good food in Languedoc region?

[tzahra]

Hi!

I got great advice from this board last time I posted (Olhabidea, in the Pays Basque, was one of the best meals of my life....). This time I am taking a quick trip to the Languedoc region with a friend and wondered if any of you know of good places to eat there. Similar budget restrictions: looking to spend not more than 30-35 Euros, wine not included. We'll be based close to Narbonne but it's no problem to travel a bit.

Thanks!
Tara

[menton1]

In Narbonne, La Table St Crescent should fit your bill. Strictly local ingredients, menu changes often based on availability of ingredients. The environment is an old wine "warehouse" from the 8th century. (Renovated of course).

http://www.la-table-saint-crescent.com/

[mangeur]

We love Le Mimosa, a few km northwest of Gignac in the heart of the Montpeyroux wine district. Let David Pugh choose exquisite local wines for you. One of our favorites, we already have reservations for July. http://www.lemimosa.blogspot.com/

Le Tracteur was new for us this spring. Located in a renovated garage in Sanilhac, duenorth of Nimes, this young chef cooks fresh, innovative and delicious at a very reasonable price. Darling service also. ttp://www.lefooding.com/restaurant-721-le_t...

[Parigi]

Olhabidea is one of my fave spots in the world too. (Sigh. Another of my other fave spots - Nguan Lee on Soi Langsuan, Bangkok - was the site of gun battles.)
I highly recommend a visit to the funky lovely town of Sète on the Etang de Thau. You can get a plate of the freshest oysters at the market, with a glass of blanc, which is a much much better lunch options than any of the seafront eateries with shills.
Another must-taste is tielle. See this thread on tielle and on the Languedoc:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/650351

[Theresa]

It's worth a trip to Minerve to go to the Relais Chantovent. They have a lovely dining room and a terrace too (I think you'll need to book to be sure of the terrace). As far as I remember, the lunch time menu was around 23 Euros for three courses. It was very good. It's about 30 + Km to the North West of Narbonne.

I've not been yet, but in Beziers theres a Compagnie de Comptoir - one of the outlets of the Michelin starred Pourcel Brothers. There are three Compagnie de Comptoirs and they are a cheaper, less formal version of their main Michelin starred restaurant in Montpellier. I have eaten in their Montpellier and La Grande Motte branches of C de C, and was very impressed. Another restaurant in Beziers - the Octopus - gets very good reviews too, but I've not been to it.

I don't know how far you are willing to travel, but there are a few very good restaurants inland - L'Ochre Rouge in Herepian (supposed to be one of the best in the region - we have always enjoyed it), Les Marronniers, Lamalou-les-Bains (very good - if you go, have his oxtail and foie gras starter) and the Auberge de Combes, Combes. The first two are about 3/4 hr from Narbonne (so long as you don't get caught in traffic around Beziers) and the Auberge de Combes is probably just over an hour, and is up in the mountains (stunning views from the dining room).

Sete is great, and the oysters in the market sounds like a good call. If you want a bigger lunch, you can probably eat better seafood in one of the smaller places around the lagoon, such as Meze, Marseillan or Bouzigues. If you do have seafood anywhere, have a glass of Picpoul de Pinet with it - very local, and hard to get hold of elsewhere. It's one of my favourite white wines and perfect with oysters etc.