A week in Perigord region,Dordogne

1 Sunday Monpazier, Biere de la Bastide

We arrived yesterday late afternoon, and after a few celebratory drinks, our friends and hosts, Chris and Tina, prepared a lovely meal; well, I say Chris and Tina, but in truth, Tina did; Chris describes himself as a great breakfast cereal maker. It was a salmon and white bean dish, which I will be asking Tina for the recipe for, it was delicious.

Anyway, back to Sunday, and we were off to lunch in Monpazier at Biere de la Bastide, a brewery, bar, and restaurant featured in New Life in the Sun. This British TV series features Brits who set up businesses in other parts of Europe and follows their successes and failures. Owners Denise and Hugh fall on the success side of the coin, with the brewery bar set in a converted barn. 

They offer live music and a menu predominantly featuring burgers washed down with their range of 5 or 6 beers brewed on the premises. The place was heaving, and luckily enough, we booked in advance. The burgers served with French fries and washed down with a couple of glasses of beer hit the spot. The old barn has great character and is an excellent space for a brewery and bar.

 Unfortunately, the heavens opened and we dashed for the car without the chance to explore Monpazier, which I’m told is lovely. On the face of a Brit-run brewery, burgers might not seem like a typical French meal, but strangely, it felt very French.

2 Monday, Bergerac and restaurant Le Saint Jacques

We drove to Bergerac, one of the biggest towns in the region, for a look around and, of course, lunch. The old town is full of character and charm, and there are enough restaurants to keep any foodie very happy.

Lunch was at Le Saint Jacques, an old-world restaurant on two floors with a summer courtyard and a cosy dining room perfect for cooler days, which this was.

We went for the three-course lunch menu at €31. For starters, I went for a rabbit saddle, which is not something you often see on UK menus. Three of our quartet of diners went for mains of confit duck served with a deconstructed moussaka. I was the odd one out and plumped for the traditional slow-cooked pork roasted with duck fat and garlic creme potatoes. A nice light lunch for me-Haha.

Both dishes looked good and tasted even better. This was the food I had imagined and dreamt of before our visit to the regiom.

3 Tuesday, Chateau de Fayolle Vineyard in Saussignac

Tuesday, and a twenty-minute drive to Saussignac, a pretty village outside Bergerac. American owners have restored and developed the vineyard to offer a spacious, luxurious wine-tasting area and shop. They also offer lunches in form of the most amazing charcuterie boards (pre-book only) that can be eaten on the terrace overlooking the vineyard and stunning backdrop of the hills, also room inside for colder days.

We started with wine tasting, which was a lovely curtain-opener to proceedings. We tasted six wines in total; if you visit the vineyard, you should put them on the list.

As you can see from the picture above, the charcuterie boards are a thing of beauty, with a selection of various meats and cheeses. Don’t worry about the size of the platter. Anything left is packed in a box for you to take home.

We started on the terrace but were hit by a plague of wasps that obviously fancied dining with us. Apparently, this is not a normal occurrence, but it is probably something to do with the sweetness of the grapes at this time of year. Anyhow, a swift move inside and it was back to our food.

On the way out, we picked up a few bottles that we enjoyed tasting earlier tasting. So worth a visit.

4 Wednesday, what a meal at  Le Tuquet, Bouniagues

Our plans for Wednesday were disrupted by the weather, which was very wet and set to last all day. Chris and Tina mulled over lunch options, and then they had a light bulb moment: ” We could go to the trucker restaurant.” The restaurant turned out to be Le Tuquet, a roadside Ma & Pa restaurant serving lunches for locals and visitors in the know.

When we arrived at the restaurant, the first hurdle was whether we could get a table. It had gone on, and lunch was served between 12 and 2 p.m; luckily, there was a table of 4 left, and this restaurant was open longer. I’m guessing as the restaurant set lunch consisted of 6 courses, something you can’t rush.

Soup, Moules, ham, salami, and sausage. The main was beef, sliced roasted potatoes, and green beans. Next up was the cheese course, and finally, dessert, an apple tart with cream. Coffee was available. Oh, I nearly forgot: unlimited wine by the carafe. The price of our lunch was an unbelievable €18 per person. Yes, you did read correctly 18.

