Grand Hotel Moderne Et Pigeon

I came back to the Templar Rennes Chateau region 21 years later and found plenty had changed. After a four train journey from Paris, I hadn't had the sense to book all the stays I needed. At Pigeon, Fabian found me an amazing room. He's a real French artist of hospitality. I also had one of the best dinners I've ever had, even after spending a week in Paris. The restaurant was packed, but Fabian and his staff made service look effortless, with no late dishes. As a former waiter, I couldn't believe it. The lamb melted off the plate, and there were many other amazing dishes on the dinner menu. If I'm back in the area, I'll definitely stay here again. It's in a fun, romantic town that feels like pure France.

Our room, number 10, was very nice, and the hotel has had some renovation. The restaurant is excellent, though you'll need a reservation. The location is hard to beat, one block from the main square, with a grocery store down the street.

My kids enjoyed their cordon bleu and thought it was incredibly delicious, but I went home hungry and had to eat there. I'd eaten at this restaurant three times before during the year I lived in Limoux, back when it was amazing for vegetarians and vegans. The old staff understood when I said I was vegan but would eat vegetarian, and the menu actually listed vegetarian choices. I'd recommended it to other vegetarians and vegans, but people in that community told me the menu and welcome had changed. I wanted to check for myself, and this time all the vegetarian options were gone. The menu says “vegetal” under mains, but they told me that meant the vegetal served with the steak. They did make vegetarian dishes for me, but the portions were smaller and I still paid full price, while my kids got larger meat portions at a price that made more sense. For the appetizer, they said celery, but it was actually mushrooms, which I can't eat. I hope the next menu brings back vegetarian choices, and that staff won't snarl at customers asking what's in food made up on the spot as a vegetarian option.

The service was lovely and accommodating, even with a couple of vegetarians and pescatarians in our party. I tried the new two course “menu confiance,” where you leave the choices to the chef, with wine pairings. The pairings worked well. The black ham steak was incredible, while the coffee cake afterward was fine. It's a hotel with a restaurant serving French cuisine.