Relais Chantovent

We were lucky to get a table without making a lunch reservation. Staff was super friendly. We were very happy, as the food was amazing. We took the menu at 29 euro, with 3 choices of starters. We took the ‘chicken’ salad with fennel and granny smith. Wow. And goat cheese starter. Another wow. Sea bass and Porc as main course. Fantastic taste and textures, and beautifully presented. Then cheese platter, and chocolate as dessert. Without wine but including aperitif and coffees we paid 80 euro.

Relais Chantovert is a restaurant you really should go to if you are anywhere visiting in the Carcassonne area. In the ancient stronghold of Minerve, perched next to the Gorge du Brian, the quality of the food - flavour and presentation - never fails to impress and there is a relatively small but interesting list of local wines. We have visited here time after time and love coming back. It’s essential to book ( normally a few days in advance). The balcony can be great in the evening but maybe too hot at lunchtime when inside can be nicer. We love the proprietor and all his staff. A very happy place.

The restaurant is stunningly good, a faultless food experience. They get everything just right including small things such as the bread. I particularly loved the 20 hour pork. You get a genuine warm welcome, perfect service and reasonable prices all in one of the most beautiful medieval villages in France.

Lunch for 5 on the terrace June 8. One of us had dietary needs. The staff were wonderful, the food was superb and beautifully presented, the view spectacular. Every year we return to France we book this restaurant. This visit was an absolute delight. Each of us ordered different meals and each of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals.

This place was stunning. You leave your car in the big car park and walk down the hairpin bend towards A tiny medieval village built into the craggy rocks above a breathtaking gorge. A lovely terrace on the edge overlooking the gorge with eagles circling on the other side, falcons, swallows, house-martins…. The wine was delicious and so affordable compared to uk prices (€26 for a beautiful Viognier. The food was fantastic and we thought it was going to be too much (the €49 menu but it was perfect with a little taster ‘mise-en-Bouche’ of fresh asparagus purée and mini vegetable flan type thing in a spoon, a goats cheese olive bready chive starter, a mouth-watering 24 hour cooked pig dish followed by a caramelly apple verbena mint sorbet dessert. The waitress was lovely and Nicolas who runs it/and chefs it was super lovely. This place is top marks!!!

Visited during low season (March) and arrived late at night by car. The manager was very kind and even parked our car for us as it was a little difficult. Such a warm welcome! The restaurant was superb too. Rooms are simple but the water pressure is surprisingly strong. Didn't expect such a high-quality breakfast too, with home-made bread that they refilled! Thank you for the great stay.

This is a truly rare find. We have been dining here now on and off probably for more than ten years and yet the food and service remains absolutely impeccable. The restaurant has one of the most profoundly beautiful locations it is possible to find. Breathtaking and we have never been disappointed and long to come back yet again, which must be real proof of the quality of this restaurant. A really great selection of local wines and the food, Oh La La! Next time the 8 course tester menu! Absolutely superb.

Just amazing! Had lunch with my husband after visiting this wonderful village. The food, the service and the decor were perfect. In the summer, it must be very nice to eat outdoors with the spectacular views. We highly recommend this place and the village is a must see as well.

Hmmmmmm... This restaurant was listed as a Michelin *'ed restaurant in our guest house guide. Perhaps this was a long time ago because it certainly did not deliver as one would expect. Located on the edge of the Gorge de Cesse in the pretty village of Minerva this is an idea setting to establish a reputation for exceptional dining. The restaurant looks good, the views from the terrace are great but everything else lets it down from being an exceptional experience. On arrival the wait staff seemed unorganised, or unprepared for anyone to arrive. Once we were sat at the table which was a bit of a clumsy and awkward affair we had an aperitifs to start with. The kids had orangina in bottles, the problem being that the tops were not removed. Throughout the evening wait staff seemed to have a lot of trouble remembering who had what. This does not happen in Michelin *'ed restaurants. When it came to le fromages, it all fell apart. There were five of us, I was having the Menu autor de le truffle, so I had set courses. The other four had a choice between fromages or faisselle au miel as part of their set menus. So we ordered 2 fromages and 2 faisselle.... All very simple you would think. Somehow they though that my 9 year old daughter did not want anything. Once we realised they had forgotten, or got it mixed up or whatever, we politely asked the waiter of the problem. He appeared to be suggesting that we had caused the problem.... Perhaps we did but we attempted to politely resolve it. After the rest of us had finished the course it was clear that they had no intention of serving my daughter. We then asked for the manager, this did nothing, so we went to the counter where we had to laboriously go through what had happened. By this stage any good feelings about the night had completely evaporated. We then sat down again. When the waiter passed again I had to ask whilst gesturing in a frustrated manner... 'où est la faisselle?'. He then said, ' oh, you want the faisselle now?' So all in all the service was a real let down. We don't speak very much French, but we try and we have generally had fantastic experiences in French restaurants *'ed or not. I also found the food to be somewhat unbalanced and lacking imagination. We noticed that the main course was basically meat with the same set of accompanying vegetables - this is not Michelin standard. Perhaps it's not a Michelin rated restaurant. If so, then I'd be a little more forgiving. In the end one of the meals was discounted, but it was too late by then. The restaurant seemed unable to cope with challenges and just caved in with us. A lost evening. I hope they do better with others - they could and should be so much better.