If you haven’t heard of Douch, it’s hardly surprising. With its sprinkling of eight inhabitants, this town is as far away from the rat race as you’re likely to find. Until recently this town had a population of just five, but this exploded when three more people arrived from Pézenas to run the Auberge La Jasse. This cosy little restaurant is in a natural setting surrounded by mountains. Twenty minutes uphill from Lamalou les Bains, it is worth the short trek for lunch - especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Run by young and healthy Stephanie and Valerian, this auberge-cum-restaurant boasts a menu with ingredients bought fresh from local producers, and an impressively concise wine list that affirms the old adage of quality before quantity. For starters I tried the delicately tasty ‘Brick à deux Parfums’, followed by a main course of ‘lapin’. Not only did I not hesitate to suck on the succulent bones of this delicious rabbit, but ravishingly chewed them - and boy were they worth chewing! This finger-licking rabbit hadn’t seen a freezer and was as fresh as the mountain breeze. If you add to this a generous helping of roast potatoes and a ragoût of vegetables, I can only describe the dish as superb. My companions tried the trout, which was farmed by a local producer who raises the fish in a mountain stream. Boneless and tasty, albeit a bit on the small side, orgasmic expressions told me it was nonetheless delicious. I recommend the Embrejon 2001 to accompany your meal, a surprising and memorable bottle of red. For dessert, Stephanie served us her newly concocted ricotta, a crumbly-type biscuit with a cherry ‘soupe’. This was a treat. The rhubarb pie, apple crumble and chocolate cake all received the thumbs up from our party too. If you enjoy hiking, Douch is the perfect starting point for numerous trekking routes – or for maybe walking off your lunch! I’m not one for walking aimlessly for hours myself, but I could not deny the beauty of the surroundings, and can understood why hikers use this hamlet as a start-off point for their holidays. The menu is priced at €25, though you are best off reserving in advance as we saw a few people being turned away and there are no alternative eateries around.

There is not much going on in Neffiès after seven o’ clock of a summer’s eve except Les Goutailles. It’s not that easy to find but given the size of Neffiès centre the search is actually fun. As we pulled up in front of the restaurant the quaint building immediately charmed us, and upon entering we found the adorable homely décor exactly to our tastes. If we had one criticism, it would be that the lighting was a bit harsh, as I really did not need to have the badly applied turquoise eye shadow of the lady on a neighbouring table highlighted to me throughout the meal. Run by Lyonaisse couple Karen and Didier, they serve up traditional, simple, yet delicious meals. Hubby Didier keeps to the kitchen while Karen sprints up and down the stairs juggling a frightening amount of dishes in her hands. I have heard it said that the menu never changes, and while that may bother some, I personally like to have an idea of what’s on offer before leaving home. I had the appetiser, ‘mille feuille d’aubergines au jambon de magret de canard fumé’, and it was well worth its title. I was expecting three or four thinly sliced morsels of duck neatly arranged on a plate with a colourful splashing of some sauce. So I was pleasantly surprised to be handed a plate full of mesclun with the delicately poised ‘mille feuille d’aubergines’ surrounded by countless slices of duck. My main course, ‘le bar au beurre blanc’, was straightforward, yet sumptuous, with a subtle sauce to compliment the fish. And to top it all off ‘la crème brulée au lavande’ was divine. For a menu priced at €18, what more could one ask for (there is also a €22 menu)? Wine perhaps? My wine buff friends were a little disappointed with the choice of wines, so don’t go there expecting great bottles. Great food at a great price though, is more than enough reason to tempt you into your car to head over there. My friends chose the foie gras and tuna (the latter of which I tasted - it had been cooked to perfection), and I’ll leave you to discover for yourself the ‘nougat glacé maison’. Oh, and by the way, If you head down to the loo - which I might add was a prettily decorated and clean addition, always a good sign in a restaurant I think - you will pass Didier hard at work in the kitchen. Now as a modern woman, this never ceases for me to be a refreshing sight! Open Tuesday to Saturday eveningd and Sunday lunchtime.

