lA CATHARE - Carcassonne

We went here on the recommendation of a friend lived locally and had a fantastic meal. It is frequented by locals, which is a good sign. We went for lunch. The food was fantastic, and the price was great value: €14 for the four course set menu. We speak very limited French but this was not a problem for the staff who were extremely friendly and helpful; they made us very welcome. The chef himself came out to check that everything was OK with the food..

My wife and I are spending a few months in Carcassonne. On our first night we were chatting to a local who recommended this restaurant and so, off we went.I am very glad we did.My started of the smoked duck salad was ok, not brilliant but the casoulet was superb. Everything I hoped it would be and more. The wife, sadly for her, is a veggie and in this part of the world, that's a hard act to please. She opened with a cheese dish which was good and her only option was the fish dish.In the restaurant, the cooking of dishes is at a huge open fire and the chef puts on a little show, talks to the customers and did her fish to perfection.By the time the we moved to the deserts, we were ready for basting ourselves..but we dug in! Her chocolat fondant was delightful, and my prfiteroles were equally delightful, Try the house red, as we did, which is from thir own sourced vineyard and which was superb with my dish and actually, did a good ob with the fish.This is a little place off the beaten track and which really serves up good, wholesome food that will really hot the spot.

With it's entrance off the street (up a little lane), this restaurant has a nice ambiance inside. There were two set menus (the cheaper of the two being a reducted version of the same menu) as well as the full menu. Had a bit of trouble as the waiter didn't speak a word of English, and no English menus - some of us were intrigued by the cooking fire within the dining area, but unfortunately couldn't understand properly whether it was available or not that night. In the end we all decided on the cheaper set menu. Despite being only the second table, one of the entrees wasn't available. We all ordered the duck main course, and very glad we did! After a bit of an average entree, the duck was flavoursome & cooked perfectly. Then dessert - waiter asked if we would like to order any, although we had asked for the 3 course menu at the start. Brought back our menus, the options for dessert are icecream or the patisserie de jour. All wanted the pastry, but were told that they were sold out. Very disappointing that both entrees & desserts were limited, and this wasn't told to us at the start. Also saw the cooking fire used for customers later after all. Loved the red wine we had though - named after the restaurant/area, it was the best we had during our holiday!

We visited La Cathare in January 2013 and wow what a place! We choose the Plat de jour, 4 courses for about 12 euros. With a half Carafe of red wine and coffees the total cost was about 34 euros for two people. Such good value. Don't be put off by the good value, the food is fabulous if you are happy to try the local style cuisine.The waiter and Chef were so friendly and made us welcome even with our basic French speaking skills. The restaurant itself is fab - White stone walls, beams and a log fire.

Excellent little restaurant, great food, great value and friendly staff. Lots of locals eat here which is usually a good sign. Well worth a visit, you won't be disappointed.