Grand Café Occitan

Another delightful meal at Grand Café Occitan, which has quietly (and now not so quietly) become one of my favourite restaurants in the region. If you’re looking for breaded chicken Caesar with a decorative squirt of balsamic glaze, this is definitely not the place. If, however, you enjoy seasonal, regional cooking done properly, dishes full of flavour rather than gimmicks, and a menu that changes with what’s actually good right now, you’ll be very happy here. Add to that a terrific selection of (natural) wines, a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, and you have a restaurant that knows exactly what it’s doing — and does it well. Honest food, good taste (on the plate and in the glass), and no nonsense.

The food is an excellent example of gastro cuisine in southern France. The cafe has a nice cozy feeling inside and an extensive wine list. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Grand Café is a gem. We have always had delicious, inventive food. There are no unnecessary frills or frippery to disguise questionable cooking. The service is calm and controlled, again inspiring total confidence in the fact that this operation knows exactly what it’s doing and does it extremely well. Our smoked eel starter was delicious with a punchy horseradish and little mound of pink pickled onion. Our creamy fish roe was topped with soft, warm eggs. Portion sizes and presentation are perfect. We shared saddle of rabbit, served with two skewers of offal. The meat was succulent, with chips to mop up the juice. Despite feeling full - we’d mopped up every last drop with bread around the plates - we somehow managed to find space for a deep, dark chocolate pot and a little, white, wobbly buttermilk blancmange topped with strawberries and their syrup. The room was full and there was a very satisfied buzz of conversation laced with cool music at just the right level. Sadly, as we have to drive there, we couldn’t partake of a French Negroni or a linger over a bottle of Château Maris wine. (We must find friends who don’t drink!) We already look forward to the next time and will continue to recommend it as the best restaurant in the region and in fact, on our top ten list of anywhere.

Group of 4 friends from Australia who enjoyed one of our best French meals on our trip. Great service wine recommendations and the food for each of us was amazing. Despite our limited French we were well looked after thankyou for the best fathers day

By far the best dining experience in our region. It’s always a huge pleasure to eat and drink at Tristram and Ana’s beautiful café. Thank you to both of you

A superb experience of La Vraie France Profonde. Beautiful, perfect food in handsome portions. Cool North African jazz for ambience. The owner is relaxed charm and warmth personified and the village is pretty and sleepy. The best long lunch experience! (Wines excellent too!)

Charming little restaurant, food tastes amazing, gorgeous garden, fast service! Great wine list! We’ll be back!

Service excellent, portions ideal for building up layers of a menu. Creative but honest cooking with key ingredients, good value. Comforting, relaxing. Great wine choices. A very pleasant way of spending a lunchtime.