I had mixed up the dates. We were a day late. Standing in the middle of Olargues’ main square wondering how I could have made such a mistake. The organic market was sign posted everywhere for August 14th, and we arrived the 15th. So, feeling like an idiot as I apologized profusely for dragging everyone there on the premise of admiring the scenery, which is I have to say is exhilarating, we decided to find somewhere to have lunch. The two brasseries within our field of vision - sporting plastic chairs on their terraces - did nothing to convey confidence in the quality of their food. After deciding to cut our losses and buy a sandwich, we bumped into another foreigner, who recommended that we try the Fleurs d’Olargues restaurant overlooking the river Jaur. With nothing to do and nothing more to lose (I hoped!), we spotted it from across the river and thought it looked perfectly charming. A quick walk through Olargues, across the Roman bridge and there we were in this wonderful restaurant. The terrace, the interior, the open plan kitchen and the plates being served made my messed up dates seem like a godsend. The main menu at €22 offered une salade aux peches, poivrons rouge, framboise, et croutons, with a main course consisting of filet de tacaud or roti de veau. Alternatively, for €16 you can opt for the assiette du soleil with a salade de pomme de terres et betteraves with chicken or pork. Apparently they change their menu every couple of weeks. The bread is homemade with a touch of cumin. The wine list is more than interesting, and there is obviously someone with a taste for good wine within the family. The list includes Le Rectorie l’oriental, Schistel and Mas Olivier - and even a Cremant de Limoux at €29. We quickly realised that the over friendly staff with unfamiliar accents were not French. A Danish family we soon learned; a mother, her two sons and the sons’ families. They bought the place about 3 years ago, converting it from a garage. It took 18 months to renovate, and what a renovation! Minimal Scandinavian taste marrying classy authentic furniture. The best part was the open plan kitchen, where we could literally watch how and who was cooking our meal. They have been open since early 2006 now, and already have Jazz concerts organised for Friday evenings. We also found out that they have chambre d’hotes next to the restaurant, which explains the enormous amount of Danes eating there that day. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the rooms, but if the restaurant is anything to go by, I’m sure they are worth checking out. Anyway, as we sat on the terrace under a vine covered pergola shading us from the hot sun, looking at the waterfall with Olargues as a back drop, I basked in the perfect end to a potentially disastrous day out!

Thierry and Marion provide delightfully presented, delicious, nourishing meals in an attractive setting. Cheese board and desserts are stunning, and the wine list well chosen and excellent value.

To celebrate 4 years in Languedoc we went out to this restaurant after hearing many good reports - and were not disappointed. It was a Tuesday night so the place was a bit quiet but we were soon joined by 8 other diners which helped to liven the place up a bit.
The restaurant decor is smart and modern but lacks soul. Made up of 4 dining-rooms and a covered patio. The staff (and there was no shortage of them) were delightful and very helpful with the menu. We chose a special 6 course ‘discovery’ menu which we all had and asked that it include two particular dishes that we liked the sound of.
Entree: scallops served on a hot rock (still cooking) with a bowl of potato ‘foam’ with spinach and parmesan flakes to dip them into. Beautiful scallops and the foam was light in both texture and flavour so the delicate scallops came through.
Fish: fillet of Rouget served on a bed of calamari cooked in ink, with new potatoes. The fish was beautifully cooked and the bed of calamari delicious.
Meat: Moroccan lamb - the most tender piece of lamb I have had in a long time cooked to perfection with subtle spices served with various sauces on the plate, red pepper, a wonderful lemon sauce that gave the dish a new dimension and a harissa sauce.
Cheese: an impressive selection of cheeses the Margual was excellent.
Desserts: the first a divine pear soufflé with a spoonful of pear souorbet dropped in the middle and then a dash of Poire William - so light and with an intense flavour. Then can a chocolate affair with caramel brittle - looked amazing but disappointing.
Overall the prentation was stunning and we ate like Kings. Even though it sounds like a huge amount of food we were not over-full as the portion size was well judged. The wine menu was interesting and covered many other regions of France and included a choice of magnums too which was nice to see. Cost per head for this menu (including two bottles of wine) €75, however if you ate from the carte the cost could be considerably less.
I would recommend this place as the food is certainly not 'run of the mill' and Fabien Lefebvre is producing some exciting food from local produce.