Lunch was cooked and served by three people, and it was obvious to me they loved feeding their guests. I counted at least 50 people they served, and they made it look so easy. I think a 3-course dinner party for six is hard.

Some meals will live long in your memory, and this falls firmly in that category. 

5 Thursday, lunch at the Code bar in Sigoules 

Sigoules is properly the nearest village. After yesterday’s rain, the weather had improved, and after a six-course lunch, we thought a lighter lunch at the village Bar/Bistro called the Code Bar would be perfect. In keeping with most restaurants in this part of the area, they offer a set lunch, and as all the restaurants we visited were very busy, the French take lunch seriously.

Like other restaurants in the area, it offers a daily lunch menu. We chose the two-course option.

There were two choices. For starters, we went for a simple but typical French dish: egg in a cream veloute. It was delicious.

For mains, there was a choice of lasagne or steak and frites. I went for the latter. Including drinks, the lunch menu was about €20

6 Friday, Our last night dinner at Famille Moutier, Thenac  

For our final meal, we were excited to go to dinner at Famille Moutier in Thenac, about 25 minutes’ drive from Ribagnac. 

The restaurant specialises in duck (in keeping with many restaurants in the region), and Chris and Tina had assured us we were in for a feast.

I think reservations are essential, and when we arrived for our 7.30 pm booking, the restaurant was already full. The restaurant has two large farmhouse dining halls and an outside dining area for summer nights. The thick farmhouse walls add to the character of the dining rooms. I would make the rooms very cosy in the winter but also cool in the height of summer.

Again, it was a set menu with choices for mains and desserts; we started with a amuse-bouche. 

The amuse-bouche was an appetiser and a chorizo cake. To wash it down, a bottle of dry white with a kir appetiser a lovely way to start.

 Next up, semi-cooked foie gras accompanied by a bottle of local Monbazillac sweet wine.

There was one more course before we got to our mains (make sure you are hungry if you visit) 

This time it was a traditional Perigord salad with confit duck gizzards, dried duck breast slices, and duck breast stuffed with foie gras, well, I said we were in duck country. You might have to trust me on this one but the salad was sensational.

You have guessed it: more wine arrived, and another bottle! 

Okay, now we have reached the main choices; the picture shows you the choices. We all decided on the signature dish of Grilled duck breast, served with three sauces: red wine, porcini, and cep (I think), along with small roasties. To complete the main, a bottle of a slightly heavier red arrived.

They have a lot of practice cooking duck, which was served according to our preferences. I loved the red wine sauce, and if I’m honest, the mushroom sauces were not for me, but that aside it was the perfect main course.

It was time to relax and digest the four courses. Our waiter arrived and delivered another bottle of red; he explained this was for the cheese course. To save you counting, we had five bottles of wine on our table between the three of us as Tina was driving. I’m surprised that I remember anything about the meal, but I should explain you are under no obligation to drain each bottle.

We were presented with a massive cheese platter of, I’m guessing, 20 cheeses to choose from; I made a token effort of a few cheese slices. At this point, I must own up to omitting to take a picture of the plater, but forgive me, dear reader, I think the wine had gone to my head.

It was dessert time, and there were choices. I went for this stunning-looking creme brulee, but other choices included profiteroles and raspberry melba.

To round off a choice of digestives and coffee. 

So that was our dinner concluded—hats off to the staff and chefs at Famille Moutier for an incredible meal and experience. I’m sure more description did not do it justice.

The price per person was €48; it is exceptional value for a fine-dining restaurant, especially when you take into account it included five bottles of wine between the four of us.

7 Saturday, Monbazillac and home

We had a late afternoon flight, so we had enough time to visit Monbazillac, a pretty mountain village and home to the region’s sweet wine.

You will agree we crammed a lot into our week in the Perigord. Please feel free to message me if you are considering visiting and require more info. 

Thanks to our friends, hosts, and guides, Chris and Tina, for the week of foodie fun and forshowing us around this beautiful region of France.

Official Guide to Perigord

If you like traditional French fare, then you might like to read about Bistrot Wild Honey a traditional French Bistro in the heart of London.

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