Carcassonne Restaurants

We decided to have a change from the restaurants in La Citie and take a walk down to the town square in Carcassonne.We were not disappointed, as we came across Brasserie Le Longchamp.
The food was plentiful and enjoyable.The young waitress was sociable with excellent service and i have not seen someone work so hard for a long time.

We made 3 visits here.The quality of the food and service were very good and it was pleasant sat in the shade under the trees in the midday sun.Our waiter had a great sense of humour which made it fun.

This small intimate restaurant serves imaginative, delicious and beautiful food. With only 6 tables you feel as if you are eating in someone's house and indeed the artwork on the wall was created by the owners mother.
A 3 course dinner will set you back €18.50 but it's worth every cent and with a glass of local wine costing only €2 it is all very good value for money.
Anne and Isa deserve medals for what they have created.

Favorite Dish: Examples of the amazing dishes are:
Imaginative cold asparagus soup with floating island - an interesting twist of local starter and dessert ideas.
Seared benito (similar to tuna steak) cooked to perfection with a sesame crust, saffron rice and salad
A subtle lavander flavoured creme brulee.

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The Hotel de L’Evéché, is a Logis de France in a historic building on the Aude River and right beside the Abbey. In nice weather sitting on the lawn by the river is glorious.

We were staying in a gite in Cavanac near Carcassonne and decided to drive to Alet-les-Bains to visit the Abbey. To our delight the entire town was wonderful, very medieval, in very nice repair and virtually tourist-free. It was a hidden gem. We visited the abbey and it is so casual that the ladies in the tourist office simply give you a key to the abbey gate and you let yourself in and out. We toured the abbey and then explored the delightful little town where Nostradamus supposedly lived for a while.

Lunchtime approached and the only place we found open was the Hostellerie de L'Eveche. It looked lovely so we entered. The prices were fine; the setting perfect and the service excellent.

Favorite Dish: Here is my journal entry for the day: We sat on their lovely terrace shaded by huge trees and warmed by a friendly yellow tom cat. We ordered the 18 euro menu (no choices) and started with a fabulous crudité platter to share containing two generous slices of melt-in-your-mouth foie gras and two shredded vegetables in marinade. Next came a crock of “Basque” chicken, four generous pieces of chicken baked with autumn vegetables . . . yum . . . and accompanied by very thin, crisp frites. We had ice cream from a selection of about eight desserts and it was topped with a very light meringue. Delicious and in a perfect setting.

This hotel is a Logis de France so you can check their web site at: http://reservation-hotel.logishotels.com/jreservit/fichehotel.do?langcode=EN&hotelid=1924

The direct hotel web site is listed below.

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We were driving to our gite near Carcassonne and decided to stop at a favorite restaurant in St. Hilaire for lunch. AAAAAAAAAGH, it was closed on Saturday. We retrieved the car and kept driving. When we got to Carcassonne, our daughter, who had never seen the ancient Cité was so excited by it that we decided to stop for lunch inside the walled city.

Good choice. We entered and walked up the pathway to Place Marcou. The very first restaurant had an excellent menu posted so we made an executive decision to eat there.

We started with a Blanquette de Limoux to celebrate our arrival in Carcassonne. If you're not familiar with Blanquette, do try it. It is a sparkling white wine that was invented before Champagne and we like it better. It has a very rich flavor for a white wine. According to the abbey at St. Hilaire down the road, Dom Perignon stole the recipe when he was banished from their abbey to an abbey in Champagne . . . and the rest is history!

Favorite Dish: Here is my journal entry for the meal: Ed and I ordered the Cassoulet Regional and Peg got a daube of beef . . . both excellent. We ordered ice cream for dessert and were stuffed.

It was late for lunch but they still served us cheerfully and it was fun sitting in the very busy Place Marcou watching all the people (and their dogs) walk past. If you are not familiar with cassoulet, it is a famous regional dish and one of our favorites. It is a casserole made with white beans, duck, sausage and often other meats. It usually has tomato in it but not always and it must have a crust of bread crumbs on the top. Everyone has the favorite recipe and it's fun to check different ones. Our very favorite is the cassoulet at the Auberge le Cathar in Belflou near Castelnaudary (worth a detour). Nothing is better than cassoulet on a chilly day!

La Bonne Demeure had a very nice cassoulet and the daube (stew) of beef was hearty and tasty. It's good food at a good price and the service was excellent.

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Located in Place Marcou in the center of the Cite, Le Menestrel is one of the places that serves food best described as adequate. Set in the square surrounded by about eight of the restaurants all vying for the tourists as they lunch up. The 12.90E menu includes a prix fix of three courses, salad, cassoulet or fried chicken, and a dessert. I arrived before the lunch crunch, and enjoyed a cafe latte overlooking the square. The food did not really interest me.

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The Basilique Saint-Nazaire is 11th and 12th centuries, but is on the site of a 6th-century church. Among the historical interior sites are stained-glass windows from the 13th and 14th centuries. Right across this amazing historical building you will find a nice street vendor for a good cold refreshment and some fast and convenient food..

So, don't worry if you didn't take mineral water with you or you forgot to buy before the trip as you can find this vendor inside the walls of the medieval city of Carcassonne. The concept is very easy, because it sells anything you can think off in the range of food and drink. For example you can have some French fries, sandwiches, chips, ice creams, and so on. Don’t expect too much quality, for us it was just a fast way to have some refreshments and continue our walk in the medieval city of Carcassonne.

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Just a few steps from the Basilique St. Nasaire is a comfortable, patio setting where one can enjoy a beer or glass of wine and light meal. I opted for smoked duck over warm cheese on toast, with a small salad. A young staff played old time rock and roll. Kids seemed to be welcome as there was ample space in the patio.