Are you planning a rejuvenating weekend in and around Lourdes to discover its cultural heritage, superb Pyrenean scenery or delicious local produce? Just the thing, our reporters went to test the best restaurants for you. Here's their top pick!
Located on the 1st floor of a magnificent hotel, Le Perchoir restaurant offers a varied menu featuring local products and specialties. Églantine recommends you try their floating island: it's not made with real custard, but with sweet potato... A mix as good as it is surprising!
Right next to the Pic du Jer lookout is the summit's only restaurant: Le Haut de Lourdes. A traditional restaurant offering hearty, comforting dishes, all with a magnificent view over the town of Lourdes.
Tucked away in the Halles de Lourdes, this restaurant is one of the town's must-visits! As its name suggests, Casa de Las Tapas offers a wide variety of delicious tapas, cooked with fresh produce. Églantine's tip: accompany it all with a chilled sangria or a good Spanish wine.
If you want to eat in splendid surroundings, we heartily recommend this restaurant, some thirty kilometers from Lourdes. Located at the top of the Col de l'Hautacam, its spacious terrace offers a 360° view of the mountains. You can also enjoy the view from the cosy, warm interior with its large bay windows and, like Sophie, enjoy your coffee on a sofa by the fire, leafing through books on the Tour de France.
©Sophie - Breathtaking mountain views from the terrace
It's also the ideal place to be if it's raining: a place where you feel good and where you'd love to stay for the afternoon and enjoy the homemade blueberry tart.Beyond the setting, Le Tramassel has everything to please with its entirely homemade, local and tasty cuisine. Sophie's favorite: the trout and its sunny vegetables.
Les Cent Culottes is a restaurant-bar-brewery in the new Lourdes, much appreciated by the locals. Sophie liked it for its brasserie atmosphere and “à la bonne franquette” high tables, but also for its simple, comforting cuisine (big salads, burgers, but also a vegetarian dish of the day!).
© Sophie - The warm atmosphere of Les Cent Culottes
And as a bonus, if you're there on a weekend, you can also extend the evening downstairs and sway to the DJ's music.
For lunch, Lisa opted for Le Palacio, a local, family-run restaurant a stone's throw from the market. Her verdict: succulent dishes!
Even if local Pyrenean cuisine isn't very plant-based, this restaurant still offers alternatives such as a magnificent poke bowl and very good salads. As a bonus, a magnificent view of Lourdes from the terrace (and very good desserts).
Please note: this is not for vegetarians! As we all know, the South-West of France is not very vegan in its culinary culture... On the other hand, everything is local. And the specialty at Maison du Jambon is black Bigorre pork ham.
To find out more, take a look at our article “What to do in Lourdes in a weekend” and our selection of accommodation!