L'escampette — Restaurant in Béziers

We were directed to this little village restaurant by the hotel we were staying at nearby. Oddly, our request for a restaurant with a view resulted in us finding ourselves seated at a table on a small terrace surrounded by houses and a car park - admittedly rather quaint French dwellings, but not precisely what we were aiming for.

But that's more of a critique of our hotel (and my partner's grasp of French) than of the restaurant in question. Looking beyond the view, the food was, in a word, tasty. Reliable French fare without pretensions. My starter of a chicken vol au vent was hearty, well seasoned and delicious. My partner's crusted baked Camembert was a cheese fiend's delight. She was delighted.

Our mains were similarly straightforward. The chicken was just that, sat on a bed of vegetables in a light broth. Filling, perhaps a tad over-cooked, but good quality home cooking-style food without unnecessary flourishes. The filet of mullet accompanied by risotto and American sauce was the better dish of the two mains we sampled - the skin of the fish was crisp and well salted and the risotto melted in the mouth.

Desert was a bit of a let down. The rum baba was cold and floating in about half a pint of the eponymous liquid which obliterated any taste of the cake itself. The application of heat and sugar, together with some moderation on the part of the rum pourer would have done wonders. Any more than a spoonful jeopardised a safe drive home and there was more left behind than consumed. However, other diners seemed to be receiving more alluring dishes, including an attractive chocolate cake and some kind of fruit compote. So poor selection here may have let us down.

Overall a very adequate local restaurant. Not worth going out of your way for, but an excellent choice if you find yourself in Neffies, and are intrigued by the prospect of getting...

We stayed in Neffiés in an RBNB and wanted to celebrate our last evening in this gorgeous restaurant. And what an evening it was. The terrace is overlooking the village an you can see surrounding vineyards. But the beautiful view and the very welcoming hosts were just the beginning. It is all you can expect from a very skilled french Chef. A great mix of traditional ingredients with a fine twist and taste of french haute cuisine. If you want to have a magnificent evening with great food, good wines and a heartwarming atmosphere, here is the place to be. And don’t forget to order desert! You cannot choose wrong....

Malheureusement une mauvaise expérience mais qui fera que je n’irai jamais manger ni ne suggérerais à quiconque d’y aller : Lors d’une ballade à moto vers les Cévennes, nous nous sommes arrêtés dans ce village que je ne connaissais pas, dans l’espoir d’y trouver un peu d’eau puis de le visiter. En fait, je ne me sentais pas bien, j’étais en début de déshydratation et avais besoin en urgence de boire. Il était 1325 hr, le bar du village était fermé, mais ce restaurant, près de l’église, était ouvert et une table de convives, 5 ou 6, était occupée à l’intérieur. Je me présente à la porte et la, un monsieur me barre le chemin et me dit : oui? Je lui demande si il est possible de manger et il me dit que non et que sa cuisine est fermée. Je demande alors si on peut boire quelque chose et il le dit non car il est restaurant et pas bar. Je lui demande alors au moins un verre d’eau pour ma femme et moi même et, malgré le minimum de politesse et d’hospitalité. Il me le refuse également en me disant : non pas possible! Je ne pense pas qu’un restaurant, surtout en période de canicule, ait le droit de refuser de donner de l’eau à qui le demande, surtout que, à la base, je comptais y être client…. Ce restaurateur ne mérite pas d’avoir des clients car il est clair que son seul souhait n’est pas de satisfaire les clients et qu’il n’a aucune empathie. A ÉVITER...