Restaurant La Marquière — Restaurant in Carcassonne

We just left the restaurant, after spending more than three and a half hours there. First of all, the meal was top notch. BUT, this is the first time in my life (65 years old, frequent diner) that I've left a restaurant without leaving a tip. Our bill, for two of us, was 187 euros. The food was great, but for the first time ever, the staff fed into the generally false stereotype of "rude French." The service was OK until I tried to get an espresso and an after dinner drink. For over an hour, I attempted to get the attention of our waiter as he darted in and out of the room ignoring us. He had conversations with a couple of French speaking tables, but continued to look right past us the way busy waiters sometimes do. When my wife finally got up to approach him, his response was, "Why didn't you ask us?!" We were the first ones in the restaurant and the last ones to leave. My wife and I are celebrating 50 years together by traveling through Spain, France and Portugal. This experience has left such a bad taste in my mouth that I just feel like going home! It's a real shame since, as I said, the food was top notch. But for that kind of money, I expect ATTENTIVE service. Believe me, we have travelled extensively throughout Europe and this was not a case of just letting us relax at the end of our meal without rushing us (which is quite common in Europe and a positive thing). This was a blatant case of being completely inattentive to us. We are diners with extensive experience with fine dining in our entire family, so we have realistic expectations and we always treat the waitstaff with nothing but respect and courtesy. Tonight was simply unacceptable. It's a real shame, because it completely ruined what should have been a great dining experience. We made these reservations months ago and this was supposed to be a highlight of our 16 day trip through Europe. As stated previously, we have nothing negative to say about the food, but overall the service was probably the worst we've ever experienced! I feel bad writing such a negative review but I can't ignore being treated like an...

Tucked away in the northwest corner of La Cité de Carcassonne, La Marquière is an authentic gem in a sea of touristy hash houses. They have a lovely inner-courtyard terrace that is beautifully landscaped and serene, well protected from the tourist hubbub outside. The dining room is expansive and handsomely furnished, although you really do want to shoot for seating on the terrace! (Reservations are accepted.)

The service is stellar; the servers work as a team and they were friendly, informative and personable to us. The waiter indulged my attempt to speak French; once a few other tables were seated and things began to get raucous, he noticed that I was having trouble with comprehension and seamlessly switched to English. The staff's wine recommendation was spot-on, and they never made us feel unwelcome or uncultured.

The food is very well done, especially considering the quality of the other restaurants and cafés in Carcassonne Centre. As soon as we were seated, an amuse-bouche of gazpacho and castelvetrano olives was set before us. For starters we chose marinated sardines -- fresh and not at all fishy! -- and a delicious semi-cooked paté of foie gras with delicate overtones of orange. My grilled duck breast was beautifully seared on the outside, moist and pink on the inside. My companion's duck confit was tender and savory without being overly salted. We opted for coffee instead of dessert, and were pleased by the small tray of assorted sweets that came free with the coffee service.

The prices at La Marquière are not cheap -- we paid 28 euro apiece for the two-course menu, plus another 30 or so for the beer, coffee and wine that we ordered -- but given the superb ambience, service and quality of the food, this restaurant is an excellent value; it's a real stand-out in an otherwise lackluster collection...

Shortly after we arrived in the amazing old town of Carcassonne we came here to get some lunch. We didn't make a reservation but were lucky to get a table upstairs. Our Bulldog was welcome as well, that was very nice.

The setting here is stunning. You will feel like being set back 500 years. Lots of stone, wood...lots of charm. Waiting staff was excellent, very friendly and helpful.

There are some set-menus available but also lots of great items à la carte. Since we didn't plan on spending too much time, we just went for some main dishes. Until these arrived we were served some tasty and free olives and olive chutney. Two glasses of local Rosé with the meal.

My wife had the Cassoulet and I went for a house special: The Foie Gras Ravioli, with a piece of Foie Gras on top.

The Cassoulet was wonderful. Tender meat (duck, pork, sausage) and a very rich and tasty broth. Beans with a little bite left...as it should be. Perfection.

The Foie Gras Ravioli were equally great. Wonderful tasting Foie, Ravioli cooked to perfection. And the Foie Gras escalope on top tender and oh, so tasty. Cooked perfectly on point.

A really wonderful meal in a wonderful town. Really a lunch to remember. Prices are a bit on the higher side, but considered the location, the setting, the quality of the ingredients and the wonderful staff it's still a very very fair price you pay.

Loved it. Highly...