Le Table de Cuisine - St. Andre

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Wed 07 Mar 2012 18:16

If I had 99€ to waste it wouldnt be on a bottle of something that is going to pass through me and down the loo within an hour. Unfortunately not all of us have that sort of money.

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Wed 07 Mar 2012 18:47

I enjoyed El Rancho over by Carrefour Rivesaltes, kids would like that as well.

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Wed 07 Mar 2012 18:49

We like the Buffalo Grill for a more than ample lunchtime meal.

jeannot · Post by **jeannot** » Wed 07 Mar 2012 21:26

Going back to the subject of the wines offered in the restaurant La Table,Santiago mentions the Treolar Domaine. I had a look on their web site,looks tasty.Has any one else tried it and does anyone know if we can buy it in a local cave or retailer ? If not a trip to the domaine might be in order, not such an arduous task. Thanks.

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Wed 07 Mar 2012 21:42

I've had a bottle or two of the wine from Santiago's winery. Miammmm! There's a few other members from this forum have tried this winery too.

Normally there's something happening during the Easter time, so watch that space. It would be a good time to taste the wine there.

Blackduff

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Thu 08 Mar 2012 07:41

Sue wrote:If I had 99€ to waste it wouldnt be on a bottle of something that is going to pass through me and down the loo within an hour. Unfortunately not all of us have that sort of money.

I knew someone would have to make that comment

I'm not going to go on about people's right to spend their money on whatever gives them the most pleasure. I certainly feel the 40€ that I spent in Courtpaille was a waste.

It may sound outrageous but the reason I ordered it was that I noticed this restaurant did not have very high markups on their wine. around 10-20% instead of the usual 300%. Chave Hermitage is a wine that I've been wanting to try for a long time. It often gets recommended by wine lovers that I respect. Given that the food was so reasonably priced, I thought why not splash out. It's not like I do it very often.

I looked up the retail price of the wine and it sells for roughkly 200€ in the shops
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/chave ... 005/france

So you could say that I saved 100€. Well that's what supermakets tell all those suckers who buy wine at "half-price" week-in, week-out.

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Thu 08 Mar 2012 07:52

blackduff wrote:Normally there's something happening during the Easter time, so watch that space. It would be a good time to taste the wine there.

Blackduff

Yes, we'll be holding our VinArt exhibition and open day over Easter Sunday and Monday, as usual. I believe Rachel has even more artists this year. We'll be doing tastings of our current vintages and there will also be live music, kid's activities, so their parents can concentrate on the important things

and last night I arranged for Raphael at La Voie Lactée, the fantastic cheese shop in Thuir, to come and do selection platters.

My list of wine merchants (cavistes) is on my website. I don't sell to supermarkets.

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Thu 08 Mar 2012 08:15

Sue wrote:We like the Buffalo Grill for a more than ample lunchtime meal.

Yes, like it there as well, so did the grandchildren.

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Fri 16 Mar 2012 16:52

Ate at La Table de Cuisine again this lunchtime. Great food as usual and I think the presentation has moved up a notch.

Started with a Tartine of escargots with garlic, those little baby leeks you find growing wild at the moment and chorizo. For the main I chose the Morue a l'ail which was beautifully served on a square bed of olive-oil mash with a smattering of interesting garnishes - olive slices, coriander and some little wild flowers.

Even though we chose not to take a dessert, Martine gave us an Absynthe Sorbet which was a cool and refreshing way to finish the meal.

Wines by the glass are always interesting here. I had a red Jura which was a bit odd but went really well with the Tartine, and then a natural-tasting Macabeu from Latour de France, again a great match.

At 20-something for the menu and 3.50 for a glass of wine, it's a pretty good value step into fine cuisine.

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Fri 16 Mar 2012 16:59

Sounds good.

lynda · Post by **lynda** » Sat 26 May 2012 20:57

Can anyone tell me if the restaurant in St Andre is suitable for my 4 Year old grandson and 10 month old grand daughter to eat with us one lunch time as it is my husbands birthday on June 2nd - Is there any outside space - a garden or terrace for the four year old to play in if he gets bored with waiting for us ?
You all give it high merit and as yet we haven,t eaten there Blackduff will remember me from the link he sent me for our cycle trio to the Canal du MIdi a few years ago - LYnda from LE boulou

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Sun 27 May 2012 00:08

lynda wrote:Can anyone tell me if the restaurant in St Andre is suitable for my 4 Year old grandson and 10 month old grand daughter to eat with us one lunch time as it is my husbands birthday on June 2nd - Is there any outside space - a garden or terrace for the four year old to play in if he gets bored with waiting for us ?
You all give it high merit and as yet we haven,t eaten there Blackduff will remember me from the link he sent me for our cycle trio to the Canal du MIdi a few years ago - LYnda from LE boulou

Don't know about the restaurant in St Andre but we take our 4 year old and 18 months old grandsons to the Naudo beach club in Canet, they have a children's play area and you can obviously take them on the beach. We normally get a table next to the beach so the kids can play in the sand while we keep an eye on them.

www.naudobeachclub.com

lynda · Post by **lynda** » Sun 27 May 2012 09:18

Many thanks for your suggestion - We will try it out this week it sounds just what we need if the weather is fine.Can Someone tell us if there is a garden at Le TAble de CUisine in st Andre.?

