LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON - France 2014 - page 870

hives, go local and dine below in La Ville Basse (the new city). Cassoulet (described on
here ) is the traditional must (tip: a dash of vinegar helps the digestion); big salads provide
a lighter alternative. For a local before-dinner drink, try a glass of Muscat de Saint-Jean-
de-Minervois.
On Place St. Jean: My favorite area for dinner in La Cité is on Place St. Jean, where
two eateries sit side by side, with view tables from their outside terraces to the floodlit
Château Comtal. Restaurant Adelaide is the best, with a lively, loyal following and well-
presented bistro fare at reasonable prices; they serve a good €15, three-course menu with
cassoulet, as well as good €12-18 plats and big €15 salads in an orange-walled, beamed
interior (daily June-Aug, closed Mon Sept-May, tel. [phone]). Le St. Jean, next
door, is a runner-up, with similar prices and choices (€15-25 menus, €8 kid menu, daily,
tel. [phone]).
Hôtel de la Cité's Barbacane Restaurant owns La Cité's only Michelin star
(€80-160 menus), butevenbetteristheirsummer-onlyrestaurant Le Jardin de L'Evêque ,
where you can linger at a lovely garden table for much less (€16 starters, €25 main
courses) ; see “Sleeping in Carcassonne,” earlier).
Au Comte Roger 's quiet elegance seems out of place in this touristy town. For
half the price of the Barbacane, you can celebrate a special occasion with Chef Pierre's
fresh Mediterranean cuisine. Ask for a table in the vine-covered courtyard, or eat inside
in their stylish dining room. Book ahead in high season (€21 lunch menus, €39 dinner
menus, massive cassoulet-€30, closed Sun-Mon, 14 Rue St. Louis, tel. [phone],
www.comteroger.com ) .
Auberge des Lices, a good-value restaurant hidden down a quiet lane, has a court-
yardwithcathedralviews.Itmanagesadelicatebalanceofpriceandqualityfortraditional
cuisine(€20-39 menus, dailyJuly-Aug,closedTue-WedSept-June,3RueRaymondRoger
Trencavel, tel. [phone]).
Le Jardin de la Tour, runbyElodieformorethan20years,hascooloutdoorseating
in the garden and cozy indoor tables with a jazzy ambience (€15-25 plats , open Tue-Sat,
closed Sun-Mon, 11 Rue Porte-d'Aude, tel. [phone]).
Restaurant les Trois Couronnes, just outside La Cité in Hôtel les Trois Couronnes
(described earlier, under “Sleeping in Carcassonne”), gives you a panorama of Carcas-
sonnefromthe topfloorofaconcrete hotel (€29 menus, opendaily fordinner only,closed
Jan, call ahead, 2 Rue des Trois Couronnes, tel. [phone]).
Le Bar à Vins, popular with the twenty- and thirty-something set at night, is tucked
away in a pleasant garden just inside the wall but away from the crowds. It serves an en-
ticing selection of open wines (€2.30 a glass), €9-13 appetizers and tapas, and €6 sand-