vino

Any great restaurants in the center of St Emilion? We will be spending a night there and I am looking for any suggestions. Thanks

Flyboy

L'Enverse du Decor is located on Rue du Clocher. We found it to be an excellent place for a great lunch in the heart of historic St. Emilion, so I imagine they can do a decent job on dinner, too. This Bistro-Cave will give you a wonderful meal and a fantastic selection of wines to choose from. There is an outdoor dining area in addition to indoor dining rooms. Regional specialties are well-prepared. (You'll understand the name of the establishment as soon as you get there.) The place has a very comfortable personality featuring a decent service standard, good food -- and yet, a welcome bit of informal funkiness to the whole thing. 'English spoken with a French accent' is part of the deal, if you'd like.

StCirq

The best restaurant in St-Emilion is also the hardest to find. It's Restaurant Francis Goulée, and it's tucked away in a little alley at 27, rue Gaudet. You can almost be guaranteed to be dining with many of the St-Emilion vintners there on any given day.

Flyboy

For the record, I would generally defer to StCirq in these matters. Having followed her posts for years and even having had dinner with her myself on one occasion, I feel comfortable vouching for StCirq as a person of good and sophisticated tastes!

StCirq

And for the record, too, I've had lunch at L'Enverse du Décor and it was lovely - foie gras with confit of figs, duckling with root vegetables in a delicious broth, and one of the best crème caramels I've tasted.

Lexma90

In 2002, we had a very nice dinner at Hostellerie du Plaisance, which at the time had a Michelin star (have no idea on current status). Pleasant surroundings, great service, and wonderful food.

vino

Thank you for the suggestions. Do we need to make reservations??

vino

ttt

shag

In summer of 2002 we also stayed at Hostellerie du Plaisance and had dinner there. Both the hotel stay and the dinner were highlights of our trip! Location and views from this hotel are breathtaking- I would go back in a heart beat!

Lexma90

If you're asking about Hostellerie du Plaisance, it probably depends somewhat on which day you'll be there and the time of year. But, yes, I would make reservations.

Chella

Hi all,
Just read this post. Thanks, for the info on restaurants and the recommendation for the Hostellerie du Plaisance. We just made reservations to fly to Bordeau via Amsterdam and will stay one night in St. Emilion. Then we will go to the Dordogne area. Any other hotels in St. Emilion to recommend?
Thanks.

StCirq

The Auberge de la Commanderie and the Hôtel Au Logis des Remparts are also very nice.

gailscout

Would you know if L'Enverse du Decor takes reservations for lunch? We ate there in 2002 and loved it. We plan to go again next month.

Flyboy

You probably won't need them for lunch and they may not even take them, but it's always easiest to err on the side of trying to make a reservation. It is frequently seen as a nice gesture in many places, whether it is necessary or not. It says you've put a little thought into it and chosen their establishment deliberately, rather than simply stumbling upon it.

Flyboy

Here's something from Wine Spectator that ran in their Bordeaux 2000 feature:

L'Envers du Décor
11 rue du Clocher, 33000 St.-Emilion
Telephone 33-5-57-74-48-31
Fax 33-5-57-24-68-90
Open Lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday; lunch, Saturday and Sunday
Cost Entrées $10-$15
Credit cards Visa, MasterCard, American Express

This is St.-Emilion's only true wine bar -- and a hangout for local winegrowers. The food is rough and ready, but tasty: omelettes, sausages, steaks and salads. An interesting wine list offers many choices served by the glass.

Lexma90

I'll second a recommendation for the Hôtel Au Logis des Remparts. The rooms are nice, but not luxurious, but they have a nice terrace in back that backs onto vineyards. The location is central.