A special birthday
Celebrating special birthdays with friends and family is one of the favourite reasons guests book to stay at Fontalbe. Its spaciousness and atmosphere make it the perfect place to celebrate that special occasion with a big family – often with several generations or a large group of friends.
A naughty birthday is now seen as a great reason to celebrate in style. To get together to mark another ten years with fun and laughter is always wonderful – and, if you are lucky enough to be celebrating in the Dordogne, the amazing local food and wine help make the occasion extra-special and truly memorable.
Last year was a big naughty for me (30 again!!) and amazingly my special birthday coincided with our purchase of Fontalbe. What an excuse to celebrate and how best to do that? A table at the local restaurant. That may not seem so special, after all every French village has a fabulous local restaurant? But just round the corner from Fontalbe, a 5 minute drive away, or walking distance if you don’t mind a bit of a hill, is the restaurant Table De Leo. We’d been told this was one of the best restaurants in the Dordogne and it didn’t fail to live up to expectations.
Award-winning cuisine
Nestled between the church and the abbey in picturesque St Avit Senieur, this quaint building, with a traditional French exterior, has a modern, relaxed interior and a wisteria clad terrace which looks out onto the village square. The ambience is welcoming and friendly – its not all about the food … but it’s not surprising to find that this little gem, hidden away in its unexpected setting has been awarded the Michelin Guide ‘BIB Gourmand’ recognition since 2017.
We happened to see the cheeseboard as we were taken to our seats and we knew we were in for a treat! The food was incredible – foie gras, crab, monkfish, scallops, guinea fowl. Everything was cooked to perfection and the presentation was stunning. But don’t take my word for it, the review below really captures the essence of this must visit restaurant.
Gourmand menu
Peter and I worked our way through the Gourmand menu, which offered two choices at each course. We both chose different dishes and by sharing managed to enjoy a little taste of everything. Food envy didn’t kick in until dessert. I chose La sphere de citroen noiz d Iran which translates to The Black Lemon Ball of Iran. Despite its name, it was delicious.
The meal was accompanied by a wonderful selection of wines, by the bottle or, as we were delighted to discover, served by the glass, courtesy of the restaurant’s remarkable D-vine wine dispenser, which allowed us to sample the perfect wine for each course at the perfect temperature and aeration.
The next table was populated by a French couple with their well-behaved large French Poodle. We felt sad that we’d left Bonnie at home – but I think she would have found the whole experience very frustrating – there were definitely no left overs for the doggie bag!
