Bistrot de Gavaudun with terrace offering a cuisine of market products and a piece of beef.
Régis and Gwenaëlle welcome you to the café of Gavaudun, a pleasant address that gives the impression of being a haven for lost travelers in the middle of the valley. In a warm, cozy setting, they offer a cuisine prepared by the market products and that Monsieur will serve you with good humor and an indelible verve! This spring, Petit Futé chose mozzarella and pesto Samoussas.
followed by a charcudinal salad (home fatty liver, duck fritters, magret, Serrano ham, chorizo, green salad and fried apples) while his friend opted for a piece of beef Gorgonzola, all accompanied by a glass of Château Lamartine. On the dessert side, the apples did not arrive from Normandy but were famous, baked and served with salty butter caramel. Open all day, Gavaudun's coffee is also a nice bistro where you can buy your newspaper and your tobacco before you enjoy a coffee or fresh drink on the terrace covered with glycine, overlooking the castle and its majestic dungeon.
.
I visited in February 2024, not really the busiest month in the region. We were welcomed and the cosy restaurant was quite full for a Thursday evening. The menu is really exciting, far more than the "standard" french dishes, they are innovative, beautifully plated and perfectly cooked. I understand that they have a frequently changing menu, driven by the seasons. We were a party of six, including 2 children, and were therefore able to taste the whole menu of the evening. I personally had an off menu special, the flavour combination of veal with peanut foam is something I never had before and will definitely remember!
The service was impeccable for such a small restaurant. Our hostess was extremely knowledgeable about the food and wine she was serving, and spoke fluently French, English and even German. I loved the honest recommendation of the wine (one of the cheapest on the list), and was really intrigued by the breath of the list. Particularly the fact that most wines come from lesser known regions in France. A real adventure.
I eat in some of the most well known restaurants in Paris, London and New York, yet i'm rarely so excited and impressed by any of them as I have been by L'essentiel.
The only regret I have is that this was the first time I've visited after they are open for 3 years! I will certainly be back and can highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an exciting and good dining experience!
Bravo et Merci!