Where I ate today: Le Terminus, Cruzy

Okay, so I didn't technically eat at Le Terminus today. In fact, it was (sniff) nearly 3 months ago, but skimming through these pictures I was unable to resist a cheeky post.

The meal was delightful; gorgeous food, balmy weather, idyllic setting. The hosts, Gaëlle and Sébastien Caille, are the kind of effortless French chic that renders your carefully put together ensemble immediately frumpy and pedestrian. But the food... moan... the food. Exactly the kind of unpretentious bistro fare that you hope to find in a regional restaurant, with generous portions and a respectful nod to its Spanish neighbours. Every meal we saw come out of the kitchen made us jealous, in particular the diner-style burger which dripped with cheese and avocado, pickles spilling out of its sweet toasted bun.

The restored train station (now bar) next door to the main dining space serves tapas on Friday and Saturday nights, and the restaurant patio offers a grassy backyard playground, with swings, a hopscotch path and some logs for jumping across and balancing on. Even better, this area is behind a screen of plants, far enough away that your fellow childless diners won't be irritated but you can still keep an eye on the little ones.

slow roasted lamb shoulder

prawn fajita

spiced duck breast

fish in a bag with vegetable confit and puy lentils

pistachio parfait

pannacotta with wild strwberries and lemon sorbet

Restaurant Le Terminus - Avenue de la Gare - 34310 - Cruzy