Bergerac, Chateau des Vigiers Review

Overall Rating

Staff seem rushed and harassed when there wasn't anything to be rushed or harassed about, the restaurant was practically empty.
No one seemed particularly interested in us.
We weren't offered any recommendation on food or wine, we served by four separate waiters, all of who didn't seem to have a clue what we had ordered or have any idea about the menu.

My wife and I dined at 'Les Fresques' restaurant last night and I seriously doubt if we would ever go back. Our reservation was at 8.30pm, we arrived shortly before and arrived in a 'sorry looking' bar area to be greeted happily enough but then it took about ten minutes to get a drink which seemed quite surprising as there were three people behind the bar but only one other person wanting a drink who was already being served. When we were finally served I explained that we had a reservation for dinner but they didn't seem particularly interested in that or what name or what time the reservation was for, so we sat down with our drinks. Whilst we were having our pre-meal drink, the somelier/head waiter proudly brought us some entrees which were nothing particularly special.

When we went into the restaurant, the somelier/head waiter was a little too busy to deal with us so told us to 'sit at that table over there' and nodded towards a dimly lit little table under the stairs, we walked over on our own and sat down at a table in the dingiest part of the restaurant, a place obviously reserved for the badly dressed, ugly and poor or perhaps all three! I was quite stunned as I have never been in a restaurant were the head waiter points out your table and you are left to walk across the restaurant to it on your own.

After about 15 mins of being ignored there was a flurry of activity and we were given a candle and a couple of menus, no one asked if we wanted a drink and we were left alone for another 10 minutes. Someone finally came back and we ordered, for some reason they felt the need to take our order for all three courses at once, I then ordered the wine (I chose the 2001 Figeac, which happened to be the joint most expensive bottle on their list at '115) this seemed to impress them and suddenly their attitude changed towards us, they asked if we would like to move to another table and motioned to one which was well lit, in the centre of the restaurant and had a view of the terrace and gardens. We declined, not wanting to move tables now they had decided that we were the kind of clientel they wanted, so we were finally given a bread roll each but without any butter!

The food arrived in quick succession, it wasn't much to talk about, my wife said that her's was OK, but the herb crust on her lamb was soggy and tasted stale.

All in all, a disappointing evening, for some reason this restaurant believes itself to be something it isn't. I have eaten in some of the finest restaurants in the world and this is so far off the mark it is embarrassing, however they have priced themselves as if they are offering a dining experience to rival anything else in the area, unfortunately they are sorely mistaken.

If you are staying at the hotel, I heartily recommend that you journey to nearby Bergerac for your evening meal where there are a number of restaurants which have staff who know how to serve and chefs who know how to cook.