) at Homps En Bonne Compagnie is a restaurant - mostly open air but with a cool interior dining room that serves, for what seems to be be very fair prices, some of the best food I have eaten in that part of the world. Very accomplished cooking in the modern French style with more than a nod towards other influences - Pacific Rim, Asian and European. When you find that Craig the chef hails from Yorkshire and found his way to France via Boodles Club , Mosimann's Club and the the Queen Elizabeth II; and partner Valerie is half French the case for fusion cooking and foreign travel becomes compelling. I was drawn to this place by stories of the legendary banana and toffee vodka souffle - and it is true that the desserts are exceptional, all concocted and created in house. However, it is in the subtle blending of starters and main courses that this small, maybe 30 covers, restaurant excels. The menu seems to change every time I visit and the lunch menu varies by the week. Watch out for the mushroom and beanspout spring rolls with dressing. Fresh fish is always on the menu and a vegetarian option is available in the evenings. Memorable was the roasted pepper and tagliatelle with fresh pesto a la maison. Game dishes appear in the autumn, exquisitely done to London clubland standards but it is the lighter meat and poultry courses that most delight. Marinated lamb filet with red wine with baby vegetables, filet mignon of pork on crushed potato with grain mustard, braised lamb shanks with the now fashionable crushed potatos were memorable. The chicken and king prawn kebabs startled locals but did not deter them from experiment. My only criticism has been the rather limited wine list, although the Chateau Haut Bassenel raised the game considerably. The delightful Domaine de la Colombette rose and their chardonnay are a welcome lunchtime tipple. The closer the wine list gets to Faugeres the better it gets. Nick Wright

This restaurant provides French cuisine with a modern twist. The menu changes monthly, however whilst we were there my partner and I enjoyed a crispy duck noodle salad for starters, whilst our friends enjoyed a fish soup and for main I had monkfish with avocado sauce (which was gorgeous), whilst my fellow diners had pork wrapped in pastry (also yummy). The food was excellent, however unfortunately the weather on this evening was not good and therefore we sat inside the restaurant. The dining room is small, with four (small) tables, each can hold only four people, luckily we had booked which is highly recommended if the weather is bad. I would recommend this restaurant more highly if I had been sitting outside, as here the setting is much better, with a view of the Canal du Midi and the shelter of a garden trellis adorned with fairly lights. The waitress serving us was very friendly, albeit a little nervous – however she was new and I’m sure in a few more weeks will be much more confident. We met the English chef as my friend enjoyed the special soufflé desert and this is served personally by him. The chef has worked in Michelin restaurants in the past which I believe shows in his food.

The retaurant has had a major revamp during the winter 07-08 and there is now considerably more space available outside and thus a much better ambiance. Menus, which have changed, are available on their internet site 'i.e Dishes previously praised may no longer be available)

I simply cannot believe the reviews of this place - I hated it. We were plagued by flies the entire time (never a good sign), the menu was extremely limited and really rather odd - a choice of liver and bacon or salmon with an oat meal crust...yuck...it was 35 degrees for goodness sake! Starter choices were either cold carrot soup (bland and soapy) or some sort of mussel salad made with frozen mussels..shocking. Gave up at that point and didn't order a dessert. Very very poor indeed. I also thought it was scruffy and over priced and the service was decidedly amateur. It's a shame because it could have been so much better in every way. Go elsewhere.

Always a pleasure to dine here. Loved the food when we visited last week-end and we will be back again in the very near future. (By the way - Scallops and Black pudding really does work!) I personnaly love the crayfish tail sauce, but who wouldn't, only somebody who cannot appreciate decent food. Craig does very well here and service is always impeccable - well done folks.

We have eaten at this restaurant on several occasions. Food has always been very good and the welcome superb. Sensibly priced on the banks of the Canal du Midi, what more could one ask for. A MUST Joan and Terry Purple Ring 04 68 91 23 16 for reservations lunchtimes or evenings

My wife & I ate in Craig's restaurant at the end of July. Like Peter woodcock we had the cold soup and the liver. As our meal was excellent, tasty cold soup, pan fried calf's liver pink and tender with and excellent red wine jus, served with crushed potatos with olive oil,we cannot understand his comment. Did he speak to the chef when he found the food was not to his satisfaction? Did he eat up and walk away without a word? All chefs have off days but they welcome criticism when it is due. If you eat and pay and walk away, you are signifying satisfaction. I always send back dishes which are unacceptable. that way everyone wins.

