PITCHI POI:
• If you're in Paris, then a visit to this Eastern European, Jewish restaurant is a must. We went for lunch, and will never forget it! Pitch Poi is a classy restaurant that obviously cares about Customers, Food and Atmosphere - without charging too high a price in return.
  The leaning is more towards Meat (Kosher) and Fish dishes, but Vegetarian is also catered for. One of the main things that we both noticed was that, although the servings appeared to be on the quite generous side, careful planning of food combinations and portions meant that neither of us felt 'over-full' afterwards. Indeed our meals (which included breads such as: Matzos, Blinis, and Rye and Carraway Seed Crackers) were delicious, and items such as carrot and leek were perfectly tender; and not soft, mushy or hard. We also sampled such delights as Salmon, Caviar and Vegetarian Caviar. Yum!
  Another of the plus points of this restaurant is the extensive 'Vodka' menu. As well as some of the more popular brands being available, Pitchi Poi also host a wide range of Slivovich, the 'alcohol by volume' of each being displayed on the menu. We noticed that the strongest one was 70%, a great finale to a grand repas - Bon Appetit!
  Price range: Quite expensive, but worth it!
  7, Place du Marche Sainte Catherine, Marais, Paris. 01-42-77-46-15. Open daily for lunch and dinner until 23.00. www.pitchipoi.com

QI-HONG:
• Qi-Hong is an Asiatique Traiteur situated very close to Gare du Nord, therefore being very handy for Eurostar travellers. I was drawn to the price and the 'express' nature of the establishment. Like many French Chinese/Asian small restaurants, the food has already been cooked and is waiting for you in large dishes under the glass counter. You make your choices (I had Poulet au Basilic and Nouilles Sautées Nature) and they are weighed, microwaved and brought to your table - you agree on the amount first. Qi-Hong has quite a wide menu and you can see everything first. As well as main courses, there are Starters, Vapeurs (eg. Dumplings) and Soups. Desserts are also served, and come at very reasonable prices. I had an Almond Cake for 0.60 Euros. I also drank Jasmine Tea (1.20 Euros) from the choice of non-alcoholic drinks, which included cans of soft drink. Beer is served, as is Wine - at between 3 to 5 Euros a half-bottle. Overall, this is a good place. I would recommend it to anyone who has limited time to eat, but who enjoys (the mostly) Chinese food. My meal totalled 6.89 Euros.
  160, Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis, Gare du Nord, Paris. 01-42-05-19-92. Take-away also available. Open everyday 10.30-22.00.

RESTAURANT DU BOUCHERIE:
• Yes! Go there. Thoroughly recommended by us. The Boucherie is everything you need for a lunch stopoff - and probably good for Dinner too. The food is excellently presented and does not fill you up so much that you can't handle the next course. They do variously-priced menus, including a special 13 Euros lunch menu - Starter, Main, Dessert. We settled for a starter each (Approx 6 Euros), followed by a dessert each (Approx 5 Euros). I had the the Terrine Maison, which came with Cornichons, Onion Confiture and Salad. LBG tried the Smoked Ham with Melon slices and Salad. Afterwards we sampled the Noisette Croquante and the Tarte Tatin. All in all setting us up nicely for the afternoon and doing great things to our taste buds. Really worth going here. Good atmosphere. Nice coffee too.
  Rue de la Monnaie, Vielle Cité, Lille, Nord.

CAFÉ DU CENTRE:
• We stopped off here quickly for lunch whilst visiting the superb cathedral, which is directly opposite. I had the Omelette Jambon with Chips (7 Euros), which cured my hunger for the whole afternoon. They also do Croque, Steaks, Baguettes, that sort of thing - and drinks of course. Good for Déjeuner.
  Opposite the front of the Cathedral, Rouen, Seine-et-Maritime.

