Discover the Best Regional Food and Drink in France!
The Dordogne and its neighbouring departments, the Limousin and the Charente, in Southwest France, are a true haven for food enthusiasts, brimming with culinary treasures that will delight your palate. Whether you are seeking exquisite dining experiences or unique local specialities, this area is a paradise for food lovers.
From lively summer night markets to quaint auberges, delightful bistros and sophisticated restaurants, this region has something for everyone. For those interested in fine dining, you'll find seven Michelin-starred restaurants within an hour's drive from the gite.
Here is a glimpse of some of the top dining spots in the area—many personally recommended by your hosts, Vanessa and William—along with a selection of regional food and drink specialities.
Moulin de L'Abbeye Brantome
Local Places to Eat
Where to Dine Near Beaux Souvenirs.
From casual lunches to special occasions, here are our personally recommended restaurants within easy reach of the gite, listed by distance:
- Casa O - (500m) Mialet - Corsican
- Auberge Saint Georges - (5.8km) Saint Jory de Chalais - French European
- Hôtel Les Voyageurs - (6.7km) La Coquille - French and European
- Camping-Maisonneuve (6.8km) Saint Jory le Chalais - Stonebaked Pizza
- La Paillote de Saint Saud - (6.8km) Saint Saud Lacoussiere - French home cooking
- L'Odyssee - (6.8km) Saint Saud Lacoussiere - Bar and typical French Snacks
- Hostellerie St Jacques - (6.8km) Saint Saud Lacoussiere - French European
- The Fiddlers Rest - (8.7km) - on N21 towards Perigueux - Irish
- La Taverne de Montbrun - (11.9km) Dournazac - French pub food
- Hotel de France - (13.9km) Saint Pardoux la Riviere - French and European
- L'Escapade des Sens - (14.9km) Thiviers - French and European
- Le Temps des Mets - (15.2km) St Jean de Cole - French and European beautiful river setting
- Le Moulin du Roc- (29km) Champagnac de Belair near Brantome - French and European
- Le Moulin de L'Abbeye - (35.3km) Brantome - French Michelin star spectacular location
The bustling Wednesday market in Piegut Pluviers
Local Markets
When visiting the Dordogne, please make time to explore a few of its local markets. These lively gatherings are the best places to discover fresh, seasonal produce and to see towns at their most vibrant and colourful. Markets are at their most significant and busiest in summer, though they can feel relatively quieter out of the primary season. Below you’ll find a guide to the main market days across our area. In summer, many towns also host evening marchés nocturnes, where locals and visitors come together to eat, drink, and enjoy live music under the stars.
- Monday - Day off for most!
- Tuesday - Mialet
- Wednesday - Piegut Pluviers
- Thursday - Excideuil, La Coquille
- Friday - Chalus, Brantome
- Saturday - Perigueux, Thiviers, Nontron
- Sunday - Jumilhac, Sorges
Ask your hosts for info on local evening markets and special one-off evening foodie events.
Specialities of the Dordogne
- Bergerac wine - Pecharmant wines are the best from this area and are blended from the Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes.
- Blanc de Tirbot Roti Gnocchi à La Farine Chataigne - roast Turbot with small dumplings made from chestnut flour
- Cabecou - small, round, flat goat's cheese
- Canelles - small domed cakes made from batter and glazed
- Cassoulet - pork, duck and white bean stew Cepes - mushrooms Chestnuts - infused in honey
- Confit de canard - slow-cooked duck leg
- Cou d’Oie Farci - gooseneck stuffed with goose meat
- Foie gras - liver from the fattened duck (canard) or goose (oie), prepared in any number of ways, including pâtés
- Gateau de Roi - flaky pie with almond paste
- Montbazillac - sweet wine
- Pommes Sarladaises - potatoes roasted in duck fat, with garlic and parsley
- Salad Perigourdine - salad including walnuts and duck gizzards
- Sauce perigord - truffle sauce
- Strawberries - Gariguette, Darselect, Charlotte and Mara des Bois
- The Black truffle of Périgord - the best season for this is when it's fresh, late November through February
- Trappe d’Echourgnac - hard cheese, smoky flavour with added walnut liqueur
- Tourain blanchi - garlic soup with egg whites
- Velouté aux Chataignes de Perigord - chestnut soup
- Walnuts - look out for liqueur, oil, cakes, biscuits and nougat
Trappe cheese infused with nut liqueur
Specialities of the Limousin
- Boudin noir - black pudding with chestnuts
- Brejaude - Limousin soup with bacon, potatoes and turnip
- Brive Violet mustard - made from grape must, red wine and spices
- Calhada - Goat's cheese Clafoutis cake - made from batter filled with cherries
- Chestnuts - sweet chestnuts
- Cruesois - a very soft and moist hazelnut and butter cake
- Cul Noir Pork - famous black-ass pig from St Yrieix la Perche
- Galetou - salted buckwheat pancakes with ham and cheese
- Limousin apples - the only apple in France to receive the AOP label of quality
- Limousin Beef - from the famous red-brown cows
- Limousin cider - and apple juice
- Limousin Grillons - shredded pork meat flavoured with garlic and herbs
- Madeleines - small almond-flavoured sponge cakes
- Massepains - small golden biscuits made with almonds
- Mique - giant dumpling cooked in a stew with pork and vegetables
- Pate de Pomme de Terre - potato pie filled with crème fraiche
- Potee Limousine - meat and vegetable stew
- Vin Paille - a sweet wine made from dried grapes, only 50,000 bottles are produced a year.
Specialities of the Charente
- Barbezieux chicken - chicken bred for flavour since the middle ages
- Broye du Poitou - sweet tasting butter pasty cake
- Chabichou du Charente - 6 cm high cone-shaped goats cheese
- Charente Melen - fragrant and juicy with orange flesh
- Cognac - Most famous Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Remy Martin
- Farci Poitevin - stuffed herb terrine made from vegetables and bacon tied in cabbage leaves and cooked
- Poitas - Charente lamb with a delicate flavour
- Pineau des Charentes - a fortified wine from adding unfermented grape juice to Cognac
- Sauce aux Lumas - snail sauce
- Torteau Fromager - a black-skinned cake made from fresh cheese
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Book Your Stay
After exploring the region's culinary delights, return to Beaux Souvenirs for home-from-home comfort. Centrally located in Mialet with easy access to the N21, our gite places you within easy reach of all these restaurants—from the local brasserie just 500m away to Michelin-starred dining within an hour's drive. Your hosts, Vanessa and William, can provide restaurant recommendations, help with reservations, and suggest the perfect dining spots for any occasion.
Things to See & Do
Mialet
The charming village of Mialet is located in the Dordogne, South West France in the Aquitaine region.
Top 12 Attractions
There are so many places to visit and things to do in our area. To give you a little taster we have created a list of our top 12 favourites.
What to See in Our Region
There are countless places to visit within a 2-hour radius of Mialet. Here are the main sites, including drive time and distance.
Where & What to Eat
Eating out is a fabulous experience in this part of France and there is a huge variety of establishments to choose from.
Festivals & Events
Annual calendar of festivals & events in the Dordogne and nearby departments.
Sports & Outdoors
The North Dordogne or Perigord Vert is a perfect location for those with a great affinity to the great outdoors.