Le Pichenouille, 66460 Maury

The thought of eating with 26 people around a big communal table is not everyone’s idea of the perfect meal out, in particular the possibility of being seated next to someone who might not be exactly your “âme soeur”….

But it is in fact exactly this concept which accounts for the long-lasting success of this restaurant – everyone talks to everyone else and you can meet all sorts of people, drink good local wines, including those made by the owner, and eat traditional French food.

When I was last there the highlight of the menu was the home-made foie gras – served on little toasts but also presented alongside a crème brulée which contained pieces of foie-gras – a first for me! Then came either ribs of beef with white beans or a casserole of fish, containing gambas, scallops and cod which looked very good too.  The desserts were all home made and liberally doused with alcohol.  The wines come almost entirely from Maury, where there are many producers, and  we chose the wine of the house, Vieilles Vignes,  a robust red which went perfectly with the beef.   All the wines are sold without any mark-up which is an excellent marketing tool for the restaurant,  and if you don’t finish your bottle you just take it home with you.

The restaurant is shortly going to change hands, as the owner is retiring so that he can concentrate on selling his wine – he recently got back from Japan where he was very pleased with the contacts he made.  The new owner is a young winegrower from the region, who is going to keep the same format for the restaurant though there will be a new chef.

There are also rooms for rent above the restaurant – and if you decide to stay over you can then meet another twenty or so people the next day!