L'AUBERGE DE VANNE:
• Truly delicious food is served here, in 'Á la Campagne' style. When we went there, three menus were on offer, plus suggestions of the day - you could also go á la carte. The 34 and 42 euro menus come with palate-freshening in- between dishes. The 34 menu included a variety of starters and main courses, plus dessert. I chose the 'Escargot in Vin d'Irancy Cassoulet' (incl. Foie Gras and Crouton), followed by Saint-Pierre (fish) with Nivettes (small turnips) and Spinach pasta triangles in a light, creamy sauce. Other dishes included: Normandy Salmon (on the 17 Euro menu), Veal Kidneys with Wild Mushrooms, Sweet and Sour Duck, and more. The restaurant serves a range of fairly typical desserts, such as Chocolate Mousse, Sorbet, Ice cream, Pear Helène and Praline/Coffee Liquer Cake. The Floating Island that I ate was one of the best I have ever had. It was almost the size of a Compact Disc and sported, as is traditional, a hidden layer of Maple Syrup rising up gradually through a deep, blissful Crème Anglaise. All of the food and service appears to be meticulously thought-out, prepared and delivered, to the tee. A large selection of Wines, Aperitifs and other beverages are available. The 'fairly regular' wine which we had with our meal came at the fairly hefty price of 21 Euros. Total cost for our 3 person, 3 course meal (with aperitifs but without coffee) came to 120 Euros. Definitely worth it for a splash, book in advance, turn up on time, ample car-parking, view of river.
  Next to the river Vanne, Auxerre Road, South-Eastern edge of Sens centre, Sens, Yonne.

LE NID DU GEAI:
• 'The Jay's Nest' is not your average restaurant. It is firstly a place where calm and tranquillity meet decent homegrown organic meals and a space to relax. Nid is also a place of retreat where one can stay and pass the time with activities such as walking, meditation, reading and the like. We arrived there as invited (but paying) dinner guests and the food was prepared and cooked especially for us. We entertained ourselves with a fruit and herb cordial in the lounge area of the eating hall, and glanced at some of the many books on Alternative LIfestyles, Buddhism, History, Yoga, etc. Dinner was served and generally I found it to be quite agreeable. I like food that I don't come across very often, and so the courgette pie was gulped down with gusto. We enjoyed wine accompaniment and also various vegs (all homegrown or locally produced organic). Dessert I can't quite remember, but I think it involved Fruit, possibly berries/apples in a tarte. Nice setting, very away from it all - about an hours drive SE of Paris. Look out for the special evenings such as 'Indian Vegetarian with Classical Indian Music'.
  Low point: Unfortunately the log fire did not keep us very warm in the huge draughty communal eating hall.
  LBG says: I hated it. It was like letting a bunch of four year olds loose in the kitchen! (Not a very enjoyable experience then? Ed.)
  11, La Grande Rue, Hameau de la Borde, St. Martin sur Oreuse, Nr. Sens, Yonne. 03-86-97-69-45. Phone or e-mail for opening times and/or details of special events.

GOURMET ASIE:
• Specialist Chinese (and some Thai) eatery inside Carrefour, on the West-side of the city. You ask for the dishes (which you can see through the glass counter) and they weigh them out and heat them up in the micros. Very tasty, I ate the 'Poulet Basilic' with Noodles, which came to about 7Euros. LBG had the Pineapple Chicken, Pork Dumplings and Noodles - 6.50 Euros and delicious dumplings apparently. They also do Chinese dessert specialities, Tea, Coffee etc.
  Carrefour Supermarché, Route de Voulx, Sens, Yonne. 03-86-65-20-78.

