When you cook in a former schoolhouse, you really ought to get good marks : after one year spent in charge of the Gindreau in Saint Médard-Catus, Pascal Bardet has been awarded his first Michelin star. This young man from Figeac, who trained at the Louis XV in Monaco then at Les Belles Rives in Juan-les-Pins, is making his mark as a worthy successor to Alexis Pélissou. His farmhouse poultry "grattons" (slow-cooked crunchy morsels) with caramelised onions, or his saddle of lamb with savory and tender aubergine are dazzling proof of this !
Frédéric Bizat's cuisine means that the sun always shines over this little corner of the Lot countryside close to Saint Céré : the foie gras is marinated in miso from Kyoto, veal sweetbreads are dressed with potato and truffled jus, squab flirts with young seasonal vegetables. And after these foodie follies, why not take advantage of the cosy bedrooms with a view over the superb Château de Montal ?
Stéphane Chambon has taken over from his father Daniel, with his brother Mathieu in charge of the dining-room, and is continuing to make this delightful place a success. When you have a truffled pig's trotter with creamed potato or a Rocamadour cheese dish with mascarpone and walnuts before you, life is very good, with the murmur of the river in the background… Cosy bedrooms are available to prolong this sweet moment out of Time.
Standing above the Dordogne, the Château de la Treyne has a proud bearing, with its French-style formal gardens, and bedrooms with wall-hangings and four-poster beds. Another good reason for coming is the chic, modern and flavoursome cuisine of Stéphane Andrieux. As witness the saddle of lamb, which here is stuffed with lemon and tomato, or the poached egg with truffle and green asparagus, and the lemon meringue tart which flirts with caramel ice-cream. Luxury, peace and quiet, and sheer foodie indulgence…
Few restaurants can boast of having inspired a novel. This is, however, the case of this particular one, which gave its name to the book by Pierre Benoît (Le Déjeuner de Sousceyrac, 1931).
Patrick Lagnès has a passion for using our local produce. The foie gras pan-fried with cockles and the lacquered duckling with chestnut are original ; the creamy apricot and crunchy chocolate dessert simply irresistible ! Off to the Déjeuner de Sousceyrac…
The Lot's character is formed by its 'causses' (limestone plateaux) through which the Lot, Dordogne and Célé valleys have carved their way. It is studded with major tourist attractions and beautiful villages such as Rocamadour, Cahors, Figeac and Saint Cirq Lapopie…. Man and Nature have both left their imprint on the Pech Merle cave and Padirac Chasm. When you're rambling or cycling, the unspoiled, authentic nature of the Lot is plain to see. Home to excellent local produce and fine food and wines, the Lot has many treats to offer your taste buds, including truffles, foie gras, lamb and melons from Quercy, and Cahors Malbec Wine.
