Any Dordogne recommendations?
Mar 19th, 2003, 01:10 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Any Dordogne recommendations?
My wife and I are going to the Dorgdogne in France for a week in early April. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for either wonderful little hotels (175 euros maximum) or special places to eat. <BR>Can't wait! Phil.
Mar 19th, 2003, 08:15 PM
#3
Yes, both in the same place, the Hotel La Couleuvrine in Sarlat. Smallish but comfy rooms, wonderful food in the gorgeous dining room. We were there in April a few years ago and can't stop going back. Pray for the lemon tart being on the restaurant menu when you're there. http://www.la-couleuvrine.com/index.htm
Mar 19th, 2003, 09:24 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You can easily find wonderful hotels in the Dordogne for less than your budgeted amount.<BR><BR>On the Dordogne River, in the bastide village of Domme, is the 3-star l'Esplanade. You have gorgeous views of the valley from Domme, but if you stay here, there's a rather fearsome drive to the top of the hill and through the narrow village streets. Our room was nice but not luxurious. The hotel web site quotes a price of 65-145 Euros (I don't recall what we paid).<BR><BR>Another choice, close by, is La Belle Etoile (3 stars), in la Roque Gageac. We didn't stay here, only peeked into the lobby, but it looked nice and the location is great. La Roque is a picture-perfect village too.<BR><BR>Farther to the north is another gorgeous little town, Brantome. We stayed at la Moulin de L'Abbaye (4 stars). It may have been more than you're looking to spend, but it's a beautiful hotel located (as a former mill would be) right on the river, part of the Relais group, and we were treated wonderfully (including breakfast on a table in our room). Our room looked over (as I think all of them do) the river.<BR><BR>For restaurants, la Moulin is Michelin-rated; l'Esplanade was until recently, and we had fabulous meals at each. Also,in Vezac, le Relais des Cinq Chateaux, very good but not quite as good as the other two. Our other special place to eat was on the grounds of Chateau de Paymartin, where we dined outside at their picnic tables with a wealth of goodies bought at the market in Sarlat. The Chateau has two rooms you can stay in, too (110 Euros/night, including breakfast). We didn't see those rooms, but they looked nice in the brochure, and wouldn't it be grand to stay in a Chateau!<BR><BR>The Dordogne was more beautiful than I had anticipated, with fascinating castles & prehistoric sites to visit and great food (especially if you're, like I am, a lover of foie gras). You'll have a wonderful time!
Mar 20th, 2003, 08:56 AM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Peppy:<BR><BR>I would concentrate your visit on the area roughly defined by Sarlat/Les Eyzies/Montignac and make a long day trip or overnight to the Brantôme area, which while lovely, doesn't have nearly the number of interesting sights/good restaurants as the heart of the Périgord Noir.<BR>For 175 euros a night you can stay anywhere you like in the Dordogne - you'll be very hard-pressed to spend that kind of money. Since you're going in April, when it won't be crowded, l'Esplanade in Domme is an excellent choice, followed by the already mentioned Belle Etoile. I would not stay in Sarlat, but if I did I'd choose the Madeleine over the Couleuvrine by far.<BR>As mentioned, you could also stay at the Château de Puymartin on your budget, and that might be the thing to do, especially if you like ghosts. There is one in residence there.<BR>There are also myriad lovely small inns and B&Bs, but with your budget I'd stay at the highest-end places possible.<BR>Restaurants:<BR><BR>La Table du Terroir in La Chapelle-Aubareil<BR>Le Vieux Moulin in Les Eyzies<BR>Le Bois Safran in Audrix<BR>La Bastide in Monpazier<BR>Le Relais des Cinq Châteaux in Vitrac<BR>l'Esplanade in Domme (if you don't stay there, be sure to eat there!)<BR>La Belle Etoile in La Roque-Gageac (same as above)<BR>Le Tournepique in Castelnaud<BR>Le Centenaire in Les Eyzies (expensive)<BR>Whatever the ONLY restaurant in the village of Saint-Chamassy is (cannot remember the name, but it's worth a visit)<BR>Bonne route!
Mar 20th, 2003, 09:20 AM
#7
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You have picked a great region of France to visit.<BR>Another vote for the l'Esplanade in the medieval village of Domme. Gorgeous view of the Dorgdogne from our charming 2nd floor room, great service, outstanding gastronomic meals, etc. There is no fearsome drive, but then again I live in Los Angeles.Stop at the top of the road or you will be going back down the hill on a one way leaving the village.<BR>Another recommendation is the La Roseraie in Montignac-Lascaux of prehistoric cave paintings fame (English tours of LascauxII not to be missed). La Roseraie is in the center of a medieval village, beautiful 19th century townhouse, edge of the Vezere river, rose garden( thus the name),14 rooms. The meals are great-the young owner makes his own preserved Perigord specialties, which are used abundantly in the hotel's gourmet cuisine. Not as upscale as the l'Esplanade and also less expensive.
Mar 20th, 2003, 02:38 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A very strong vote against dining at la Moulin d'Abbaye in Brantome. We found it pretentious, snobby with fair to middling food and what can only be described as bizarre service (just about everything went wrong that could and the folks who ran the place couldn't care less). Clearly it is living on some past reputation. It is, however, very lovely as is Brantome. We were quite pleased with the Hotel Madeleine in Sarlat. Excellent dining room too. For good advice on the Dordogne I would defer to St. Cirq's posts on this board. Still stay away from La Moulin d'Abbaye in Brantome.
Mar 20th, 2003, 03:24 PM
#9
I ate at the LÁbbaye and we were treated very well and our waiter could not have been nicer. We stayed in the next town at the charming moulin de Roc<BR>(we found the food as good as at the Lábbaye.)
Mar 20th, 2003, 10:49 PM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
there are several 12th, 17th and 19th century apartments at the Villa des consuls in Sarlat - try this website : http://www.villaconsuls.com/index_english.htm<BR>They are quite cheap - 71 to 89 euros a night for April, also try this site: www.culture.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/ and http://www.arachnis.asso.fr/dordogne/guide1.htm for other hotels and info on the Dordogne area too. Not sure why St Cirq is not recommending Sarlat, but I would like to know?<BR>Bonnes vacances!
Mar 21st, 2003, 05:25 AM
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My husband and I stayed at Chateau de Puymartin last May. Our room was huge and beautiful, as was the entire castle. The same family has lived there since 1450 or so. The Comtesse de Montbrun served our breakfast; she is chic and very gracious, but speaks little English. Her elder son, Xavier, speaks very good English and gave us a full tour of the castle. If you speak even minimal French, it is a delightful place to stay.