RESTAURANT DE LA CATHEDRALE:
• Ostensibly a Pizzeria, but also caters for Steak-fiends and provides other meats such as Gizzards or Fish, in traditional French style. I chose the Steak with Bearnaise sauce, which came with Fries and Haricot Verts - all jolly tasty and a fair (fare!) price at 12.50 Euros. The Sandra looked good too and apparently it was. The portions are a good size and would leave most people with room for a dessert, of which there are a few to choose from, including Isle Flottante, Tiramisu, various Ice Creams, etc. The restaurant has two floors and thus is able to cater for a large amount of people. It's also a café, with terraced tables/seating directly outside the lovely cathedral. Good wine and coffee.
  13, Place de la République, Sens, Yonne. 03-86-65-17-79.

LA POTINIÈRE:
• Wow! This restaurant has undergone a swish new refurb job, which dazzles the eyes with a bright yellow swirling carpet, designer-furniture and stylish airy layout. The food is good too, which is why we came here, and it is served on individually-crafted sheets of shaped and textured glass. The starter arrived on a triangle with rounded sides, the main course on a square - with dips or waves depending on your choice - and the dessert plates were again, square. These things (the plates) could be fragile and dangerous - and one can see that here and there the odd corner has been chipped a little - but they are beautiful too, like ice. This formed glass theme recurs in the design of the handbasin in the toilet, which is like a spring gushing into a pure, clear gorge. OK, so perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but overall one gets the feeling that Martine Cavalli has put a great deal of time, effort and thought into the appearance of her restaurant, and the feelings that she wishes to inspire in her diners.
  
  As I said, the food is good - and it would have to be, otherwise the decor, pleasant service and ambience would all be wasted. We chose the 28.50 Euros menu - which gives you four courses - but there was also a 44 Euros menu, À la Carte and a riproaring 'Menu Gourmand' (which sailed in at around 60 Euros as I remember). Our menu included starter, main, fromage and desserts - dotted here and there by complimentary palate-cleansing mini-courses. I chose the Escargots (with light pastry crust and mushroom), followed by the Lapin (rabbit). The Lapin came with puréed potato, echalottes, and splashes of sauce. Plenty of cheeses were available, and I selected Fromage Blanc with sugar, and desserted on Crème Brulée. All of this was jolly tasty and left me feeling like I'd eaten enough, but not too much. I could rattle on about the 'La Potinière' cuisine and how it would also be great to eat out on the be-decked riverside terrace in the Summer - but I won't. Check it out for yourself!
  Good wines and Apèritifs (which may slightly exceed the price bracket) too.
  51, Rue Cécile de Marsangis, Sens, Yonne. 03-86-65-31-08. email: restaurant.lapotiniere@wanadoo.fr

LES TABLES DU MOULIN:
• Great setting, a few miles out of Sens. The restaurant is actually part of an Auberge of roughly the same name, which is based upon an obsolete double-wheeled watermill - fantastic! The centrepoint of the large dining area is a huge array of cogs and wheels that displays the original use of the building. There is an exciting atmosphere here and a dedicated catering team, who parlez Anglais und Deutsche. The Car Park is big.
  
  Menus start fairly low priced, with the 'Menu Formule' at about 15 Euros. We chose the 24 Euros menu and of course there is À la Carte and a more expensive menu too. Once again, complimentary in-betweenies are the order of the day, with an inventive use of spaghetti on the occasion we ate there. We skipped apèritifs and went straight into the wine, which was a delicious local Burgundy - labels and details are supplied in the massive Wine List photo album. Out of the choices of starter, I picked the Mousse Volaille (flying game). The dish actually had a much more descriptive name than that, which alluded to all the trimmings as well. My main consisted of 4 ample skewered roundels of St. Jacques (scallops) perched on a 'burger' (for want of another word) of echalottes, seated in a shallow pool of octopus ink - mmm! Partridge and Filets Mignons de Porc were also on the menu. One of my fellow diners chose the 'Petit pot de chocolat' for dessert, another the 'Desserte Anglaise' (Sticky Toffee Pudding), whilst I favoured the croquante des mangues (at least, it was called something like that) - puréed mango, mango sorbet and some crunchy biscuity stuff (all displayed very artistically) - I can scarcely remember it to describe it...blissfully satisfied stomachs alround...!!
  18, Route des Moulins Banaux, Villeneuve l'Archevêque, nr. Sens, Yonne. 03-86-86-72-55. e-mail / website

