La Table du Crescent, Narbonne 11000, France

We discovered this restaurant as a result of a visit to the Palais du Vin on the outskirts of Narbonne, as we had heard they had a fantastic collection of Languedoc-Roussillon wines all under one roof.

They did indeed, so after numerous purchases, we realised that just across the garden behind the Palais there is a very pleasant restaurant , which even turned out to have  a Michelin star!

The restaurant is set in an old Oratory dating from the Middle Ages,  with soaring pillars and high ceilings, in sharp contrast to the Japanese style décor. In contrast  the outside dining room was a bit of a let- down compared with the stunning vista inside, so despite the tempting sunshine, we decided to eat in the interior dining room.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was quite formal at first, but we soon discovered that  many of the waiters and waitresses were students from the nearby  Ecole de Hotellerie in Narbonne, and then the atmosphere became more relaxed!   However the Sommeliere was a permanent staff member, and really knew her wines, so we followed her advice and had the fixed lunch menu, accompanied by a different local wine which she chose  for each course.    We particularly liked the white Carignan from the Domaine Embres et Castelmaure “Blanc Paysan”  which is apparently an unusual wine for the area,  and the Chardonnay from the Domaine Moulin de Gimie.   Each glass of wine was 5 euros and we really enjoyed the experience of discovering several  interesting  new wines.

The starter on the fixed lunch menu was squid salad with green beans and wild strawberries, followed by a fillet of Saint Pierre with foie gras and fennel , and finishing with a chocolate mousse. There were other menus ranging from 30 to 85 Euros and the chef, Lionel Girard, obviously has a predilection for fish which was featured on all the menus.  It was not the best one Michelin star  meal that I have eaten, but the wine tasting experience made up for any shortcomings  and overall it was a pleasant experience.

Nearby Narbonne is a busy, if somewhat run-down  city and  its famous Cathedral,  which dominates the town,  is well worth a visit.