Post by **Kate** » Sun 27 May 2012 09:51

Hi Lynda,
No, it's quite a small room, and as far as I have noticed, there is no outside space.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Sun 27 May 2012 09:58

There is a new restaurant in Collioure opening this week. There was an article about it on this site

http://www.anglophone-direct.com/Restau ... 0cpllioure

It is a garden restaurant so may be what you are looking for, I believe it opens on Wednesday

John & Elaine · Post by **John & Elaine** » Sun 27 May 2012 10:11

I would recommend this resto to anyone - EXCEPT kids! There is nothing for them at all!!
Pity 'cos it's just great otherwise!

John

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Sun 27 May 2012 12:55

The new Jardin de Collioure is run by the same people who run the restautrant at Domaine St Sebastien in Banyuls which has to be the worst meal I've had in the PO in terms of food quality, cooking, service and (incredible for a wine domaine) wine.

I can't believe they've made enough money to open a new venture. But then, from the outside it looks good so I'm sure lots of tourists choose it.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Sun 27 May 2012 13:49

They also own Chez Pujol in Port Vendre where I have had some of the best meals that I have had in the PO. I will go there next week and let you know what it is like.

Post by **Kate** » Sun 27 May 2012 13:55

Yes, we have been there a couple of times. Massive portions, reasonable prices and great choice of fish.

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Sun 27 May 2012 18:52

Now I look at that group, I've eaten at Chez Pujol too. It's OK. Lots of seafood dishes which look good but are not that brilliant. The wine list is dull. I think it's overpriced compared to Le Chalut which does have better food and better wines. Although their view has been ruined by some prefab building.

I've also looked at Le Tremail, another restaurant they own in Collioure. I don't think I've eaten there but walked past it many times. It looks like basic Catalan fodder.

I suppose I was so disappointed by the St Sebastien meal that I would avoid them in the future.

A lot of people make the remark that we are poorly served by decent mid-range restaurants in the region and I'm afraid that's true.

I'll be honest and say that the words "plentiful portions" tend to put me off a restaurant. In the same way all-you-can-eat buffets put me off. That's just not the reason I eat out. I want to have a great time, eating tasty, interesting food in a nice place with either a lovely view or a pretty room with good service. Otherwise I'd rather pop down to the local butchers and farm shop and sit out in the garden to eat. Rachel is always generous with her portions

Thinking about local places that are good to take kids. A lot of people recommend La Cueva in Laroque to me. L'Epicerie in Montauriol could be good. There are a few around Elne mentioned earlier in this thread that sound suitable. If you don;t mind the drive El Taller in Taurinya is great, and possible l'Hostal in Castelnou. I'm afraid the French aren't good at that "fine family dining" concept in the way that the Spanish and Italians or even the Brits, with their gastropubs, are.

Sue · Post by **Sue** » Sun 27 May 2012 19:12

I am always amazed when we eat out by french children in the main. Unlike modern UK children (and I am not for one moment suggesting the original posters children are like this) they are not faddy eaters who have to be pandered too with special meals of fish fingers and burgers. Even children as young as 3 or 4 will sit there eating a large bowl of moules or some other "adult" delicacy quietly and without running riot. The french also seem to eat en famille when the children are well into their late teens. In the UK they wouldnt be seen dead out with their parents at that age. Sorry if this has strayed from the original post.

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Sun 27 May 2012 21:32

No. I think that is a very positive thing about French society. I really like the wat children are included in social family gatherings and don't feel the need to go off on their own to indulge their own particular teenage habits.

However, although our kids are made to eat a very interesting range of food at school. A range that would make Jamie Oliver jealous. When given the choice of where they would like to go will always say McDo, KFC and any other fast-food outlet.

What I've decided is that children generally like the flavour and style of American fast-food. It's simple, it's fried and you get sauce in a packet and a toy with it.

I'd take that view one step further and suggest that there are many adults who, at heart, like that kind of food. My view is that their palates have never grown up. They still like the things they liked as indulged children.

There is a theory that humans are "The Juvenile Ape". I think there is a lot of truth in that view. That we are apes that never mature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoteny

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Wed 12 Dec 2012 20:37

Nice looking menu for New Years Eve at La Table de Cuisine

malcolmcooper · Post by **malcolmcooper** » Thu 13 Dec 2012 13:13

All of the restaurants mentioned so far are great but I'd like to add The Hotel Catalan in Laroque too. Fabulous quality food and great value. Safe for the kids to play in the square in decent weather and they get good quality food too, not frozen Metro steak hache and nuggets. Top notch!

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Le Table de Cuisine - St. Andre

Many thanks