Restaurant Le Florida — Restaurant in Auch

You would not guess from the humble exterior of this restaurant that inside are two rooms for guests, and that the experience offered would be one of a luxury get-away. I would recommend it without reservation for a romantic getaway, which you can combine with an amazing meal at the restaurant and some lovely sightseeing in the area, whether the lovely small towns of St Puy, Jegun||and Monluc (where you should load up on liqueur, armagnac and wine from the chateaux) or the bustling capital of Gers, Auch. We found our way to this restaurant from a random travel article I found in the New York Times extolling the delights of Gers, a quieter and humbler version of more visited areas like the Dordogne or Aquitaine, awash in Armagnac (one of my favourite drinks ever) and Foie-Gras (with apologies to those who are uncomfortable with Foie-Gras but I really love it…). ||||Part of its charm is its story, Baptiste, the son who lived in Paris for 12 years, working in luxury fashion, returning to his hometown and family to help his parents modernise a long-running traditional restaurant. With the peak tourist season really only lasting during August, Baptiste felt the restaurant too large, and convinced his parents to let him turn the top floor into two rooms of accommodation. Our room was the “spa” room because of a large jacuzzi in one of its rooms. The fun starts right from the entrance, with astroturf, an explosion of decorative butterflies on the wall, and a cage rather than a wardrobe for hanging clothes and a security locker. The bedroom, with high ceilings, had a super-comfortable bed and pillows with linen sheets which felt lovely and cool and made us wonder who has to iron them. There was some extremely stylish furniture and a basket of fresh fruit. The toilet room, with a small selection of books and toy figures, with obvious personal meaning for the owners, is equipped with a Japanese toilet, one of those ones that washes, dries and warms… The bathroom had an amazing shower, stylish and contemporary fittings, two big white bathrobes in the drawer, samples of local toothpaste (the area is apparently famous not only for its thermal baths to take care of your skin and health, but for taking care of your dental hygiene) and Aesop products, a luxury Australian brand. Oh, there was a nice selection of magazines and our own little patio area. ||||For one night, the cost was 160 Euros (230 Australian dollars), which, if you’re splitting the cost with your partner, comes to a cool 80 Euros each. An intimate luxury experience like this in Australia would cost at least double this, if not more. Plus, it felt like a very personal experience, that the room was a labour of love for Baptiste who has tried to make every detail perfect, and every product and furnishing of the highest quality. Breakfast was delivered to our room in a basket and on the patio, we ate croissants and pain chocolat, fresh local yoghurt with a lovely fresh fruit compote, fresh orange juice, coffee (each in our own individual thermos) and today’s international edition of the New York Times. ||||I thought with our magnificent experience at Chateau de Lalande near Perigueux, that that would be my best review of this trip. But with my specialised taste for a truly individual experience combined with very affordable luxury, I really loved our night...

The dearth of quality restaurants in and around Auch is particularly poignant now that we've recently moved into the region. Using London as a reference, Le Florida is an absolute gem, well worth a detour if you're passing within 30km. ||Nested within Castera Verduzan, nothing too ostentatious from the exterior (nor in fact from the interior) it has an ethereal feel as you come in. Small, very white, yet cosy, the casual and professional approach from the maitre D is both inviting and reassuring. The service, ensured by staff of varied nationalities, is personal yet not intrusive, and really makes the foremost reason for coming over even more enjoyable...the food. ||This is not a stuffy and pompous fine dining type outfit, nor is it trying to be an overly manicured, bitty cuisine, leaving you hungry after your three courses. This is a fine dining establishment with a fresh, short and distinctly thought-through menu, with incredible balance and local produce that are combined with skill and vision.||As a family we arrived very late, finding couples, other family groups, with both young and old people looking like they were enjoying their visit, and food. The spitting fire added a great warmth (in all senses of the word) to the dining room.||Soup of Ceps with scallops, turbot on steamed and lightly charred vegetables with pear chutney and ginger, the Wyagyu bavette...between the four of us, we could not fault any of the dishes we took. Granted we were hungry, but this was the third visit, and every time we've been extremely satisfied. This is what prompted me to write this review. Ending the meal with a great "pud" is clearly one of the best things ever, especially after such a good start. We were not disappointed. The deserts are light (no heavy creams, overly large portions) with the right combination of being different and yet not overdoing it. The chef has a slight edge on the savoury, but being able to finish on a high is rare.||With four people having 1 bottle of champagne, 1 bottle of wine (82 euros red wine...we did decide to have something nice) and three courses all round, we spent ~370 euros. Personally, I thought this was money very well spent, and you could always have something more reasonable to drink... (As will we when we come back... Or...

A Memorable “Golden” Night at the Florida Our children gave us a surprise present of a night away at “Le Florida” as part of our golden wedding anniversary celebrations. It was delightful. Welcomed with a smile, we were shown to a lovely, air-conditioned and well-equipped room at the top of the building. Very comfortable. Our evening started with a wine tasting: very informal, comprising three whites and three reds, each described by Rafael – obviously proud of his local producers. We had the “carte blanche” menu and enjoyed ourselves from start to finish with beautiful food chosen by the chef each course paired with the perfect wine. The service throughout the meal was second to none – attentive without being intrusive. The breakfast served from a hamper left outside the door in the morning was fun, an ideal way to complete our...