Le Cottage

August 2011.

The menu at 19€ sounded ok but proved a big disappointment. The starter of “Seafood fish cakes” comprised two small fried rounds of potato each concealing a prawn and was accompanied by sprinkling of greenery from a supermarket packet. The other starter of chèvre chaud was minimum too. Two small halved chèvre chesses on a bed of the same greenery.

The main course of Skate was dramatically overcooked and thin and small. Served with two shaped spoons of mash, capers straight from the jar – and the greenery of course.

Pudding of Tarte Tatin – well I’ve never seen a poorer Tarte tatin. If there was more than one quarter of an apple on it I would be amazed.

Dreadful food and dreadful value. The waitress who spoke good English was cheerful and hid her embarrassment at what came out of the kitchen

LE COTTAGE
Settled on the nearby Le Cottage in Les Arces (pronounced to rhyme with a collection of bottoms) for dinner. The restaurant is run by an Irishman Doug and his French wife Axelle. We made the reservation and arrived at seven.

First course was a maigret du canard (smoked) salad for the advisor while I had an asparagus salad (spears, hardboiled egg, little cubes of grapefruit, toasted almonds slivers and leaves). Both were brilliant.

My main was duck with gratin dauphinois, puréed pea and other seasonal vegetables. The adviser had lamb with much the same veg but no gratin. Didn’t think that pureed pea could taste so well but it was gorgeous as were both dishes.

Dessert was also on a very high level. We both went for the oven baked lemon cheesecake, recommended by Axelle who has a terrific command of the English language. The cheesecake, served with a few strawberries, rounded off a fantastic meal.

We took the house wine and that worked out at just €7.00 for a couple of jugs that totalled 70cl. Total cost of the meal, including a cup of coffee, was exactly €63.00. Back then though the back roads, passing the cornfields and vineyards as the sun set (see picture) and dusk came down all around.

*By the way, Le Cottage also serves draught Guinness and jus de Guinness is mentioned in some of the dishes.

Paid a 3rd visit here before going home to Ireland. While waiting, we are served with a lovely smoked salmon mousse which goes well with the brown bread.
The main course for me is local lamb with seasonal vegetables; done to a T, easy to eat as was the advisors filet of beef. Dessert was deliceux de fraises, also gorgeous.