Restaurant Le Cristal DOMINI — Restaurant in Béziers

These notes were taken a month or so ago when in Beziers for a few nights and then forgotten however I came across them today … On the evening I was here I was a little frustrated as I was the third person to be seated at the restaurant around the Restaurant’s dinner opening time and about the 10th to be provided a meal .. I’d had a cold in the previous week and my appetite disappeared however it was back with a vengeance that evening and while others were seated and receiving meals my stomach thought that my throat had been cut … which is probably what prevented me from complaining about the 1 hour delay in producing a meal and also the prospect of being labelled a whinging so and so from you know where (given away by my speaking A……..n) belayed my tongue .. For an hour I was tortured by the sounds of clattering cutlery and chomping teeth…oh interspersed by a vehicle driving around the cbd emitting the sounds of a shotgun and what sounded like a giant predator bird calling its children in for dinner …. When the meal did arrive it was very tasty and a good size however it contained pieces of a very mature chicken or one that had spent its short life being pursued by a rooster and developed very fibrey flesh … the saltiness of the dish could also have been balanced by a raisin or 2 .. Why oh why does no one provide butter with bread here … it is so asking for it … beautiful bread… no butter … I had to secrete it in my handbag back to the hotel room where the butter purloined from the Airbnb 2 accommodations ago had been slowly deconstructing in the collapsible lunch box that had been a prerequisite for the regrettably unsilent pilgrimage recently undertaken to obtain freedom from all judgements around the abundance of others before me, acceptance of all delays and appreciation for whatever sustenance came my way … The meal did come in the most beautiful bowl shaped like a split peapod and of course the bread was in an exquisite wire basket, not your faux frying in oil wire basket that chips 🙀are served in, in the unnamed Country …. so French! I’ve been laughing all through doing this review and now the guy at next table is gagging with laughter .. it’s catching! The most fun I’ve had at a Restaurant for a while … the Waitress is lovely and kept the wine coming during...

A perfect place for a leisurely coffee, lunch or dinner.

The dish of the day is always lovely- time it right and you can get couscous (winter) or paella (summer) as a perfect Monday lunch treat (when most restaurants are closed in Béziers, bonus).

Make sure you take your time and enjoy the setting. The staff work so very hard to serve so many tables, especially in summer, and they really care about you enjoying the food (our waitress Soso was lovely, and a real pro).

Very French, so go for the specials and seasonal dishes (their Prix fixe is much more easily customizable than most places).

If you want a quicker lunch (i.e 1 hour), stick with one main dish and a coffee. This is a basic French rule of dining, and it's served us well.

Portions are usually quite generous, depending what you get. Where available, the local pasta macaronade dish (sometimes on Thursdays) is particularly filling and savoury.

This is a place that aims to be many things to many people. Fast food it is not, and those just wanting to grab food and leave within 30 minutes will not be pleased. However you will love it if you can take your time to enjoy the stunning surroundings.

Finally, we've been with our small dog before, both inside and outside depending on the season, which is much appreciated as it obviously isn't sunny and...

We visited this restaurant/bar four times during our stay in Béziers. There is a very reasonably priced 3 course lunchtime set menu for just under 20 Euros. We had an interesting starter of poached eggs in a red wine sauce with lardons, a delicious squid stew with potatoes and a chocolate and praline mousse. We also went à la carte on a Sunday and chose from the suggestions of the day - really lovely melon and Serrano ham, cod on a bed of risotto with a chorizo cream and a delicious crème brûlée. This was far more expensive, but justified, given the higfh quality of the food. We also went for a drink on Friday evening, when there was very pleasant live music, and had a wonderful ice cream sundae another day.

Service could be a little slow but staff very friendly. Vey pleasant location under the plane trees of the beautiful Allées Paul Riquet. Highly...