This is such a fun restaurant on the beach. We stopped for drinks and stayed for dinner. The…read moregrilled octopus and grilled sea bass were both amazing! The cocktails were great! We spent 3 hours here just enjoying the atmosphere and sampling the food and drinks. Would definitely recommend stopping here if you're visiting Leucate.

We went to Le Grand Cap to celebrate my mother's 50th birthday…read more The restaurant is on top of a cliff, but easy to find and has a great view of the sea. The room is quite small and not cramped nor noisy. The decoration is modern and soothing, with beautiful sea themed plates and tableware. The service was very friendly and efficient if a little bit slow. The waiters explained quickly each dish and gave more ample informations if prompted. The wine recommandations were very good as well. It was very pleasant to be able to pick whatever we wanted from the carte to be included in the menus we chose, rather than being only really interested in half of the dishes we were about to have. The amuse bouches that came first were nice and a good surprise with unexpected tastes. The second one was very refreshing. We all selected the foie gras as a starter and we all loved it. The cooking was perfect and the duck paired unexpectedly well with the sweet dragée crust. The serving size was also very generous. The mains were the pigeonneau and a fish, the chef clearly intended to carry strong flavours and he succeeded in doing so but both dishes were a bit undercooked for some at the table, who did not enjoy the gamy taste. The others enjoyed it though so it is really a just a question of taste. There again the portions were generous. The pre dessert was very refreshing again and a good interlude before the selected sweets. We sampled all of the desserts offered and they were all really amazing. The chocolate was probably the best, the pistachio and strawberry ones were great and zesty too. The only (slight) let down was the apricot one because the apricot part was very bland, so it was more of a dulcey chocolate and nut dessert and although the ice cream was perfect there wasn't enough of it to counterbalance the heaviness of the dessert without the freshness of the apricot. Last came some chocolates, nuts, nougats and caramel (the truffle was amazing) followed by an artful cart of small sweets to choose from. We sampled a few of the offered jellies, marshmallows, macaroons, push-ups and other delicacies and they were all quite tasty. The chef came out to greet everyone at the end of the meal, he does the savory part and his wife crafts the desserts. He recently left a starred establishment in Avignon and is aiming to be awarded one here again. We have no doubt his wish will come true very soon and we can only hope this place will remain affordable, as we intend to come back again soon.

Le Comptoir des Tontons (the "uncle's bar", but in this case using the kiddie word for "Uncle"-- we…read moredon't have a good word for it, but it might be the male equivalent of "auntie")--- Wow! I can't believe we found this little gem in La Palme!! My family and I have gone here 2 nights in a row since it was so unbelievable-- literally some of the best food I have EVER eaten. (And I have eaten at some highly rated New York City and Chicago restaurants) Basically just good, REAL French food. The appetizer of mussels was divine, melt-in-your mouth garlicky, buttery heaven. Great wines by the 50cl or 75cl (half carafe/bottle?). Delicious duck breast, yummy filet of beef, and perfectly amazing cod (again, buttery, garlicky heaven on a plate!) The shrimp and scallop "duo" was simple but of the best , freshest quality, with just a flavor that showcased the seafood itself, but delicious! I've never enjoyed shrimp so much, and the scallops practically melted in my mouth. Loved the baked Camembert, and the goat cheese plate! But, the absolute best part... The desserts!!! Molten chocolate lava cake (mi-cuit or "half-cooked") with homemade vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, a sundae that my daughter had to order two nights in a row "Dame Blanche" which was basically a hot fudge sundae served in a glass, but just a hundred times better (the quality of the chocolate, of the ice cream, of the almonds, and even of the whipped cream!) A yummy creme brûlée with orange flower essence. (That I adored, but you have to eat it before the chocolate, or the delicate flavor will be overpowered.) And a Ton Ton's house special "omelette" which is really a big scoop of ice cream over a thin layer of white cake, with an even thinner layer of meringue on top, set afire by a cup of flaming grand marnier poured on top. It was probably my least favorite of the desserts, which isn't saying much since it somehow all got gobbled up along with the chocolate, but it got coolness points for flaming at the table, and we all agreed that we were glad we ordered it. Honestly, everything was such high quality (including the bread, but that goes without saying in France, but also including the vegetables served with the meal, and the salad served alongside the cheese that my girls just INHALED!) that I would happily try anything on their menu. But I dream of the mussels (moules). Note: brush up on your French and/or bring your French phrase book-- not too much english spoken here. And no English menu translations. This is the real thing, not just a Parisian tourist trap. And by the way, for about 1/3 to half the price of what we were paying in Paris for a meal that was not as good! You do need a car to get here from Perpignan or Narbonne, and don't forget they don't rent automatic cars here. I almost hate to rave about La Palme because it is truly an undiscovered gem, but come here, eat and absorb the true French way of life in all it's beauty. Oh, and if you have kids, there's a kids menu for those under 10 which apparently includes a scoop of ice cream served in a (toy) COW! It was so cute that I almost asked for one myself, but then I thought maybe I should act like an adult when in a foreign country. I got the feeling that not too many Americans come here, and boy have we have been missing out!!