LE BASILIC:
• Daily specials like Pasta in Tomato Sauce, add to a select menu that includes the likes of Tartiflette, Entrecôte Steak, Mignon Morceaux and a selection of five salades gourmande! Portions are certainly more than adequate for the average 'mangeur', so one would choose whether or not to have a starter accompaniment, but never forget that some great desserts are also available, including 'Crème de Catalunya'. Prices are good, at around 8 Euros a (large) salad and around 10-13 Euros a main course. The restaurant also functions as a Bar and Hotel (as well as a depot de Pain and Calor Gaz), so a good supply of beverages is on hand. Large salon, small bar, table football and friendly family patrons of Iberian origin.
  Saligny, near Sens, Yonne. 03-86-97-83-41.

LA TAVERNE DE MAÎTRE KANTER:
• As well as the 'Kanterbrau' brewery, Maître Kanter own a string of restaurants. This one is in the centre of Troyes, near the Eglise Saint-Jean - where there are quite a few crêperies and pizzeries. The extensive menu at this eatery however, includes quite a bit of Alsatian cuisine such as various Sauerkraut dishes, as well as the famous Troyes 'Andouillete' (Tripe) Sausage, steak, fish etc. - all at pretty competitive prices. We chose a different salad each. These arrived piled high on large dinner-plates. LBG had the 'Lyonnaise', which featured Chêvre (Goat Cheese) on toast and sausage slices, as well as the expected lettuce and tomato. My 'Assiette Gourmand' had hard-boiled egg halves, potato, lardons (bacon bits) and fruit in the ingredients. Although we stuffed ourselves with these, LBG decided that she wanted a Crème Caramel for afters, whilst I decaffeinated myself with a sugary expresso. Good value for money, in our opinion, at about 10 Euros per large salad and about 3.50 Euros a dessert. Menu in French and English.
  Place Alexandre Israel, Troyes, Aube.

HÔTEL DU LION D'OR:
• Immodest and typically 'Cuisine du Campagne', the Golden Lion served our purpose well. We had a tasty meal at fairly low cost, which set us up for the rest of the day.
  You can choose from Set Menus (the 16 or 20 Euro ones are good value) or 'À la Carte' (more expensive). The 16 Euro menu included Starter, Main and Dessert - but not Fromage. Coffee and Wine were extra, and the restaurant holds a good selection in stock; available by the bottle, glass or pichet. I had the Escargots (snails) which arrived in the traditional dish, with Garlic Butter and Croutons. This was followed by 'Piece de Boeuf' (Steak) à point (medium rare) with Endive, Broccoli and Gratin Potato. This was tasty, but the Beef was rather chewy in places, and 'medium rare' means: Still pretty bloody. I would have chosen the 'Canard' had it not been off the menu. Hmm...overall good, especially washed down with the Vin du Pays! Desserts all sounded delicious. Two of us plumped for the Tarte aux Pommes (which was most pleasant) and my other companion chose the 'Nougat Glace Maison' - a kind of French Cassata surrounded by Crème Anglaise. Apparently it was fantastic. So, overall, a good dining experience - try it out!
  Rue Lucile Cormier, Toucy, Nr. Auxerre, Yonne.