I have returned to this restautarant year after year and always found the food & service to be excellent. A creative menu with complimentry wines are always available and we will be returning again next year. I cannot imagine what sort of bad day Peter Woodcock was having but to blame it on this fantastic restaurant is unthinkable

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If you fance a tasty meal, prepared by the bubbly Soraya, that is great value - then this is the place for you. The food is simple as is the decor but the atmosphere relaxed and friendly. We had a filling meal for two with wine and coffee for €25. Specialities include; kebab, tajines, couscous etc. In the summer there is a terrace outside but be warned this is popular with the locals so booking is advisable during the season.

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L'Edelweiss is a new restaurant, opened in Montpellier by a couple who used to have a similar restaurant in Nimes. It specializes in Swiss cuisine, with a good background of traditional French food on the menu. Some of the Swiss specialities include fondues of all sorts and 'Pierres chaudes' my favorite, with either meat or fish and a variety of sauces. The quality of the food is excellent, and the prices very attractive. The restaurant is open for lunch everyday, and dinner only on Friday evenings. Last time I was there I had the 'Marché' menu for 11 euros, first course, main course and dessert. The first course was a lovely and very French paté made of pork and greens, served with a small salad on the side, the main course was fish with butter and lemon sauce and nice vegetable sides of a baked potato and some green beans with shallots. Dessert was a very unusual and good cold terrine of citrus fruits in honey jelly with a scoop of gingerbread ice cream. Everything I just described was 11 euros. One of my current favorites, you won't be sorry to tried it. Call to make reservations, last time I was there, people had come all the way from Nimes for dinner!

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If you are looking for a typical french style bistro...then this is it. The decor is lovely, complete with red check table cloths. Food and service are both very good, we arrived Saturday evening around 9.30 the place was buzzing with families, couples old and young and all french, whch we took as a good sign.

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Cost for two: 150 € (à la carte). September 2006. Web: www.oustaldebaumes.com
A tip off from Lutz Engelmann of the nearby Auberge du Cedre (see above) led us to this renovated Mas and one time glass making site (Verrerie) in the middle of garrigue just north of the Pic St Loup. Local chef Eric Tapis offers sound contemporary dishes from a shortish menu using seasonal regional ingredients. He also and keeps the dishes simple, examples being an egg gateau with ceps and roast pigeon with figs. Downside? Salmon of undeclared origin as the only fish on offer and desserts that were OK but no more. Note this is also a hotel and certainly a place to get away from it all.

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Situated right on the sea front, a stone's throw from the beach, Can Marcel has a clean, white decor pepped up with brightly coloured paintings in a contemporary style. Everything is modern, stylish and appealing. The seafood is delicious: our group tried zarzuela (a Catalan fish stew), grilled king prawns, sole, turbot, sardines, monk fish, crayfish, and Le Mariscal - a huge plate of razor clams, mussels, crayfish, lobster and prawns. It was all freshly cooked and fabulous. Heartily recommended.

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La Fourchette Folle, on the Canal du Midi, is run by an English family hoping to become "accepted". The word-of-mouth from our French friends is that they have succeeded. There is a formal upstairs restaurant but it's more fun eating in the little bar downstairs, listening to the exchanges between the staff and their French customers. We lunched there with French friends on the plat du jour which turned out to be full English breakfast - poached eggs with mayonnaise and a demi-litre of red. Our French friend re-wrote the finer points of the menu during lunch! Go there for a honest food and a laugh.

This restaurant and bar found in the tiny village of Roubia is absolutely wonderful. Just going into the bar you get the whole french feeling' that you just don't get in England. We experienced great conversations and deliberations with the really friendly bar staff and customers who always can give you their outlook on life in general and you get to hear all the village gossip. The restaurant next door is beautifully and tastefully decorated but the best part is the food that they serve. There doesn't seem to be much on your plate for dinner but once you start to taste the fresh flavours of the food you can appreciate the work that has gone into purchasing the freshest ingredients and putting them together in a new and vibrant way. Whilst we were there Sunday lunches were being served, these are a work of art on their own and you certainly leave the table feeling comforted and full. The soups some highly recommended. Everything about this place is friendly,nothing is too much trouble and we are definately going to visit again when in the region.

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Recently taken over and revamped, La Reserve Rimbaud is now one of Montpellier's smartest and most expensive fine dining addresses. Its has a great location beside the River Lez in the leafy suburb of Les Aubes (ask for a table out on the deck) and the decor is tasteful shades of white and mushroom. The clientele is well-heeled, the food is beautifully prepared and served, and the whole experience is very upmarket. Lunchtime set menu is 27 euros, evenings 45 euros, or go a la carte with starters from 14, mains from 26, desserts from 9. Luxury on a dinner plate. Divine!

