He was a contestant on Top Chef back in 2013, grew up in the kitchens of L’Univers, the town’s former family-run restaurant, and learned everything he knows from his grandfather, Jacques. Alongside Noémie Honiat, another Top Chef contestant, Quentin Bourdy makes the terroir shine in his bistro with a wooden storefront and vaulted ceilings, where Christiane, his grandmother, is a regular at the lunchtime service. And that’s because his cuisine is a real show-stopper! To “nibble on,” there are pork trotter fritters with tartare sauce spiked with vine shoots, chard and walnut farçous fritters with leek coulis, or skewers of veal kidneys and sausage doused in an onion and ratafia reduction… And for us: lovely organic asparagus from Les Jardins de la Mounine, served whole and al dente, and in raw ribbons, seasoned with an Olt hazelnut and wild garlic pesto and the famous Rodez cheese (Averyon’s version of parmesan) as a coulis and a crumble; an incredible lamb medallion from La Ferme des Lisses, braised overnight in the village’s former wood-fired oven, paired with peas and mint, plus potatoes glazed in an incredible ham reduction; and Jacques’ traditional cherry clafoutis with crème anglaise subtly infused with elderflower. // Larosé
FEELING THIRSTY? : In addition to being quite straightforward and reasonable (all wines served by the glass are €5, bottles range from €28 to €36), the wine list is focused on French wines and reveals some incredible treasures: a lovely Palhàs Cantal chardonnay from Chloé Chassang, and Full, a more full-bodied Coteaux-du-Quercy red from Kévin Barbet…
PRICE: : Appetizers and tapas €4-14, mains €17-21, desserts €8-10.
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