La Galinette, 66000 Perpignan

This restaurant, which currently boasts 3 Toques  from the Restaurant Review Guault Millau and 1 Michelin star, both of which are well deserved, has a well established reputation in Perpignan and its environs.

The outside is a little offputting, but once inside, the room is bright and welcoming, with an understated decor.  A big plus is the generous space between the tables, which is so often not the case in neighbourhood establishments of this sort.

The young chef, Christophe Comes, offers modern, sophisticated cooking, often presenting classic dishes but with a Catalan flavour.  He sources most of his food locally and  has a particular interest in fish and seafood which have pole position on the menu.  The 3 course  lunchtime menu is a real steal at 19 euros – last time I was there we started with a Manchego cheese salad with lardons, nestled in a bed of assorted greens, followed by poached cod with escalivada, the Catalan version of  ratatouille and finishing with a delicious apricot claufoutis.  There is a also a more sophisticated, but also considerably more expensive 4 course menu at 55 euros and a wide variety of dishes a la carte.  The presentation of the food is very striking and I would like to have photographed not only all our courses, but also the various dishes  being served around us!

The wine list offers more than 350 wines from the Languedoc Roussillon region,  so you are spoiled for choice and it also really brings home the enormous depth and variety of the local production.

If you are interested in modern cuisine, offering a new look at well-loved classic dishes, you will enjoy La Galinette.