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It seems the inmates have taken over the asylum. That is what I first thought when I heard an English-New Zealander couple were turning out fantastic food in their own restaurant here in Herault. Located a few kilometers north of Clemont L”Herault in the quiet village of St. Guiraud, Le Mimosa occupies a lovely old wine maker’s house. Walking past the kitchen into the dining room, one encounters 10 tables that are well spaced in a quiet, tasteful room that exudes restrained elegance.

Deciding for the set menu which presents four offerings from a la carte plus an extensive cheese board and a dessert from the trolley seemed a good way to see what this kitchen was all about. Our first course was tuna that had been marinated in Swedish acquavit with wasabi cream on the side. The tuna was so soft it almost melted on the tongue. Such was the refinement that the wasabi almost became an intrusion on the palate. The next dish was saddle of rabbit and quail eggs on a bed of wild salad leaves that had been picked locally. The combination of tastes and textures imploded in my mouth and if I had to pick a winner of what turned out to be an excellent meal this would be the one. Next up was sea wolf with orange peel, broccoli and potatoes with essence of cardamon and olive oil. The fish was not overcooked and with just the right combination of piquancy to make the sum greater than the individual components. This was followed by roasted pigeon with lentils and spinach, a hearty plate with robust flavors. It was the perfect foil to what had preceded it. As with all good meals one became full but not bloated which was just as well because missing out on the great selection of cheeses and desserts would have been a pity.

This is intelligent cooking employing excellent local ingredients. It was to my mind more like a fine restaurant in Italy rather than France in making use of natural flavors and keeping it simple, while in reality it was anything but that. When I asked David Pugh, owner, pleasant host and wine lover why he thought they had not received any Michelin stars he also felt it was because of their lack of tricks. His wife Bridget, who is in charge of the cooking is largely self- taught so she comes free of the baggage that tradition imposes. The result is cooking with a passion and flexibility. This was evident in the way dishes were adapted for a vegetarian seated at a nearby table. This does not happen often when a chef has to keep up with formula of keeping one’s star.

The wine list was no less impressive. Not only were all the best local houses represented but so were their colleagues from the other important areas in France including the often underrated Alsace. It is a first rate cave. A suggestion: might it possible to also see some new world wines, say from New Zealand to also go with the eclectic cosmopolitan menus. One can also opt for a wine degustation with each dish for € 27 p.p.

Service was friendly and efficient. While the Pugh’s speak French fluently, English speakers will have an easy ride of it. The only hiccup was we were having the wine degustation, and once or twice the wine arrived a bit latter than the food; however this is niggling in what was a lovely dinner.

As with most nice things in life it doesn’t come free, but if one considers the quality and quantity of the meal then € 54 p.p. takes on another dimension. A la carte is from € 54- € 84.David also told me that in May they will open La Terrasse du Mimosa in nearby Montpeyroux where lunches can be had for € 19.

Directions: 7 kms north of Clemont-L’Herault. Take the N 9, N 109, D 908, D141 and D 130 (or you can just follow the signs as I did). Open: dinners only except Sunday for lunch. Closed Sunday evenings

Cost for two: Dinner 130 €. Many visits

Fantasise about your ideal country restaurant - simple and intelligent food using top quality ingredients that also excites, a relaxed homely atmosphere, comfortable but not grand, warm service, great value, world class niche wine list, outstanding cheese board. This is it. Over the years since 1984 Bridget and David Pugh have created this perfection and since "discovering" it in April 1993 we have been fortunate to eat here more than anywhere else. We always have the menu that offers four dishes from the carte, plus cheese (home matured, not to be missed) and the dessert trolley. The wine list is a gem for the local wines, plus growers from the Rhone and Provençe, and is a showpiece for the most exciting up and coming wine region in the world today. For around 27 € David will provide you with an appropriate interesting wine for each course. For accommodation they have a super nearby hotel Ostalariá Cardabela - a traditional village building tastefully renovated.
Note that Le Mimosa is open for dinner only Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday lunch. They close from early November to mid-March.

We have dined at Le Mimosa more times than any other restaurant anywhere. The relaxing dining room combines simplicity without modern minimalism and in hot weather a table on the patio takes in the atmosphere of the charming courtyard.

We invariably start with the latest vintage of local Mas Julian white which is always available by the glass. As we study the menu the nibbles arrive, perhaps subtly marinated local Lucques (green olives) with some irresistible coated nuts.

As usual David or cusinière Bridget Pugh will propose a menu of the day based on local ingredients from suppliers established from years of research. Most diners opt for this - four light dishes followed by cheese (do not miss cheese here) and the dessert trolley. All that remains is to select a bottle of wine supported by David's first hand local knowledge.

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