My wife and I are staying in Sarlat and were looking (mostly in vain!) for someplace to have a…read morecocktail. The Hotel de la Madeleine sits on the edge of Sarlat's charming medieval sector. It overlooks the towns memorial gardens marking the World Wars. The hotel boasts 5 stars, and if the hotel is as accomplished as the bar/restaurant, I'm sure they deserve each star! The comfortable bar is a 19th century charmer. Comfortable inside and out. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed well crafted cocktails and a wonderful charcuterie/cheese board our first evening. Inclement weather led us to sit inside the next night. Service was top rate. The food was delicious. Our cocktails well made and tasty.

Great location, right in the middle of old Sarlat. Very nice room and bath. And a surprising pool…read moreand hot tub in a very private courtyard ! Very welcome after a day of walking. Pleasant bar off lobby. Highly recommended.

We selected BW Le Renoir for the same reason I'm sure most guests did, for the location, location,…read morelocation. It's less than 5 minute walk to the center, and although they do not provide private parking, there are plenty of free space available on the street. However, the hotel and the room are terribly outdated and badly in need of renovation, not to mention their carpets can use serious steam cleaning. Although we did not expect the hotel to be in tip top shape, it was sub par even by other BW property standards. The staff at the reception was friendly and courteous, but the ladies who work in the breakfast room seemed as if it was the last place they wanted to be. Also, although the selection for breakfast was good, the offering was inconsistent, as we were told the first morning that the Express option included all the pastries, coffee and fruit, but then, the second morning that we were allowed to get only 1 of each. The change in the offering from one day to the next was dubious, and instead of changing the policy every morning, the hotel should clearly state and explain the breakfast options upon check in.

The French know how to make food exciting, and this chef delivers! We were booked at the associated…read moresmall hotel (really nice, super friendly staff) and they asked when we checked in of we wanted a dinner reservation. We had research this and a couple of other nearby spots, but this seemed the best so we said yes. She asked if we wanted a second reservation for the next day and we waffled not wanting to commit but she said there is only one table left so I'll pencil you in and you can cancel if you don't want it. Our first night's dinner was so good that we immediately decided to return for a second night. For our first night I had the seasonal chef's recommendation which was a starter of shrimp in a tapioca soup (perfect large shrimp and a delicious broth), chicken stuffed with mushrooms and parsnips beneath the skin, and a cold strawberry custard dessert. It was all fabulous. My wife had one of the fois gras starters, roast lamb, and a delicious chocolate and crispy peanut dessert (which she particularly liked). A nice 1/2 bottle of local red wine, a delicious beet amuse bouche and and after dinner marshmellow (house made) and macaron final treat made for a memorable meal. Our second night we had to try all different things. My wife had the second fois gras starter which is fashioned in house and was spectacular. She had roast cod (perfectly flakes and coated with sesame seeds) accompanied by some exquisite cabbage (never thought I'd say that about cabbage). For dessert she had the rum baba with mango ice cream (drenched at the table with spiced and fruited rum). I had the poached oyster starter. The oyster were lightly cooked and served in the shells on a bed of leeks with a seafood emulsion. I followed this up with the sweetbreads which were something I'd always wanted to try. And finally the profiteroles (small pastry shells with coffee over cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. This time our waiter recommended a nice local white wine (from Chardonnay grapes) that was very nice. An amuse bouche of pumpkin soup and the after dinner treats perfected the meal. So, two nights, two home runs. Great meals at a fair price (about 100 euros for two each night). Reservations recommended, but once you have a reservation the table is yours for the night, they don't turn the table for someone else. Both nights the chef came out of the inaccurate kitchen as we were leaving to greet us and check on our experience.

Michelin Rated- phenomenal river views and cuisine. Can't say enough about this place. Everything…read moresurprised me with new flavor. The stuffed chicken was probably the best chicken I've ever had.

From the owner: Bouffée d'air pur C'est sur une colline, au cœur de Saint-Nexans que se situe le La Chartreuse du…read moreBignac. C'est endroit relaxant et en adéquation avec la nature. En effet, le restaurant possède une vue 360° sur les vignobles, le bois et les vergers et apporte calme et sérénité. Ici, la décoration est chaleureuse mais aussi élégante puisque le restaurant est une ancienne maison bourgeoise datant du XVIIème siècle remise au goût du jour. Avis à tous ceux qui rêvent de détente, de confort et de sérénité, La Chartreuse du Bignac est l'endroit calme et serein qui réunit toutes ces solutions. La cuisine est de saison faite à partir de produits du marché. Elle s'inspire de la cuisine authentique française et de celle du Périgord mais les revisite en les modernisant. En été, la terrasse vous permet de profiter du bon air pur tandis qu'en hiver, c'est au coin de la cheminée en pierre que vous pourrez passer votre repas et déguster le Duo de foie gras mi-cuit en terrine et son chutney ou encore

