This time of year, I tend to be a little less adventurous restaurant-wise. Therefore, Chéri and I mostly visit old favourites in the Béziers area during the dark winter months. However, sometimes you have to look the other way to find new treasures. And this is how we found ourselves lost on our way to Le Relais des Oliviers in Faugères between Béziers and Bédarieux.
Rustic
Our GPS directed us to a tiny side road on the D909 that was invisible to find despite the starry sky and full moon. After a few attempts, we finally arrived at Le Relais des Oliviers, which happened to be on a karting and paintball site. However, don’t let this location put you off as finding it turned out for the best. Once inside, Chéri and I found ourselves in a rustic dining room with intimate set tables and even some bales of hay. In summer, you can also sit outside on the terrace.
Tasty menu
The restaurant is run by an enthusiastic young couple, Alexandra and Clément. While Alexandra cheerfully directed us to our table, we saw Clément concentrating in the kitchen. The giant chalkboard showed us a tasty menu with four choices of each course (starter, main, dessert), and it didn’t take long for us to make our decision. When we received our aperitif, we had already raised our glasses to our new find.
Chapeau
The first dishes of the evening were the same for both of us: a generous beef tataki served on a well-flavoured couscous. The following course included a guinea fowl cooked at a low temperature for Chéri and a cod fillet in a creamy curry sauce for me. We both had a spelt risotto on the side, but they tasted poles apart thanks to the different spices. The last course completed our meal in style. Chéri enjoyed an upside-down lemon meringue pie in a jar, while I had the most beautiful and delicious chocolate dessert I have had in a long time. Chapeau to the chef and the team!
