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 6th September 2010
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La Vigne Haute, Castelfranc The little village of Castelfranc describes itself as a bastide on the banks of a river, and so it is. A charming medieval tangle of stone built houses, a delightful church, famed for its bell tower and a lovely little restaurant. La Vigne Haute is a great place for an informal dinner. Specialising in grilled beef and duck, with a couple of dishes of the day which are quite likely to have a deliciously eastern slant to them. Why? Because this delightful little eatery has changed hands in recent months and is now in the capable and experienced hands of Eric and Olga. Olga is a very competent chef who delights in offering her clientele dishes from her native Thailand, whilst still keeping all the traditional Quercynois dishes – fresh from the markets - that regulars have come to expect. One of the other great specialities of this restaurant is the fabulous soufflé.  Once a regular treat on most French menus, this is becoming harder and harder to find. If you visit this restaurant you must try one. Here you can see Olga whipping up her soufflés from your seat in the dining room, whilst Eric sears his steaks, duck breasts and yet another unique speciality, the cote de boeuf. This is a whole rib of beef, cooked steak-style over the fire and shared between two people. You need to be a meat person to manage one of these, as they are huge and can only be offered saignant – rare – but wow! It’s an experienceThe dining room is a truly welcoming place on a cold winter evening; the dressed stone walls and deep red soft furnishings create an atmosphere of cosy warmth. In high summer it’s another matter, there’s a delightful garden where you can sit under the arbour and admire the pool, or look out over the old village square at the church – always lit at night.  All ingredients are market-fresh, including the vegetables and the potatoes – which are sauted – no frozen frites here. The wine list is local and includes many of the most famous Cahors vintages. Prices range from: €4 for a simple salad entrée €10 for a soufflé €10 for a main course €43 for the cote de boeuf (for 2 people) €6 for a dessert Menu de jour – weekday lunch - €14 includes:- Entrée Plat de jour Dessert or Cafe Open: Every day except Weds for lunch and dinner. Booking recommended. There is no vegetarian option, but if you book two days in advance Olga will arrange one for you. Rating Traditional style, Quercynoise cuisine available.  La Vigne Haute Castelfranc 46140 Tel: 05 65 53 08 45 Lot and Quercy Restaurant Guide Home Page |
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