cchottel

I will be staying in Avignon for 4 days and Dijon for 3 in March/April. I always agree with your restaurant suggestions. Also, any ideas for a good place to lunch in Nimes and Rouen? I will be traveling alone.

Waldo

In Nimes, right behind the Roman Amphitheater, there is an area with many restaurants in a sort of circular pattern. They all looked good to me. In any event, my wife and I stopped at one (It was a lovely day, and all the restaurants had large umbrellas shading the outdoor tables), and we had the best quiche I've ever tasted. As I said, they all looked appetizing, so I think you can't go wrong wherever you go in that sort of piazza. The striking thing in the piazza was a lovely fountain with a scuptured crocodile and other similar creatures. There were children playing around it in a pleasant way. It was a lovely scene that keeps Nimes fresh in my mind.

Waldo

I also had what I believe was the best meal of that particular French trip, in Avignon. We were walking past the McDonalds in the center of town, and we mosied downstairs from Mac's to a COIN department store. They had a fantastic deli counter, and I asked the person there if he could make up a couple of sandwiches. He had no bread, but directed me upstairs and down a couple of stores to a bakery. We bought a couple of nice loaves of bread and took them back down to the Coin store. The guy whipped up a couple of fantastic sandwiches and we then bought a 3/4 liter of nice red wine in the liquor department. We then walked about two blocks to the large carousel in the gorgeous park in the middle of town. We sat on a low wall and proceeded to have a meal of a lifetime, watching life in Avignon go before our eyes with the carousel as the main attraction. Boy! am I getting melancholy for that life again.

cchottel

Thank you, Waldo. I hope the weather is nice enough for me to copy your experiences. I agree with missing the "life." Can't seem to duplicate it here. I remember less than a year after first visiting Paris, I asked my family if it was possible to be "homesick" for some place you had only been to once? I've been back twice, but this is my first trip to really venture outside of Paris. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, again.

jay

We were just in Avingion and ate at the Le Venaissin. I can tell you what we had but not where it is. I am a lousy note taker. THe food was really good it says.

Traviata

cchottel,

We had a great lunch at Chez Jacotte, 15, rue Fresque in Nimes...small little place that was filled with locals and very atmospheric..domed ceiling with no overhead lights, just candles everywhere...food was very good, and the mood even better...reservation or early arrival suggested..it was full by 12:30 and this was in November..

cocofromdijon

Bienvenue à Dijon cchotel!
Do you already know where you're going to have a nice meal?

If not, what is your price range?
coco

cigalechanta

In Avignon, across the bridge in Villeneuve I dined at Le Prieure (where I stayed) and at La Magnaneraie.
In Avignon Le Vernet, Café des Artistes, Bain Marie, Christian Etainne,
Heily Lucullus (sp?)
and Vielle Fontaine at the Hotel l'Europe.
In Rouen, at the Bistro D'Adrian near the Gros Horlorge.
in Nimes one of the cafes across from the forum.

julia_t

In Rouen I had a really enjoyable and the most amazing value meal at la Taverne du Vieux Marche in the Place du Vieux Marche (where Jeanne d'Arc was burned).

I was with 3 of my teenage children, and we each had the entree and plat for 12 euros a head, which included oysters for 2 of us, and the bill for soft drinks and half a litre of wine for me was just 65 euros.

Near the Cathedral we had ices later that evening - the camembert ice cream was very interesting! This was before the most amazing son et lumiere show featuring Monet's works of art.

Have a great trip.

Keren

If you happen to crave Italian food while in Dijon, try Simpatico. I had an excellent lunch there 4 months ago. The owner speaks fluent English. It's at 30 rue Berbisey.

cchottel

No Coco, although Sympatico sounds like a good choice, perhaps. Since I travel alone, I obviously don't want to go to a romantic candlelit restaurant, but like a good restaurant that would be something that locals might go to. Not as a celebration, but because it is a good neighborhood choice. Good food, moderate prices. Naturally, I would like to try somewhere that has good regional food. And regional wine. While in Burgundy...

cchottel

ttt

Brooke_Herron

Le Petit Auberge was my hands down favorite for quality, price, wine list, etc in Rouen (awesome pre fixe menu with tons of choices at either $18,$24 or $30/head for 4 courses a piece (except the $18 menu). I had the $24 menu and ordered mussels provencale style for 1st course, confit of duck over potatoes for the next course, then there were amazing cheese choices, and then dessert. Also ordered 3 different bottles of Loire white I was impressed with their selection and very reasonable pricing for wine. I've eaten out 5 times in Rouen since and nothing has compared on value, quality, and wine selections

In Avignon, there's a tiny place called Shus Calada with just one owner guy who cooks and a few tables. The menu du jour for lunch is cheap and in my experience, great. I got out of there with a $12 Euro bill after drinking a little quart of house Rosea nd having a plate of poached salmon over grilled rounds of eggplant with a side of arugula and a tiny cheese omelette (all cooked perfectly, nothing fishy, grilled crispy edges on Eggplant, etc).

I'm going to be checking him out again for lunch on this trip hopefully for dinner tomorrow evening in Avignon(if we get back in time from Nimes)

Brooke