La Magnanerie - Cordes-sur-Ciel

Madame and I had a really enjoyable lunch at la Magnanerie on an October Sunday, and would recommend the place to anyone. We had driven out from Montauban to have a look at Cordes-sur-Ciel, a truly fantastic fortified Cathar town on a hill in the Tarn. It was ancient and impressive, and we'd thought to have lunch up in the town but -- no surprise for a 13th-century hill town -- there was no parking anywhere. It emerged, in fact, that nearly everyone parks down the hill and walks up (a fine adventure to be sure, with the gorgeous little town as reward, but more of an effort than these two senior citizens felt able to give. In fact, we may have been the first people to drive up and then back down on those tiny, twisty streets in a long, long time...Thus we decided to look around, with GPS assistance, for lunch in a more accessible location. If you follow the signs for Laborde, and then for Chateau Laborde, a small hotel, you'll find the restaurant in a separate modern building out behind. On this quiet Sunday there were three or four tables occupied; the welcome was friendly and service, excellent. The luncheon menu of the day was about E26-, I believe, and offered some interesting variations on the usual. After amuses-bouches of butternut squash soup, Madame started with a very nicely-done saffron risotto offering and then moved on to a light but satisfying fish dish. I began with petits pois, served in a little bowl with a pea soup (naturally) of its own, a bit of back, pickled ginger, and baby romaine lettuce; then, grilled veal accompanied by a small mixed vegetable side and bit of starch. Madame enjoyed a glass of champagne as an aperitif and then a little rose wine. General satisfaction prevailed on both sides of the table; the dishes were really well-thought-out and prepared. No dessert today, but coffee rounded out the meal.The space is bright-white modern, although there is a fine large fireplace as a classical touch; the view out the windows over the autumn fields beyond was an additional treat. After we finished, we walked the grounds of the hotel for a few moments, and were able to take some nice photos of the old upper village.All in all it was a delightful lunchtime experience at a place that could be called out-of-the-way from out-of-the-way; we certainly hope others will find La Magnanerie and have the pleasures we enjoyed.

Wow. Did I say wow? The service was wonderful, that must be said, a smile and a very courteous staff really saved this place. Every chef has their signature. This chef's is basil. Can you imagine a tuna tartare with so much basil and lime that the fish could have died just from that?Basil infusion is delicious, but when you randomly throw it on every piece of food you serve, it sort of becomes horrible. Salad, meet, fish, potatoes, vegetables. Everything with Basil? Yes!The decor: bright white light, plastic wall pieces to spruce up the completely misaligned design of the chateau environment. Led lights that change colours every 3 seconds to make you feel you're in a teenage disco in the countryside. And as a final pièce de résistance, the green marble-style 70s floor. Perfectly matched to the overdose of basil. We left feeling sad. Mainly for the amazing fireplace that completely became insignificant in the overdose of senses as described above. The ambience is more to cater for people that want to feel at home (if they live in a senior citizens residence). Definitely not for a romantic candlelight dinner.

We can thoroughly recommend the restaurant. It has been under new management for the last nine months and they are building up their reputation. Our lunch was delicious and was beautifully presented too. It was a pity that there were not more people there that day but that is one of the main reasons I am writing this to encourage others to give it a try! We ate in the garden with its lovely views but inside too looked very pleasant and I feel sure that the food will not fail to impress.

We booked this on the strength of other reviews - thanks to those that had submitted them.Fantastic food, great service, lovely setting (we will return when it is warm enough to eat on the terrace).All three of us chose the 29€ deal, with a lovely goats cheese mousse Mis en bouche, starters mains and dessert. Excellent value. The waiter was great, helpful, attentive and informative, adding additional information on food choices, and recommending a really nice local Galliac wine.Everything was cooked to perfection, and beautifully presented.All in all, a great Friday night out, great value and we'll be back!

Friends spoke of this newly reopened restaurant, so we gave it a try. Although we cannot fault the food, the ambiance lacks sparkle,and the overall presentation somewhat presumptuous. A bit of a letdown for the price.