Restaurant:Domaine de Nidoleres, le Boulou

[Kate]

Was chatting with the lovely lady who runs this very typical Catalan restaurant this morning http://www.domainedenidoleres.com/auberge.php

Havent been there but I have heard that if you want really good Catalan traditional food, it's excellent. Not cheap, but not silly over-the-top either and the auberge itself is as authenic as it gets to look at, amidst the vines off the main Perps - Le Boulou road.

Anyone tried it?

[blackduff]

I went there somewhere 1994/1995. This was open but there was only six tables. We were the last customers that Sunday.

The starters were typical Catalan items (toast with scrubbed tomato, anchovies, sausages, etc.). For main courses, there was a couple of choices but it depends on what was left on the menu. I remember having some duck which was with figs. This was made with honey and Banyuls. Miammm! My wife had some chicken fixed with gambas.

There was a white wine for the starters, a nice red during the meal, and of course, you got to have some marc (sp?) which was made from the grape seeds. This was all included in the price. Overall, the price wasn't too expensive but this is a few years back.

I mentioned this restaurant to a British Estate Agent and he started to send all of his customers there. Of course the owners started to expand the restaurant. First they expanded upstairs. Then there was a nice patio next to the wines.

I haven't been there in donkey years but maybe soon I'll have a nice Sunday meal. It had good memories of the meals.

Blackduff

[Allan]

There was mention of this restaurant a few years ago

http://forum.anglophone-direct.com/ftop ... asc-15.php

We tried it then and to be honest weren't impressed.

The setting was a bit dull and the food very ordinary - it looked like they catered for groups of tourists.

I love vineyard restaurants but haven't felt the urge to return.

Perhaps we caught them on a bad day so I would be interested in an update from someone else.

[Kate]

That's the problem isn't it? Distinguishing between a bad cooking day, a bad choice of dish... or a mediocre or poor restaurant. I suppose you need to go several times before you can be sure - although sometimes you can tell from the minute you walk in

The owner, Martine, certainly seems very enthusiastic about her cooking. She talked of her boles de Picolat which are only made with the best meat, and her snail speciality, the little ones, which are stuffed with tomato, ham, garlic and onion, or side of lamb with 'sucre d'anchois'....

Sometimes though, these things can sound nicer than they taste!

Must admit though, I thought the setting was lovely. Shady auberge terrace with view over the vines and Albères. Didn't go inside though - looked quite 'rustique' from the outside.

Apparently, this is the only way that the wine domaine is able to survive. She was telling me that without the restaurant, Nidloeres, which has been in their family for 10 generations, wouldnt pay their living, so she is there seven days a week, just trying to make ends meet. Funny to have all that land, loads of wine, but to be a slave to it all.

[Santiago]

I've been meaning to call in there for a few years.

I'm very surprised they say they need the restaurant to make the domaine survive. Most wineries I know say that they can't figure out how to a make an on-site restaurant pay for itself. That's why so few wineries have restaurants here.

I don't think many people would give a restaurant several goes if they were disappointed the first time.

[Kate]

Yes, I agree Jon. I wouldn't go back to a place that I wasn't happy with but what I meant was in an ideal world we should go back and give places a chance, as we all have bad days! (tho a good resto shouldnt, I admit)

No, she didn't say that the auberge was paying for itself - they also have gites and between those and the auberge, they supplement the winery but she said if is difficult.

I'm a sucker for a hard luck story so I might be exaggerating all this out of proportion - nice lady though.

[blackduff]

After talking with my wife, this was during 1993 when we went there the first time. My house was finished but I was still living in Cadiz. Most of the time we were shopping for restaurants at that time and this one was open.

I did publish this to many people about this restaurant. I was happy with the food and the price was good. Now, looking at the site and their menu, it's a bit more expensive. Some traces of the food on the menu was similar to 1993 meals. The toast with scrubbed tomato has now included with some jamon, which is a big improvement.

Would I return soon? Yes!

Blackduff