RESTAURANT DE LA PORTE PEINTE:
• What a pleasure to eat here! Noyers, in itself is a beautiful medieval town - full of quirks, and the 'Restaurant of the Painted Door' exemplifies this in its décor and attitude. The place is run by Myriam Plateau - a charming Madame - whose laid-back approach provides a relaxing atmosphere. On warm/hot days you can sit outside in the tree-centred courtyard looking onto the main square. There are however, three interior dining rooms, with slightly saucy paintings on the walls! The restaurant is also a Salon de Thé, and opens for lunch until about 14.30 and then again for dinner starting at 19.30. There is a saladerie menu and a menu 'à prix', with complimentary fresh radishes and salt to start. The set menus look fine, but actually we both chose salad dishes - LBG 'pigging' out on a plate of charcuterie, whilst I devoured a Tarte Salée. Mine included a green salad, haricot verts and tomatoes in dressing, all in traditional Bourguignonne style. LBG's assiette featured a variety of sausage and other cured meats, including one which we thought might be Lapin or Canard. To follow - LBG had the Ice Cream (fantastically flavoursome) and I went for the Strawberry Flan, which came with carefully placed blackcurrants, physalis, sauce and icing sugars. We both drank Pastis and Mineral Water, although Wines etc. are available. Both the salads were about 9 Euros each and the meal total came to 43 Euros for two persons - including one expresso. Thoroughly recommended.
  On the edge of the main square (near the Library), Noyers-sur-Serein, Nr. Auxerre, Yonne. Tel/Fax: 03-86-82-81-07.

LE MOULIN DES TEMPLIERS:
• Actually, this is an hotel more than a restaurant, but if you stay here there is a set evening meal of typical country fare served on rough ceramic tableware in the rustic dining area. Our starter was a chicken/bacon terrine, with lentilles bathed in lemon juice. The main was a chicken casserole cooked in Vin d'Irancy, with tagliatelle. The dessert was a choice of thick chocolate mousse, ice cream or apple tart, I think. Drinks were extra on the bill (food about 20 Euros each for 3 courses). Great continental breakfast served overlooking a gently flowing river. Good coffee, nice rooms.
  D427, Vallée du Cousin, Pontaubert, Nr. Avallon, Yonne. Tel: 03-86-34-10-80. Fax: 03-86-34-03-05.

LE CHEVAL BLANC:
• We got so dazed by the fantastic food here that we completely forgot to check what the place was called and have had to look it up since. It's a two star hotel with at least 6 rooms and a burgundy-coloured front and it's right next to 'Le Compostelle' restaurant, which is near all the statutory tourist parking at the main road entrance to the village from the N6 - you can't miss it!
  So, having sat down at your terrace table (in the warmer months), you will be able to choose from one of the fixed- price menus (starting at 18 Euros for 3 courses), or from the à la carte menu. LBG chose to have a starter and then a dessert, whilst I went for a main course followed by a dessert. LBG's starter was Aubergines stuffed with Goat's Cheese, which she said she thoroughly enjoyed. I plumped (literally) for two rounds of potato gratin topped with a large Andouilette sausage - filled with tripe (cows innards) and small, delicate wild mushrooms - superb! As if this wasn't enough, we later became inebriated with the 'selection of fruit sorbets' (LBG) and the 'lost bread in honey' (me). Both of these were accompanied by some crackly caramelly lattice trimmings, and mine also included a globe of hazelnut (?) ice cream - which melted beautifully into the honey and mango (?) sauce. I have rarely been so absorbed in hedonistic dessert desire. The whole experience seemd perfectly balanced and pleasurable. The cost: not as much as we thought - about 35 Euros, for lunch, and worth it!
  Place du Champ de Foire, Vézelay, Nr. Avallon, Yonne. Tel: 03-86-33-22-12

LE CADRAN SOLAIRE:
• This place is a bar that happens to serve food in the middle of the afternoon - and probably at other times as well. They do snacks such as Croque Monsieur and Quiche served with ample salad portions, at 6.50 Euros each - nice. All drinks available, at reasonable prices. Light 'bar' atmosphere.
  14, Place Fleury, Beaune, Cote D'Or.

