Barb19

I,m leaving for France on July 19th and I am ready to start thinking about restaurants. We have some reservations at our hotels for some nights, and I usually search extensively through guidebooks and on the internet and often make reservations in advance from home. This does not always assure a great meal. Sometimes we ask a hotel clerk and have gotten mixed results with that method. Granted, everyone has different tastes so there is no foolproof method, but I would like to hear how other Fodorites (who consider good food an integral part of a trip to France) choose their restaurants. Also any recommendations for good restaurants in or near the following towns: Talloires, Miramar (Esterel, near Cannes), Varetz(Dordogne, near Brive) Carcassonne. Thanks for any help. Barb

cigalechanta

In Talloires, Pere Brise, and thew Auberge de Eriden.

rex

Also in Talloires, l'Abbaye (surely it's not for its guests only, I wouldn't think)... (oh, and it's Pere Bise? not Brise? right? whatever - - it's the only thing like that in Talloires)

...and I don't know where Miramar is, but as you drive the Corniche de l'Esterel you come out at the western end of Cannes right by a big golf course, and very near after is a place (I think) with the very unlikely name of "Le Sweet Shop". It may seem to be just an ice cream stand, but in fact, they have a terrific full menu (pretty much all seafood) that is "medium-priced" (? 15-25 euro?) and it will not disappoint you.

Best wishes,

Rex

rex

topping...

ira

Hi B

Recommended by other posters for Carcassone

In the lower village there is a pretty little restaurant called Chez Fred that serves somewhat modern takes
on local cuisine and that's good value.

Also in the lower village is Le Languedoc, for more classic fare. For seafood, Café de Turin. It's fairly near the Modern Art Museum.

Le Jardin de Tour, 04-68-25-71-24, 11 rue Porte d'Aude in the old town about 18E pp.

Les Fontaines du Soleil, 32 rue du Plo in the old town 04 68 47 87 06) about 10-25E pp

Bar à Vins, 6 rue du Plô. Best spot for drinking in the Cité is under the battlements on the terrace

flanneruk

You asked how we choose.

Buy a copy of the latest Gault Millau before leaving home, then choose those places that are interesting and good value.

Barb19

Thanks all for great suggestions. Flanneruk, I like Gault Millau guides very much, but the newer editions seem to be in French only. Do you know of any recently published Gault Millau guides in English? Are there any other good restaurant guides?

Lexma90

How do we choose restaurants? Pretty much the way you do, looking through guidebooks and on the internet, and searching on Fodor's. For smaller towns, like some that you're going to, it is more difficult. I don't much like wandering through towns, trying to decide on a meal, without some sort of guidance!

Sometimes the more specifically-focused guidebooks for particular regions or areas have recommendations; you might try the Cadogan guides, for example. You could try the websites for chowhound and eGullet. You didn't mention Michelin; you could check their red guide. (By the way, there's (or "was" - I have an old Michelin guide) a one-star rated restaurant/hotel in Varetz, Domaine de Castel Novel)

Also, you could try using a translation site (such as Babelfish) on the Gault Millau reviews; the translations aren't great, but you can usually get the gist of what's been said (especially if you know a little French).