Other good places to eat

2 other restaurants we tried out, both in Fabrezan: Les Calicots and Le Clos des Souquets.

We were in Les Calicots for lunch and they had a very good choice, including a special country plate with a taste of regional produce, very good overall. I particularly enjoyed my chocolate mousse.

Le Clos des Souquets is great for a night out - with 3 different menus to choose from, including an exotic menu, with flavours from the French caribbean. There is a nice feel around the restaurant, which spans 3 areas- a terrace, the main restaurant and the conservatory. There are gorgeous paintings on the walls (except the ones on the terrace, which I didn't like at all - it's all a matter of taste.) We were there on a Friday evening, and there were plenty of locals, always a good sign. I had a carpaccio for my main course, with parmesan shavings and capers, and it was only gorgeous. Brendan enjoyed the duck. Service was excellent, attentive and precise, formal and relaxed all at once. We went back for lunch the following week and both enjoyed a starter of Serrano ham with asparagus. Brendan had duck again for his main, while I opted for the gambas - a very generous portion of 12 big prawns, with a spicy sauce. Don't be put off by the restaurant's location on the main road to Lagrasse. There is ample parking at the back and you exit the car park at the back of the property, so no worries about coming out blind onto a busy street.

France is definitely the place for food. We had one bad experience, worth noting though. If you're ever in Duilhac Sous Peyrepertuse, avoid the Auberge du Moulin, near the fountain. It looks very attractive, with a big willow tree giving shade to its terrace, but the food is dreadful (my duck was burnt to bits, and was served with an overcooked potato with sour cream on top - everything was brown, including the plates), service is poor (we had to wait 45 minutes for our starter, which consisted of cold meats and salad - I could have prepared it myself in 5 minutes), and I have my concerns about general hygiene. There were dirty plates on a side board, and dirty glasses on the bar counter, left there the whole time we were there. We didn't get sick, but we left before dessert, as we could not endure another horror.