LE THEATRE GOURMAND:
• In the centre of old Dijon, near the Musée des Beaux Arts, you can get a tasty meal here at a reasonable price. We chose to dash straight in to the main course and neglect entrées. I had the Brochette Meridionale (skewered chicken and turkey with tomato and peppers, accompanied by vegetables of your choice) for about 9 Euros; LBG had 'Jambon Bourgignon', which was the same as the beef version but instead formed around thick-sliced ham - mmm. Desserts were tasty too and include Chocolate (melt-in-the-mouth) spongey-mousse stuff and Crème Brulée. Good choice of wines and we accidentally (I believe) had free apéritifs!
  31, Rue Chabot Charny, Dijon, Cote D'Or. Tel: 03-80-63-94-05.

LA BRASSERIE 1900:
• Street-terraced restaurant/bar almost opposite McDonalds. Serve a good meal, or a drink, for a fair price. I had a seafood pizza for about 7 Euros; LBG had a salad, which was about 8 Euros. They do some good desserts, such as the Tarte Praline. Great setting, pleasant and efficient service. Also have inside tables, seem to be open all day.
  Place Ampère, Rue Victor Hugo, Perrache, Lyon, Rhone.

LES TABLES DE MARGUERITE:
• Really very tasty food, in an unpretentious 'jazz' kinda way. I mention jazz because this is the style of 'Les Tables' and also the music that was playing throughout our experience there - although really it was mostly klesma-type european stuff. Really and truly, you must visit this restaurant if you are in the area. The staff are minimal and this has the fortunate by-product of making the food very tasty and the atmosphere very informal. I was only going to have a Banana Juice drink, but I decided that I should eat and plumped for the cheapest thing on the menu, which was "La Vache est dans le Jardin". At 4 Euros the only thing I could complain about was that they should be charging more for such a feast. The dish was basically a huge bowl of salad, but with a rather unusual combo of different leaves and a huge slice of Canteloupe Melon in the middle. The temperature outside was probably around 36C, and the refrigerated melon counteracted the oppresssive heat with gusto! Other ingredients: Cubed Emmental, Dressing. Jolly nice, just like the desserts. LBG had something special too. A big plate of sliced ham and sausage, which she declared was delicious. Just eat here, or else.
  12, Rue Gaston Darley, Nemours, Off the A6 near Fontainebleau, Seine et Marne. Tel: 01-60-55-08-65.

CHEZ PIN:
• OK. Nemours is a small town but we went to two decent eateries here. Chez Pin is one of two or three Chinese/Asian restaurants in the area, and produces fine fare of an equal comparison to many UK dining houses. Prices are also comparable to the UK. The special thing for us was that, after an afternoon of swimming in the Seine in the Foret de Fontainebleau, a perfect ending was to relax with a plate of Poulet Piquant et Riz Nature at Chez Pin's extensive riverside location. Mmmm. Nice. Drinks more expensive. Go for Jasmine Tea.
  Main N7 Road, Nemours, Seine et Marne.

TEMPLE DU CIEL:
• Pretty good Chinese restaurant opposite the chateau in this lovely historic town. They also serve some Thai and Vietnamese food on their menu. We went for Poulet - both, 'with Pineapple' and 'with Piquant Sauce' respectively, at 6.10 Euros each. We accompanied these with Plain Boiled Rice (1.50 Euros) and Jasmine Tea. They do have desserts, but we didn't have any. The surroundings are pleasant and comfortable, and the restaurant was really busy when we were there.
  Rue Victor Hugo, Amboise, Loir.

TOKYO:
• Decent Japanese restaurant in one of the swinging parts of this great city. When we went there it was easily hot enough to sit outside, but there is ample dining space indoors too. I plumped for the 8 Euros menu, which included a starter, main and dessert. It was quite meaty and fishy, but that was just what I wanted - Yakitori Chicken etc. LBG went for itsy-bitsy stuff (which cost more), but she enjoyed hers too. We drunk beer, of which there is a good selection, and also Pastis.
  Very pleasant dining.
  Cholerie, Chatelet, Orléans, Loiret.