A restaurant named after a Southern American barbecue technique and a social gathering around an open fire sounds promising. Asado is the Spanish word for it, and this is also the name of one of Château Capitoul’s restaurants between Narbonne and the Mediterranean Sea. The star of the kitchen is a badass wood-fired grill that knows how to highlight high-quality local produce. Combined with a great staff and beautiful design, it includes all the ingredients for a wonderful evening.
Dreamy castle
The family and I have driven the Route de Gruissan numerous times, and every time, we get excited by seeing Château Capitoul’s silhouette rise above the trees. At long last, I had booked a table at the Asado restaurant. So, this time, Chéri and I could pull into the driveway and finally see the dreamy castle from up close. Asado is housed in the renovated barrel storehouse opposite the castle. Chéri and I walked around it to arrive at a splendid terrace overlooking the vineyards of the massif of La Clape appellation. I can imagine sitting outside to enjoy the long summer nights.
Belle Époque
Entering the dining room, we imagined ourselves in the Belle Époque, where only the stone walls reminded us of the old warehouse it once was. The dark-coloured high ceiling had thousands of stars which softly lit the dining room, together with sumptuous chandeliers and elegant pendant lights. The whole room had an art nouveau atmosphere, complete with a plush pink sofa over the whole length of the side wall. Both the open kitchen and the bar on the other end matched the black ceiling while decorated with elegant, sinuous curved patterns. The pleasant atmosphere embraced Chéri and me completely. In the meantime, Chef Jean Landes and his team stood behind the grill to prepare a most delicious meal. Most produce comes from the estate’s gardens or carefully selected local producers. And you can even order the Château’s wine from the Bonfils family.
Social gathering
Chéri started with a simple plate of the freshest oysters (12 euros). I- on the contrary- immediately wanted to try something from the grill: an abundantly decorated eggplant (12 euros) with surprising flavours and textures. The main course only offered options for meat or fish, but as the quality was so high, we went for it. The bavette de boeuf (steak, 28 euros) for Chéri and the trout from the Pyrenees (25 euros) for me. It was the accompaniment of the perfect potatoes, grilled padron peppers and salad that completed the incredible dishes. And not to forget the three finger-licking good sauces! Only the dessert didn’t come from the barbecue: a velvety chocolate mousse (12 euros) for Chéri, and I had the same in a smaller portion as part of my café gourmand (12 euros). Asado succeeded excellently in creating a social gathering around an open wood fire!