la Porte bleue

This 1920s Art deco building has a modern extension replete with curving floral scrolls and a rotunda dining space decked in soft, natural materials echoing organic shapes. The couple at the helm, Stéphan Paroche and Justine Viano (formerly La Table de Castigno), crafts a modern programme in the form of several surprise menus, including vegetarian options. Indeed, it is their veggie-centric compositions – such as the appetisers or the seafood starter – that best exemplify the couple’s high-flying talent. The excellent wine list, featuring wines from Languedoc and Roussillon as well as the Rhôn

The place is named after Abbé St Crescent, who in the Middle Ages opened his doors to pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. The arcades and bare stones may be a throwback to the distant past, but today the decor is ultra-modern, with finely crafted black and white polished concrete floors and sculptural one-piece seats. Lionel Giraud, son of a restaurant owner, is a strong advocate of locally sourced produce. An inventive chef, he honours ingredients from the most noble (Mediterranean red tuna) to the most modest (green beans) and everything in between, such as an authentic Corbières buffalo moz

In this friendly brasserie, they serve up uninhibited Mediterranean cuisine, cleverly blended with other influences. The menu features a selection of tapas (hummus with cumin and pita bread; croquetas de jamón), picas such as lamb kebab with za'atar and sumac, or grilled octopus. More elaborate dishes include semi-salted cod, watercress and gnocchi, lemon and caviar emulsion. And then there are the tasty desserts. A down-to-earth concept, with sharing in mind. The lunch menu is a steal. A resounding success.

La Cave à Manger by Lionel Giraud proposes bistro cuisine made with top-notch ingredients from Occitanie. The food is rugged, flavoursome and spot-on – special mention for the chuck beef slowly simmered in its juices and the velvety purée of carrots. La Cave à Vin, located under the same roof, boasts 2,500 wines; pick a bottle to drink with your meal for a corkage fee. A real winner.

In a tastefully converted wine barn, the chef and his wife are in tune with the seasons, in particular thanks to their cottage garden that supplies the majority of veggies here. Do not be misled by the apparently simple names of the dishes, each one is a compendium of consummate technique and happily reinterprets the classics (onion soup, tarte tatin).

Originally from Béziers, this chef-owner has set up shop in a pedestrian street near the town hall. His small bistro comprises two dining spaces with exposed stone walls and sage green hues, square table tops and bistro chairs. The small terrace is exceedingly pleasant in fine weather. The seasons are reflected in his dishes, such as the delicately seasoned vanilla sea bass and delicious new take on poire belle Hélène.

Fresh ingredients, balanced dishes: chef Patrick Olry, well known in the region, demonstrates his know - how and consistency. In particular, be sure to try the tasting menus based on truffles, scallops or lobster, which are in no small part responsible for the establishment's reputation.