If you want to be amused while having a beautiful meal, I suggest going to Le Moulin de Trèbes. The terrace of this restaurant in- well- Trèbes, overlooks a couple of the 63 locks that pepper the Canal du Midi. And this gives you front row seats to some great entertainment while the boats go through the locks. In the meantime, lovingly prepared dishes arrive for you to savour. And they come with some fine local wines so that you can raise a glass to all the brave sailors conquering the locks.
Canal du Midi
Chéri and I were invited for lunch at this little gem situated in a charming old mill along the Canal du Midi. As long as the weather permits, which is quite often in the South of France, you can sit on the covered terrace of Le Moulin de Trèbes. It is the best spot to watch the boats go through the locks. However, Chef Pascal Ledroit’s food is also worth the detour. Arriving early, we had the best table overlooking the canal. And as there were a couple of boats going through the locks, we got distracted from deciding what we wanted to eat.
Seasonal produce
Chef Pascal Ledroit and his team offer an original à la carte menu that follows to the arrival of fresh and seasonal produce. There also is a daily changing menu (‘Menu du Marché), served at lunchtime on weekdays for 25 euros for three courses. Finally, having made up our minds, we soon received our starter. Our friends enjoyed a generous amount of foie gras served with a homemade onion chutney, and Chéri started with an artistic looking gravlax with beetroot. I was the only one who had ordered the Menu du Marché, which included an inventive salad of smoked haddock, green apple and a Banyuls sauce.
Robust flavours
As autumn had started, our main courses had robust flavours. The chef had cooked up a tasty loin of veal with local mushrooms for one side of the table, while I savoured a pork loin with hints of preserved lemon and oregano. We completed our delightful lunch with a couple of îles flottantes based on pear. My menu included a dot of autumny chestnut cream on a bed of poached quince. Looking at all the action on the water, we all were happy to have our feet safely on the ground. Maybe next time we will come by boat…