I find it so much more difficult reviewing the food serverd at 'fancy' restaurants. The trick is to peel away all the pretention - the decor, the presentation, the rarity of the ingredients, the deferential showmanship of the staff - and judge just the food. And the food at Octopus is good - but just not that good when you consider the high prices. It's very imaginative, experimental, and beautifully presented. But I found the flavous a little mute and some of the combinations just didn't work. The food at L'Ambassade is better - even though the decor is atrotious and the service awfully stiff. The decor at Octopus was pleasant - but really not that special. Not compared to similarly priced restaurants in London. It was a little like an upmarket PizzaExpress to be honest. I suppose that's where the French really stumble when it comes to food. Too much deference and pretention - and an inability to question a prevailing food 'authority 'that holds prissy decorativeness and expensive ingredients above flavour.

Fab little restaurant. Traditional food with a modern twist.And not a bite wasted! (My husband was most upset that he didn`t get a share of my steak!) Cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. Decor; walls covered in autographed pics of all the great film stars, lots of antiques in a tranquil, lamplit atmosphere.Tempted to keep it a secret!

We have often frequented this restaurant, and have always found it to be consistently good, we have taken friends, and they have been pleasantly surprised, we would recommend a visit there.

We have eaten at this restaurant many times now and have always come away satisfied with the food and the atmosphere, we would recommend this restaurant to any visitor to the region.

We have eaten at La Caleche several times over the last year, as we have a village house in St Chinian just around the corner. However, when we were there in May, new people had taken it over from the couple who used to own it. The food was excellent, but unfortunately there was no one else in the restaurant the whole time we were there! This wasn't the case with the previous owners. In fact every time I walked past I looked in, and there never seemed to be anyone in there. I have no idea why this is, as the food is to a very high standard and also not too expensive. So, if you're in St Chinian - give these guys a break and go and dine there!

Wa ate there in Sept 2008, and it seems to have changed hands again. Unfortunately the food really wasn't very good, with burnt spaghetti shoved into every portion as a sort of decoration! The service was prefunctory to say the least, and it wasn't a great dining experience.

The Caleche is now closed.

Really interesting simple small Wine Bar-Restaurant, serving French dishes and Tapas. Concentration on range of good Wines. Good ambiance and friendly service.

Very interesting restaurant with a lot of local wines (Berlou)- not expensif). Decor very nice and in the summer you can eat outside in the middle of this little small village. the neighbour: Cave cooperative de Berlou - open 7/7 for the local wine

Real find in charming village surrounded by vines of AOC St Chinian. Consistently creative and sensitively prepared cuisine. Exquisite flavours from a broad repertoire - we particularly liked the lamb and fish dishes. We shall return!

We have reviewed a restaurant before in Saint Chinian, but 'Le Village' deserves a mention, the food choice is well varied, and very well presented, served up with a friendly welcome, we do recommend this restaurant.

The restaurant, which is situated in Les Halles, has a young, animated clientele. There are large screens around the bar area, on which I have only seen football and rugby matches. However, there is not the atmosphere of a sports bar, and conversation at the table is not drowned out. On Thursday nights they have concerts, which I cannot comment on as I have never been on a Thursday night. The food ranges from pizzas and their house hamburger to minced magret de canard served with fried fois gras. All the dished I have ordered have been excellent quality, and superb value for money. The service has only ever failed once, when we had to ask for a coffee three times. Altogether, it is a very pleasant evening out. You could easily imagine yourself in London, New York or Paris. Note that there is a doorman that will not let you enter if you are wearing jogging trousers. I don't know yet if shorts will be permitted in summer, as the restaurant only opened last Autumn.

we ate here on Sunday and it was disapointing. We opted for a tapas platter which arrived nicely decorated however it was mainly bruscheta which was impossible to eat so we just ate the toppings! we had hamburgers to follow which were Ok not great and there was no fois gras (to be fair the menu no longer says this). As it was quiet the staff sat aroung reading the newspaper and having a cigarette, i had to go to the bar to get a glass of wine. Things did improve when a new waiter came on duty he stopped at each table to check all was ok and was very pleasant.

