Eating out is one of the pleasures of a holiday in France, or elsewhere for that matter.

The regional cuisine is Périgordian, which is rich. Many, if not most, restaurants focus on this regional cooking, although it is perfectly possible to find other types of cuisine as well.

Périgordian cuisine, such as you will find at Famille Moutier nearby in Couture, for example, typically consists of Pâté de Foie Gras, followed by, perhaps, Salade de Gesiers, then Magret de Canard. This will be followed by a choice of cheeses and then a choice of dessert.

Bergerac wines are well suited to Périgordian cuisine, with the sweet wines of Saussignac or Monbazillac accompanying the Pâté and the red wines of Bergerac, either Bergerac Rouge or Côtes de Bergerac, accompanying the duck and the cheese. The white wine, Bergerac Sec, is a fine, but very dry, aperitif, especially when served cool at a hot lunchtime or evening.

In Monestier, the Relais de Monestier serves excellent food in a friendly atmosphere in a recently enlarged and refurbished dining room. The menu here, although Périgordian in nature, ranges more widely than that described above.

In a similar price range, there is a number of restaurants in Bergerac, one of which, Le Poivre et Sel, is situated in the old part of Bergerac, not far from the river, where it is possible to eat outside in the spring, summer and autumn. The menu here provides a wider choice than the strictly Périgordian fare which is so widely available elsewhere.

At the top end of the range, La Tour des Vents near Monbazillac, and L’Imparfait in Bergerac are excellent, but can also be busy. There is ample choice for all tastes in Gardonne, St. Foy-la-Grande and Bergerac, as well as elsewhere within reach. The notice board in La Tuilière gives up-to-date suggestions for places to eat.