Are you traveling through France and want to experience south-eastern fine dining? This is the…read moreplace for you. My boyfriend and I came here to celebrate my birthday and I am now happy, full, and a little drunk. They apparently have a much more economic fixed lunch menu at 40-something euros each, and a few other options at 80-something and 90-something each. But it was my birthday and I do love my foie gras, so the menu classique at 116 each, it was, and we were not sorry. The menu was apparently a sampling of re-imagined regional classics - and I'm a sucker for local foods. They started us off in a cozy room and sat us in front of a fire, which was much welcomed in this stubborn spring weather, brought out two glasses of champagne, and a plate with 3 amuse-bouche to start. The first was a toothpicked slice of artisanal cured salmon in beetroot juice under a layer of cream, topped with... duck I want to say? YUM. The second was a duck meatball with pistachios I believe. The third was phenomenal, something that I am sure to dream of for years to come. We were instructed to eat it all in one bite and when it comes to food, I do as I am told. A breaded little square of heavenly goodness that when bit into melted into liquid foie gras just sliding down your throat. I would like one/ten of those everyday before each meal, for the rest of my life please. Ok. Now to the meal, amazing. I'll try to remember it all. We were started with an oyster on a half shell poached in moscato, with a moscato foam and bits of crunchy bacon. Then an asparagus veloute that I suspect was made with witchcraft as asparagus soup in my house never quite tastes that good.... Some raw shaved asparagus, the top halves of some beautifully lightly poached asparagus, and a perfectly poached egg with truffles embedded into it's whites... too good to be true? I think so too. Wizard. Moving on to a beautifully cooked lobster accompanied by Normantie potatoes, small fingerling cooked deliciousness, accompanied by a generous amount of roasted garlic, a lobster claw, and more lobster chunks, all arranged in front of us by our magnificent maetre d'hotel (master of hotel?--more on him later). While the potatoes, the lobster, the garlic, all beautiful and elegant, the real star of the dish was the sauce. A brown --meat sauce--as my boyfriend calls it. Salty, tangy, buttery, savory, herby - all the good stuff. Then we were brought out a mill fouille of meat. What is this, you ask? Thin slices of cooked to perfection medium rare stake and decadent delicious foie gras. Topped by an inflated potato skin, a sweet, buttery carrot, on the side was a mille foille of potatoes, and then another brown meat sauce a little sweeter than the previous, and really just.... perfect. By this point i was almost too full.. and there's more. so much more. Then comes the cheese course. a wonderfully fragrant and almost spicy block of blue cheese, hugged by two very thin sweet crackers and a bit of salad scattered about. a slice of a red wine poached pear with such a beautiful fragrant cinnamon flavor. Simple, elegant, and beautiful. Then we were brought a mini cheese cake, a bit larger than an amuse bouche on a plate decorated by chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, slices of citrisy things, all together simply delicious. Next was the real desert? MORE! a out tiny marble sized piece of poached pear with a dot of chocolate up top. a pear sorbet. a cream/topped with pear jello/topped with a custard thing that was absolutely delicious. a small square of saffron flan with a gingerbread like cookie crumble on top. yum. and next our maetre d'hotel brought this out for everyone, he said compliments of the chef? a plate with a basil infused strawberry cream...a little caramel nut pie?! a big bar of orange zest white chocolate, and pistachio covered dark chocolate, and a walnut covered wafer. I could die. actually..Did I!? The food was phenomenal, the place was perfect, with a beautiful garden outback that's worth a walk around and lent itself to some beautiful (if I do say so myself) photo opps. The staff was kind, courteous, and extremely helpful. We asked our maetre d'hotel who is extremely knowledgeable to please pick out our demi-bottle of white and red, and man were we happy we did, he also assured us he would be reasonable with the price, which since I wasn't paying, couldn't have mattered less to me! Muahahahaaa! I kid, I kid. It was definitely nice to know we wouldn't be charged 3,000 for a bottle of wine. We started with the white-beautiful, crisp, light, floral, not too dry, but a very nice bottle of white. and then the red was the real showstopper, we opened it up right after the lobster and I swear with every gout(taste) I could taste that roasted garlic stronger in my mouth. This red had such an amazing and unusual aftertaste of butter. I wanted to slather it on some bread and then bathe in it. Perfect meal. Will dream of this for years to come

Check-In is easy even after hours because there's a self-check-in where you get your room number…read moreand code for the door. We had a room for four. It has one big bed and two bunk beds. I'm 188cm (6"2) and I barely fit in the bunk bed, but I still slept great. The cleanliness was really good. Everything was clean and tidy. Very very impressive. Breakfast costs 6,85€ and is very good. There's baguette, bread and truly delicious corissants. The jams are great as well. The scrambled eggs where nice for a cheap hotel and so was the thick cut bacon. The only reason I only gave 4 stars is the price. We payed 110€ for our room including breakfast. For this money I have stayed at a lot nicer hotels. But I guess for booking only a few hours prior to arrival it's fine.