This is a quite small restaurant, opposite the church in Lamalou-les-Bains. The owner, Gilles Aubert, prepares the menus and the food to a high standard. Gilles great-grandparents had a grocer's shop on the premises from 1900 to 1936. The quality of the food and the warmth of welcome are excellent. There are several menus to choose from, the cheapest being €13 and is available at lunchtimes and in the evenings (except at week-ends). The most expensive "degustation" menu is €55 including different wines with each course. Gilles is very attentive and friendly. He also runs cookery courses, which are very well received. The restaurant has seating for about twenty and there is an outside eating area in an enclosed terrace for the summer. Strongly recommended.

If you are lucky you live in the beautiful valley of the Orb. If you are very lucky you live in Colombières-sur-Orb only a few hundred metres away from the Auberge des Gorges de Madale, set back in the trees from the D908 on the right as you approach the village from the direction of Bédarieux. Don't be put off by the fact that the auberge looks as though it has only recently been constructed. Within it there is a chef with a touch of genius, Stéphan Azema. The menu is set and changes every two weeks. For €24 you have four courses, wine, coffee and "mignardises" included which is excellent value. When I went the menu started with a "velouté'" of rabbit with cauliflower and garlic mayonnaise, an unusual combination that worked well. To follow mussels cooked with onion and a "sabayon" of cèpes topped with cheese which was outstanding even for one for whom mussels are by no means a favourite. The main course was artichoke heart stuffed with duck and accompanied by roast sprouts. Finally that well known French pudding "After eight" which turned out to be a peppermint mousse cleverly encased in chocolate and served with ice crem and "calisson". A Banyuls was offered on the house with cofffee and home made "mignardises". Both red and white wine are provided in carafes that are never allowed to be empty, and the quality of the St.Chinian wine is excellent. It is clear that Stéphan takes enormous care and delight in preparing the food and pleasing his guests. So if you want something out of the ordinary reserve a table at the Auberge des Gorges de Madale and prepare to be surprised and delighted. Note, they do not take Credit Cards so come armed with cash or a cheque. You can now check the following website to see what is currently on the menu - click here.

Typically French - food very good and served in pleasant surroundings. River nearby so photos are superb. Snails on menu which is unusual in Lanquedoc - yummy - a must

Very poor attitude by 2 women (gay) owners, they clearly dislike Brits and over the years have made us feel so uncomfortable and unwanted that we stopped going (having been going for 5 years). We simply cannot recommend this place because it's so hit and miss, if the 2 women are happy its OK, if they've had a row, god help you! Also closed all of August, which is a joke. Suggest you take yourselves a bit further on to Cessenon sur Orb to the Restaurant L'Orb, much better, lovely people and fab food

In my opinion this restaurant serves the best food in the area (St Chinian / Cessenon). The food is not typically French, although there are obvious French influences. Everything we ate there was perfectly cooked and presented, and was very reasonably priced by UK standards. The 3 course set menu was 23 euros. The ambience is perfect. If you are looking to treat yourselves to a really good meal without breaking the bank balance, this is the place. We'll definitely be back!

Love, love, love this restaurant. Run by Brits (not that makes any difference) the staff are friendly and so helpful. Very child (& dog) friendly, the waitress was so kind to our son, even doing him seconds because he loved the food and kids portions not quite enough for a strapping 9 year old. Food is the best in the area but a tiny bit pricy, although that wouldn't stop us going back. Unfortuntely they've been closed every time we've been since, worth calling to make sure they're open. Can't recommend highly enough!

A beautiful, family run restaurant. I've selected Italian, as they are also a Pizzeria but they are so much more than an "Italian" restaurant. The food is exquisite, with a Casserole de mer to die for and salads that linger on your taste buds. Meats and fish cooked to perfection with just enough vegetables to accompany your meal. Deserts, I had best not start on the deserts, as I'll run out of "characters", I'll let you find out for yourselves. The family are lovely people, very welcoming and look after you the whole evening which adds to the excellence of the whole dining experience. In the summer, they are able to open the terrace so customers can dine outside, many a beautiful evening we've passed the two of us or with friends enjoying the food, wine and welcome of Le Vesuvio. Try it for yourselves, you won't regret it, Martine and her family will help to make your evening something extra special.

New restaurant in beziers ; warm welcome, helpful service, delicious meal prepared with care. A pleasure to eat here.