Superb little place I found at the top of the very steep Hill on the approach to Domme overlooking…read morethe Dordogne Valley this stop was more survival then anything else as we needed a cold drink very quickly but it certainly didn't disappoint with its roof terrace and quirky feel very excited to find that it only been opened a week so equally excited to be having it to yelp

Just enjoyed a blueberry smoothie and a glass of rose on Hibiscus' beautiful patio! It's a great…read moreplace to rest and relax after the steep hike up to Domme. Von and Charlie are gratuitous hosts, highly recommend stopping in!

LE CODE BAR We had been recommended Le Code Bar, just…read moreoutside Sarlat on the Josephine Baker Road. Newly opened on this site, it had brought with it from its former Sarlat centre site, a reputation for Meat on the Rock, rather appropriate on the day we had visited the outstanding La Roque St Christophe site. At present, it opens for lunch every day but for dinner only on Fridays and Saturdays. Our first courses were Charcuterie (EUR6.00) for me and Salad with Gizzards (EUR4.00) for herself. Both were substantial and it took us a while to polish them off. They were big but nothing prepared us for the size of the main course. Both of us had chosen Beef on the Rock. The hot rocks were served smoking, the beef sizzling, all accompanied by a salad and chips and a couple of dips. All you had to do then was cook the beef to your taste: rare, medium or well done! The size of the piece of meat was astonishing. In each case it was at least three times the size of the normal fillet steak served in Cork! All for 15 euro. A good while later, we were asked, with no real expectation of an affirmative answer, if we wanted dessert. We just said we'd stick with the wine and finish it off, a very enjoyable Bergerac rouge which cost us EUR10.00 for the bottle. Full. You could say that. Tel: 05 53 28 56 14. C.C. Pre de Cordy (face au lycee) 24200 Sarlat.

Bar de la Marine is the epitome of a local brasserie. They have a full bar, excellent wine, and a…read moresmall selection of beer in bottles (mostly Pelforth and Kronenbourg). It's wine country, so this is to be expected. What really makes it worth visiting is the friendly service, the local atmosphere, and the absolutely fantastic view. Most of the rivers-side spaces in the towns near St. Emilion are occupied by quite high-end restaurants. But la Marine has a fantastic enclosed patio that gives a broad, uniterrupted panorama of the Dordogne. It is truly breathtaking. The proprietors will give you a warm welcome, and it's a fine place to bring a large group. There are pool and foosball tables for entertainment, though a local will be happy to chat you up as well, if you want. We didn't get a chance to try the food, but it looked quite tasty from where I sat. One word of warning, they tend to close on the early side (9-10pm), so don't plan a late-night there. Sunset is the perfect time to enjoy a nice glass of vin rouge and a bottle of Pelforth brun (which set us back a whopping four euros total!).

Have you ever wondered what happened to those wooden-floored, basic, wooden-countered bars, where…read morethe furniture scraped on the floor, the bar didn't have mirrors or dozens of glasses reflecting a myriad halogen lights, and the girl behind the bar chatted a bit too loudly, a bit too flirtingly, and with vaguely Gothic make-up on, to three or four local guys you wouldn't trust to clean your car? Well, here it is. Two coffees cost a little over two euros. A big telly in the corner showed a rugby match, and a couple of fans spread out over their table muttered appreciatively or groaned loudly according to the run of play. No-one cared about the couple of slightly too well-dressed Brits trying to hide behind the local newspapers (provided free). And then in came a horde of kids with one or two adults, as the warmth of the café brought them indoors from their Hallowe'en mischief. Great stuff, Claude. I love your bar!