From the owner: Non loin du Musée de l'homme de Néandertal L'hôtel B&B Brive-la-Gaillarde vous propose des chambres…read morespacieuses et confortables qui offrent une literie de qualité, un bureau, une penderie avec cintres et une télévision équipée de Canal + et Canal Satellite. Vous trouverez également une véritable salle de bains dans votre chambre avec douche, lavabo et toilettes. L'hôtel B&B met aussi à votre disposition un parking fermé pour pouvoir garer votre véhicule en toute sécurité. Venez vite découvrir tout le confort B&B à prix d'amis !

If you happen to be travelling in the Dordogne in France's southwest, this hotel and restaurant are…read moreunmissable. I don't use that word lightly. It's part of our universal travel routine to tell each other, you MUST eat here or visit there if you are travelling to a place I've been. I've gotten some great recommendations that way; other times, it would be impossible and improbable to build one's itinerary around other's experiences. But really, this place is fantastic. I have stayed in many places that aim to imitate a chateaux, inside or outside, and the truth is, before arrival, we wondered if we would be checking in to Fawlty Towers (also because it wasn't expensive at all). But no, this is the real deal. The building is absolutely stunning. The rooms, renovated only a handful of years ago, before Yves and Catherine opened their doors to the public, are perfect, retaining old-world charm but matched with contemporary comfort. The tall ceilings, magnificent room and buildings made me feel like we were in an episode of Downton Abbey. After staying in a series of AirBNB rentals, this bed was the comfort we needed on the trip! Also, there's a rain showerhead. Air conditioning. A lovely view from the room. It doesn't stop there. The gastronomic restaurants has some sort of recognition or certification of fine dining. With beautiful weather, we all sat outside under a well-designed pergola and while we have eaten some amazing meals this trip in France, we think this dinner was the best so far. Traditional but not boring, each element on the plate thought-out and delicious, and a celebration of local ingredients (which the French seem to have been doing for centuries, but is called a "trend" elsewhere). My appetiser was dried duck stuffed with foie gras, a handful of thin slices of it, with a few slices of dried duck breast without the foie gras, and a nice berry gel. My main was sturgeon, cooked perfectly with an intense buttery herb sauce, and tiny new potatoes that burst upon being bit into. My partner thought his duck confit was the best he'd ever tasted. I loved my selection of local cheeses and his dessert, an apricot and rhubarb stew with a pannacotta was delicious. All accompanied by an interesting glass of white wine as an aperitif (sweet for him, dry for me) and a bottle of local white wine with the dinner (I'll never remember the names of so many French wines, but this was a sauvignon blanc with enough texture and body to match both the fish and the duck). All of this was at incredibly reasonable prices. Breakfast, which was included, was a full spread of high-quality delicious offerings: fresh pastries and bread, the most delicious ham, individual homemade apple crumbles (which you'd pay for on their own, as a dessert in a restaurant) - hot from the oven. In fact, the price of our room, the cheapest in the chateaux, was inexpensive (which was why we didn't have our hopes up). This hotel perhaps represents some of the best value I've ever gotten while travelling, and topped up with warm and wonderful hosting by our hosts Catherine and Yves (who it seems worked in the hospitality world in different parts of France before coming to the Dordogne) topped off a magnificent experience. If I've used many superlatives in this review, it was because it was... superlative.

From the owner: Une certaine idée du luxe, du charme et de la convivialité.... Dans son écrin de verdure, le…read moreChâteau de Lalande a entièrement été rénové en 2008 par ses nouveaux propriétaires dont l'art de recevoir est le maître mot. Ils ont totalement remodelé les lieux et vous accueillent dans une ambiance chic et décontractée. En effet, cet établissement accroche le regard et donne envie de s'arrêter pour goûter aux charmes de la Dordogne, à seulement 12km de Périgueux. Son cadre luxueux et convivial, grâce à l'accueil chaleureux et aux petites attentions, promet détente et calme. Le parc, la piscine à la glycine centenaire, la terrasse extérieure, le salon de détente, le restaurant gastronomique, une chambre climatisée équipée des dernières technologies et à la décoration personnalisée ne peuvent qu'offrir une ambiance apaisante et décontractée.