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Restaurants in and near Cahors
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Le Balandre *** (in the Hotel Terminus, near the station) Telephone: 05 65 53 32 00 Once the best restaurant in the Lot (it had a Michelin star), it's elegant but friendly. The food is excellent and the wine list is incredible. About 100 euros per person including fine wine. L'O à la Bouche ** 134, rue St Urcisse. Telephone: 05 65 35 65 69 By the Lot on the East side of town, close to the ball-bearing clock. Has a reputation for the best food in the old town, but is resting on its laurels a bit. Not too expensive: worth a visit. Auberge du vieux Cahors * 144, rue St Urcisse. Telephone: 05 65 35 06 05 An above-average restaurant in an interesting building. Open every day in season. Au Fil des Douceurs * Telephone: 05 65 22 13 04 A restaurant on a boat, but not touristy. On the outside of the boucle (East side), just upstream of the Pont Cabessut. Very reasonable set lunch. Desserts a speciality. Le Lamparo Opposite the covered market (La Halle) on the South side. Not a gourmet restaurant, but where the local business folks eat. Inexpensive. Fills up by 12:30. For those days when you don't want to spend two hours on a meal. Le Palais West Side of Boulevard Gambetta, a little up the hill from la mairie. Open all day and some English is spoken. The terrace under the white wisteria is great in fine summer weather. La Pizzéria 58, Boulevard Léon Gambetta, about a block up from the Pont Louis-Philippe. If you crave pizza, it's good here and not expensive. Some staff speak English. Many small local restaurants serve good traditional food. You may find that there is no printed menu, especially at lunchtime. Several Chinese restaurants serve a variety of Vietnamese and Cantonese dishes. West of Cahors Le Gindreau St Medard **** Telephone: 05 65 36 22 27 Exquisite food in a beautiful part of the Lot. Well worth the splurge. Allow 45 minutes to get there. La Récréation, Les Arques ** Telephone: 05 65 22 88 08 Made popular by the book "From Here You Can't See Paris" by Michael Sanders, it's very popular with anglophones. Excellent food, reasonably priced. Allow an hour to get there and find the place. Le Vinois, Caillac ** Go over the narrow suspension bridge from Douelle (West of Pradines) and then use your map. (The chef gives cooking classes). East of Cahors Claude Marco, Lamagdelaine ** Telephone: 05 65 35 30 64 A bit pretentious and the food is heavy (and expensive). Dress up. La Truite Dorée, Vers 05 65 31 41 51 A large hotel restaurant, not fancy, but one of my favourite places to eat a leisurely meal, especially on the terrace on a sunny day. Some general observations Restaurants generally open at noon (last comers at 1:00) and at 7:30 (last seatings around 9:30). If you call to make a reservation, a good time is when they are about to open (e.g. 11:45 or 7:00), preferably on a previous day, of course. Most restaurants are closed two days a week, usually Sunday and Monday. A few are open all day and every day, notably Le Palais (half way up the hill on Boulevard Gambetta) and Le Bordeaux (at the top of Gambetta, opposite the large parking lot). The French often quietly say "bonjour" or "bonsoir" to neighbouring tables when they arrive and "au revoir" or "bonne soiree" as they leave. It's all to do with sharing space. Tipping is optional, but customary at a low level, for instance 20 centimes on a coffee, one euro per person on a budget lunch, 5% on a dinner (maximum 10% if the service is really exceptional). |