Cheap Lunch Spots in Limousin, South West France

The trick to spotting a cheap lunch in Limousin, France is very straight-forward and simple - look for the menu for 'Ouvriers' or workmen. You can find these menus at many, if not most restaurants. They only offer these menus on week-days and for lunch times only as they are aimed at workers, and, largely, working men. If you are not put off eating with men - read on ....

Where to eat in France - the Lakes of the Haute Charente

These are not all cheap places, but just a few favourites around and about our hamlet of Videix. I can't list all the good places to eat, there are just so many of them. Instead I'm giving you a few tips on finding good, cheap placed to eat yourself.

There are sure to be lots anywhere you go in Limousin, but I can't swear that the same rules would apply in the Tourist honey pots of France. My advice? Don't get stuck with tourist commercialism, and buz on down to lovely Limousin instead.

Oh no, not at all. Your average French tradesman or manual worker takes food as seriously as those in the very top professions and they know all the best French restaurants and the best places to find excellent, cheap lunches.

I was a lady painter 'of a certain age' when I came to Limousin in South West France to set up residential painting holidays. I bought an old farm house comples and along with my husband we set about renovating it to make a Bed and Breakfast and holiday cottage, accommodation for our painting guests as well as holiday makers, tourists and other travellers. Les Trois Chenes is now finished, but during the course of this renovation, I was given the opportunity to train as plumber (really, this is all true), and working with French 'plombiers', (all men), gave me great insight into the world of the French workman.

First of all they don't ever, or hardly ever, talk about women or sex. They talk about FOOD. The other students on my course would swap recipes, discuss barbecue techniques and give each other tips about finding the best mushrooms and wild fungi.

The Ouvrier Menu is the key to finding a good, cheap lunch in France.

The men that I did work experience with all stopped at mid-day (precisely) and went to one of the restaurants offering Ouvrier menus and they then spent the next two hours leisurely eating their four course meal. Afterwards, when they met up with other members of their team the first question they would ask was, 'Est-ce que vous avez bien mangé?', have you eaten well ? They then compared notes about their respective restaurants for future reference.

Expect to pay between 10 and 15 euros for a three or four course meal which may also include wine. You would normally be offered a starter, a main course, and/or cheese and a dessert. Coffee is usually extra. (2010 prices)

When my sister and her children come to stay with me in Videix, we always pay at least one visit to this restaurant in Saint Auvent for lunch because my nephew enjoys the steak served here so much. Limousin beef is a regional speciality and the restaurants often offer steak. Have it cooked 'à point', which means just nicely done. If you ask for rare, it will be literally raw with the outside seared a bit. If you want it cooked through you will annoy the chef. Also over-cooking the meat makes it tough. If you still want it like this, my mother used to ask for it to be 'burnt on both sides'.

The restaurant also serves other local specialities, cheese, apples, walnuts, fish.

These pictures were taken from a slightly more expensive menu as the only chance we had to have a meal here was to take Sunday lunch. The content of the meal is not dissimilar from the Ouvrier menu, but the presentation would be simpler. So here is just a taste of what to expect.

Details:

The Auberge de la Vallée de la Gorre

Place de l'église 87310 ST AUVENT

Closed Monday and Sunday evenings but it is always best to phone before hand as we do find that they tend to close for holidays Tel : 05 55 00 01 27

Saint Auvent is a sleepy little town surrounded by beautiful Limousin countryside. It has a church, a little Chateau, a Marie and a few little shops, but amazingly it has no less than four restaurants in the village centre.

Barruche Dominique Traiteur Tel : 05 55 48 17 95

Jaccia Tel: 05 55 00 01 27

Lou Cafirou Tel: 05 55 48 17 95

Saint Auvent is just forty minutes from Videix and Les Trois Chenes and the journey is especially beautiful. What is more, after the medieval town of Rochechouart, you can make a round trip and take a different route back. One way, you pass through the pretty and historic village of Biennac, the other way you pass through La Nouzille.

When you arrive in Saint Auvent pay a visit to the Chateau that also displays contemporary art, the ancient church, the shrine of Notre-Dame de la Paix and The Vergers de Fougeras where you can buy apples and pears, real apple juice and other local products directly from the orchards.