Restaurants in the Dordogne

Eating out is a part of the French way of life. Don’t have a holiday in France without having a meal in a French restaurant. Although there are many unusual French foods (frogs legs, snails, tête de veau etc.) you will find many foods that are a true delight! And the Dordogne has some fantastic restaurants to choose from.Which restaurant? Try to find a restaurant that is targeted at French diners (French menus are a good clue!). Don’t expect to find a fantastic restaurant in the major tourist destinations – here we would recommend something safe and straightforward such as pizza, crêpes etc..Which time? It’s often cheaper to eat at lunchtime and during the week. Sunday lunch is always busy and it pays to book ahead. In the evenings, don’t arrive too early – 7.30PM is often the earliest you can get served.Which menu? Don’t go for à la carte options. Usually they have the same options as the menu prix fixe and they cost a lot more! Avoid Menu Touristique like the plague!Which wine? Wine can be quite expensive if you go for named bottles. But carafes of house white or red wine have usually been exquisitely selected by the restauranteur and are excellent value. Refer to our wine section for more advice on wines in France.These are some of our favourite restaurants in Dordogne:Hôtel Auberge de la NauzeFongauffier, 24170 Sagelat, Belvès.Many of our friends have visited this restaurant and really like it. It is in a very pleasant setting just of the main road in the valley below Belvès and the service is really top notch. The food was a little bit fancy for the children but they still appreciated it as a pleasant change from traditional food.Auberge de la SalvetatRoute de Belvès, 24480 Cadouinwww.lasalvetat.comNot visited by France For Families (yet!) but we received this recommendation from one of our site visitors: We ate at this super restaurant last year with our friends and as it’s not on your list you must give it a go – La Salvetat at Cadouin . Fresh ingredients, tasty home made food and friendly service – also more choice than just duck. Its great that you can choose what you want to eat for a reasonable price.Hôtel La Belle EtoileLe Bourg, 24250 La Roque GageacOverlooking the River Dordogne in one of the regions prettiest villages, this gastronomic restaurant is well worth a visit to sample the best of Dordogne cuisine. A menu gastronomique lives on in our memories as an ‘eating out’ experience – seven courses of exquisite cooking using the local specialities of fresh foie gras, truffles, duck and walnuts. Each course was presented with panache. Moderate to expensive.Hôtel Laborderie24620 TamniesSituated in the heart of the Dordogne, NW of Sarlat, this Logis de France has an excellent restaurant, open to non residents. It specializes in stylish regional fare.Hotel Le Petit Relais46350 CalèsSituated in the small village of Calès on D673 between Payrac and Rocamadour, this family owned hotel-restaurant serves good-value meals serving local products which could include cabécou (the goats cheese from Rocamadour), walnuts or even prunes! Eating options are inside in cooler weather or outside on the terrace. The staff are friendly and helpful, although not much English is spokenLa FermeCaudon-de-Vitrac, 24200 Sarlat-la-CanedaThis is a simple restaurant next to the Dordogne River which offers good, wholesome country cooking – and lots of it, so come feeling hungry! It is also ideally situated for those who have opted to take a canoe trip using the Soleil Plage canoes, where a day on the river just might give you the appetite you need to enjoy a meal here.La Meynardie24590 Paulin, SalignacA traditional French restaurant, located deep in the Dordogne countryside serving regional cuisine.Le Petit ParisLe Bourg, 24250 DaglanClosed Mondays. Book in high season as space is limited.The village alone is reason enough to visit Daglan, with this charming restaurant an added bonus. It is in the centre of the village near the main square onto which tables spill out in the warmer months. There is no childrens’ menu listed, but if you ask they will obligingly let you know what is available and the price. All the food is very inventive and presentation first class; one of the children had lamb cooked in three different ways and another had a chocolate pudding ‘to die for’ (she is a bit of an expert on chocolate puddings).Lou PeyrolLa Barriere, 24440 Montferrand du Périgordhttp://www.hotel-loupeyrol-dordogne.com/lp.htmA delightful young couple run this small hotel/restaurant. Sarah is English and Thierry (the chef) is Corsican. We have eaten here several times and have always enjoyed lovely regional cuisine – local pâtés, foie gras, duck, salads and omelettes are the specialities here.Pont de l’Ouysse46200 Lacavehttp://lepontdelouysse.pagesperso-orange.fr/welcome.html‘An amazing gastronomic experience’ sums up this restaurant, particularly in the summer, sitting outside under the shade of huge tilleul and marronnier trees, Le Pont de l’Ouysse is hidden deep in the Dordogne countryside east of Souillac. If money were no object this would be a restaurant that we would return to again and again. As it is, keep it for that special occasion. It has one Michelin star. Moderate to expensive.Relais de Cinq Châteaux24220 VezacHere you’ll enjoy wonderfully inventive cooking, where children are treated as future gastronomes with their own menus – no burger and chips! Enjoy great views from the terrace (right) as you eat your way through course after course of culinary delights. There is a small play area to keep little ones entertained between courses. A lovely place for a relaxed lunch, followed by a stroll in the Jardins de Marqueyssac.Here’s more information to make the most of your visit to the Dordogne:

• Attractions
  • Cycling in the Dordogne
  • Domme Vineyard
  • Dordogne Boat Trips
  • Gardens at Manoir d’Eyrignac
  • Insectopia
  • Moulin de la Tour
• Canoeing
• Caves
• Chateaux
• Cycling
• Gites
• Markets
• Museums
• Picnic Spots
• Restaurants
• Towns
  • Domme
  • La Roque Gageac
  • Limeuil
  • Monpazier
  • Rocamadour
  • St Emilion
  • Sarlat
• Viewpoints