with a lovely restaurant I discovered this weekend. I had visitors to the chateau, and to make the most of the first day of spring, we were enjoying the spring air, the fact that the swans are returning from their winter holidays, the first of the summer brocante markets (with prices still "pre-tourist season reasonably reasonable"), buying our fresh food for the week at the lovely Issigeac market, and then found ourselves feeling quite peckish.
But, and nothing personal, my dear Anglo friends, but we looked for a little French restaurant either in or near Issigeac which was not completely filled to the rafters with English families and groups of friends drinking Guinness and eating chips and smoking and enjoying themselves in the very abandoned and loud and noisy manner of people who speak a different language to those of the locals.
I even had the gall to ask the long-suffering French man who poured me a delicious glass of ice cold kir whether he could recommend a restaurant in the area which was not filled with English people. His eyes nearly popped out. He stopped in his tracks. If we were playing a scene in a movie, it would have been one of those surreal moments when the wine which was being poured, stopped midway between the bottle and the glass for a fleeting second.
"QUOI?? Ca exciste?" he exclaimed!
"I know, I know", I said. "But surely there has to be somewhere in the area where the French people would go for a Sunday family meal?"
He shook his head and started to collect dirty glasses and full ash trays (what happened to new law of no smoking in restaurants?).
When we were ready to pay for our drinks and set on our merry way -- probably back to the chateau for a simple meal of bread and cheese and wine on the chateau terrace, the man appreared again from the smoke cloud hanging suspended in the bar and, with a big smile, revealed a whispered secret: "There is a lovely restaurant on the edge of the village," he confided in us. "It is not strictly French, as the chef, Nicolas De Visch, is Belgian (with hotel experience in the Philipines, Dubai, Scotland...) and his delightful wife, Maffe is from the Philipines, but the food is excellent, and because it is slightly more expensive, the people who go to eat there, are not so noisy......."
We went, and we found the place -- me having to admit that I had never even noticed the restaurant, as, from the outside, it does not immediately appeal. But once inside, the large windows and glass doors going out onto the back garden, allow the spring sunshine to stream in, warming the room as well as the bright and light decor of crisp linen and a couple of pieces of beautiful, richly polished antique furniture.
The menu featured an interesting a la carte variety as well as two set menus. The food is "La tradition de la gastronomie perigourdine vue sous l'angle des produits de la mer", i.e. traditional food but with the emphasis on sea food. Yet, after a mouthwatering little complimentary 'amuse bouche' of frommage blanc and herring, we had a carré d'agneau on a bed of ratatouille and a lobster and crevette Fricassée -- both of exceptional quality. The presentation was stunning, and the service, by Maffe De Visch impeccable, friendly and fast. The one table near us of a party of six, seemed to have chosen one or the other of the set menus, and with the arrival of each course, there were "ooh's" and "ah's" from all of them, followed by the appreciative silence of people who are thoroughly enjoying their meal.
I am almost reluctant to let the secret out -- I enjoyed eating excellent food, getting excellent service and spending a few hours in a very pleasant atmosphere without the rush and noise that will surely be very hard to avoid once the summer visitors start streaming in again.But spring is in the air and I feel generous -- so treat yourself and go enjoy a memorable eating experience at:
Place de la Capelle
24560 Issigeac
Tel: 0553 738961
email: bruceliere@wanadoo.fr
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