L’Auberge des Capitelles, 66720 Cassagnes

The Auberge des Capitelles is located in the little village of Cassagnes, about 25 kms. from Perpignan and  started a new life this Spring under the guidance of Diane, the very attractive chef and manager.  The restaurant is located an old inn on the village square and in the dining room  there is a vintage photo of how things looked  on the square at the turn of the century – actually a lot busier than today!  Although Cassagnes is one of the lucky villages in the area to still boast a boulangerie and a grocer’s shop – as well as several independent wine makers.  One of these whom I can recommend is Gilbert Guernet,  who moved to Cassagnes from the Calvados area few years ago,  and is now making excellent “bio” wine – and on my way to eat at the auberge, I picked up a case of his delicious 2011 rose,  which is made immediately after the grapes are picked and contains no sulfates or additives.

The dining room is quite small with about 8 tables and a bar, but is welcoming and bright. The menu is written on a blackboard and consists of approximately 4 starters, 4 main courses and 4 desserts, and everything is made from scratch by Diane, who recently returned from a culinary internship  at the Thornton, a Michelin stared restaurant in Dublin,  and is really interested in the art of cooking.

My firiends and I decided to try as many of the dishes as possible by all choosing something different and no-one was disappointed. I started with  a tomato and mozzarella filo pastry turnover and the other starters were goat cheese crumble, a plate of local charcuterie and oysters.  The main courses were duck breast with peaches, loin of pork and brandade of cod, followed by a choice of Miel y Mato (goat’s cheese drizzled in local honey), tiramisu with apricots or , the only dish not made by Diane, locally made sheep’s milk ice cream in a variety of flavours. We chose a local rose wine, with the wonderful name of Adrenaline on the label,  but you can also have wine by the jug.  The wine list is mostly from local producers and the prices range from 14 to 18 euros.

The three course menu cost 18 Euros and was realy excellent value, but  if you prefer you can choose individual dishes, which range in price from 5 to 10 euros each. There is also a tapas menu if you fancy something a little lighter.

The Auberge des Capitelles is a great find, and the restaurant really deserves to be a success.  So if you’re in the area give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!