The lively town of Pezenas is generally regarded as the jewel in the Languedoc crown. Located in the heart of wine-producing country, 30 minutes west of Montpellier, 20 minutes north of the Mediterranean coast and 30 minutes south of the beautiful Languedoc Regional Park, the town encompasses all the romanticism of the south of France, together with traditional architecture and everyday living.

Pezenas is a quaint little town of approximate 8,000 inhabitants. We will not go into detail on the history and architecture of the town as we’re sure your guidebooks will tell you more than we can. When you arrive be sure to go to the tourist office to get the latest information on what is happening in the town and all the other activities in the area. They are a great source of information on what to do. There is a wonderful monthly newsletter in English called Blablablah that gives great information about the area, if we haven’t given it to you do ask for a copy. (www.blablablah.org)

Also famous throughout France for its antique shops and bric-a-brac yards and the weekly Saturday market.

Private wine domains dominate the surrounding countryside. All welcome visitors to taste the local produce. A fascinating introduction to the many up-and-coming and already famous appellations.

The Mediterranean coastline is just 12 miles from Pézenas. It offers wonderful child-friendly beaches with all watersports facilities. Waterside cafés and restaurants give you the chance to watch the world go by under the summer sun.

Choice of golf courses at Béziers, Lamalou and Cap d’Agde. The Cap is also the place to be seen for the chic Paris crowd that converges every August. Nightclubs and lively bars and restaurants dominate the resort, while for the kids there is the huge waterpark, ‘Aqualand’.

Elsewhere, don’t miss the Canal du Midi, Lake Salagou, hiking and canoeing in the Orb valley, Pont du Gard, Carcassonne, the pink flamingos and white horses of the Camargue, the famous half bridge and Papal Palace in Avignon.

 

The one thing we can advise you on is eating out. Pezenas has lots and lots of restaurants to choose from, unfortunately only a handful of them are of any interest, so here is the list:

1. Les Palmiers – 10bis rue Mercière, 04 67 09 42 56
In summer this restaurant is always packed so you should think about reserving. This was the chic-est place in Pezenas until L’Entre Pot opened up, so now it is one of the 2 chic-est places in town. It was completely renovated for the 2005 season, and no on quite knows how they got permission to construct such a building in the sacred old town. But that is another story. One cannot deny that it is cool looking, with Flipo’s art (Pezenas’ pride and joy) splashed around. There is a mishmash of table and chairs, metal mezzanine and walkways that give the place its special aura. Well you have to pay for all that your eyes take in. The food is good, sometimes even delicious, but the prices include the atmosphere and the numerous employees running around. This is a must eat at restaurant.

2. L’Entre Pot – 8 avenue Louis Montagne, 04 67 90 00 00
This is a brand new restaurant that opened in October 2006. Its owner is well known in the area and has already had a slew of restaurants here and there. Since its opening it has been jam packed for lunch and dinner. So we do suggest that you reserve in summer. The prices match Les Palmiers, the food, approximately the same. It’s a sleek, off the beaten track restaurant and yes it is a must.

3. Le Pre de Saint Jean - 18 av Mar Leclerc, 04 67 98 15 31
This is a place where the food is outrageously good. Unfortunately the décor will make it taste just a little less good. With neon lights outside that make you not want to enter, tacky tables, chairs, and table cloths, there isn’t an atmosphere here to remember. However, if you can overlook this you will eat like kings. The food made me envision a chef having a ball in his kitchen concocting divine dishes. It has quite a following so reservations are often necessary.

4. Les Marronniers – 6 avenue Verdun, 04 67 90 13 80
Typically French. The lunch is good price quality and the décor in and outside are charming. The service is pretty slow this is probably because they don’t want to hire an extra waiter. We do not recommend their dinners. But dining out on their terrace on a warm summer night is lovely.

5. Le Gelase – 2 rue Béranger, 04 67 98 01 66
Great crepes and galettes. The owner uses good wholesome products and cares about what he serves. The restaurant is small and this is its charm. Not expensive, one of those restaurants where you can go a couple of times during your stay.

The following is a list of some other restaurants where you can eat very well sometimes and other times not. Some are very simple basic food, nothing to write home about but fills the stomach. We rarely go to them so tell us what you think.

Le Pannequet - 15 rue Anatole France, 04 67 11 08 68
La Terrace - 2 pl Gambetta, 04 67 98 25 11
La Pomme d’Amour - 2Bis r Albert Paul Allies, 04 67 98 08 40
Apres le Deluge - 5 r Mar Plantavit, 04 67 98 10 77
Le Zebre - rue Aristide Rouzières
Cote Sud - 12 pl 14 Juillet, 04 67 09 41 74
Grain de Riz (vietnamien), 35bis avenue Verdun, 04 67 39 50 56

Here are some other restaurants in the neibouring towns that are worth a visit.

Le Calamar - Agde - French on the edge of the river Herault
Le Fleur d’Olargues - Olargues - The Danish have done a great job.
Auberge de la Jasse - Douch - Young couple daring to be different.
Les Goutailles - Neffies - Mom and pops restaurant. Very cute.
Mimosa - Saint Giraud - Deadly expensive but exquisite.
La Raffinerie - Beziers - Very chic, former sulphur factory