Although Capestang, a lovely village along the Canal du Midi west from Béziers, is only tiny, it’s perfect for a stroll. And now, there is another reason to go, as restaurant Chez Marguerite recently opened its doors. Chef Sébastien Caille and his wife, host Gaëlle, fully understand how to spoil their clients with heart-warming dishes. Named after their two great-grandmothers, it is the kind of place that makes you feel welcome right away in a strikingly beautiful setting. A playful interior and exterior and a smiling staff await to pamper you.
Brave or crazy
You might know the owners Gaëlle and Sébastien, who ran Le Terminus in Cruzy for fifteen years. Then a new adventure crossed their paths. After months of hard work, they have transformed an old cave into a new eating venue, wine cave, and épicerie in one. And their new baby was born: Chez Marguerite. On their Instagram account, you can see the state of the place when they bought it about a year ago. You can call the couple brave- or run-of-the-mill crazy- as it’s quite an impressive transformation! Now that the dust has settled, you can sit outside on the beautiful covered terrace or inside the former barn. Besides being a host, Gaëlle has many talents, including interior decorating. Her skill is visible in the modern elements and funny details married happily together in an attractive dining room.
No-nonsense
The no-nonsense menu celebrates seasonal produce and matured meats, clearly visible in the dry ageing cabinet (next to the wine cave). Chez Marguerite offers a two-course lunch menu (25 euros, except for Saturday). Or you can choose the three-course menu for 40 euros (both served during lunch and dinner). And eating ‘à la carte’ is always an option. Chef Sébastien cooks what he likes to eat, and as Chéri and I seem to have the same taste, it was easy to make our choices from the three-course set menu. You can tell the chef is a meat lover, as the carnivore suggestions on the blackboard made Chéri hesitate for a moment…
Pure relish
After the ever-friendly Gaëlle took our order, we swiftly received our appetizing starter of a tasty Caesar salad for Chéri and a croque monsieur with boudin noir (blood sausage) for me. As our main course, Chéri chose the guinea fowl with silky mashed potatoes. I had the fish of the day, which was a fillet of coalfish with mushy peas on the side. Chéri wanted to have a simple ice cream for dessert, however I convinced him to go for something more fanciful. He was glad he did, as the éclair filled with local strawberries, vanilla cream and whipped cream was pure relish. So was my chocolate cake with a crunch of praline and nuts. Just can’t say no to chocolate… As usual, it was a perfect ending to a perfect dinner and well worth going if you are in the area!
