BioEthik Cadillac, France

Well the plan worked. We set off at 08:35 au velo. To be honest, the hotel’s breakfast didn’t detain us. Coffee, yogurt and puréed apple, bread and the smallest pain au chocolat in the world. Still, we were ready and after a hesitant finding our way out, we were well on the road. A challenging route today with one too many climbs for an old codger on quite a heavy bike. We stayed in a terrible hotel for two nights – thanks Cycling for Softies – you really let us down. The hotel restaurant was just like something from Fawlty Towers [if any of you are old enough to remember that amazing, classic…enough! Ed]. Poor menu, no wines. What was really upsetting was that [1] it was the only hotel we were in for 2 nights – goodness knows why, and [2] as the hotel restaurant was hopeless there was really no other choice. The swimming pool a dry concrete, weed-strewn hole in the dusty ground – a classic. Everywhere else we had been had restaurants booked and we assumed, naively, that there would be loads of choice. There was one restaurant [Aga – Michelin Star] but, guess what? It was fully booked weeks in advance. If only they’d told us…

We spent our wet days either exploring the old chateau, which had spent some time as a prison and cycling to Sauternes. No there’s nothing there – just a small village with a café and a few [very expensive] wineries.

So we did find two places we enjoyed [the only two places in Cadillac…]:

La Cave – a very simple, busy, friendly wine bar and deli – good food and excellent wine, to drink and to buy. We had a great lunch, welcome pre-dinner drinks and nibbles in absolutely pouring rain – biblical!

Le Restaurant BioEthic – a new venture by a very enthusiastic wine grower and general entrepreneur. Converted from an old garage [we’re guessing] it was very new. Simple food – charred asparagus and bread, Coq au Vin [plenty] and his own wines.

Restaurant BioEthik Cadillac