Le Relays du Chasteau

Lunch was delicious and the price felt very fair at 16.50. The staff were really friendly, too.

We’re so lucky this family run place is only a short drive away. We went again tonight, our second meal here this month, and it was just as fabulous as before. The welcome was warm, the service friendly, and the food was magnificent. Nothing to fault. Thanks for making the evening perfect 👌 ❤️ We first came with friends last week in 2023. The menu was simple, but every dish was beautifully done with local ingredients cooked to order. Service was outstanding, attentive without hovering. They even found me reading glasses when I’d left mine at home. We’ll definitely be back. Thanks for a lovely evening 😄

The food has been the main reason I kept coming back once a year for about 15 years, roughly 20 visits in all. I’ve seen the restaurant grow, age and then fade, with different chefs over the years. My latest meal was the least enjoyable one yet, and I don’t think I’ll return unless the food improves, the cream caramel comes back, and dinner is served outside with a few smiles. I was hoping for my usual foie gras, veal with roquefort sauce and cream caramel. The veal fillet was smaller but thicker than I’m used to, and it came undercooked in the middle. My friends found their fish tasteless. The beetroot and zucchini were the only parts they liked, while the potato on all our plates was nothing special. There was also a new brown spread shaped like a leaf, far too sweet and a poor addition to the dishes. Their best dessert is gone. That’s fine, but there were no alternatives suggested, just a comment that the old one was no longer available. The other desserts were cooked or baked fruit, nowhere near a proper dessert. The daughter of the owners, who has been a good new addition over the past few years, seemed to recognize me when I arrived. I said hello, but didn’t get a hello back from her mother or father. That’s usual and okay. Still, there were no proper goodbyes or smiles when we left. The service felt like people doing only what their job descriptions require, with little feeling or personality. Relays du Chasteau restaurant has always had a cold, distant feel, without much customer appreciation or recognition, and the decor seems to have the same character. There’s a great outdoor seating area at the front for ice cream in the afternoon, right under the town’s highlight, the château, but it isn’t used for dining. Instead, you sit inside among white tiles and walls, mirrors, mediocre little artworks, cold lighting and dull table arrangements. They serve the food adequately, but with almost no warmth. If all you want is tasty food, I can still recommend the place. With the right chef, you may get a good plate. A good meal for me also depends on service, atmosphere and how the place makes you feel.

The service was paced just right for our large family and friends group. I dined here recently, and we all thought the food was great.