Skip to main content
SeeProvence

Le Belcour Restaurant Review

A small restaurant with contemporary

featured in Restaurant reviews Author Robin Deering, Provence Editor Updated

Just behind the busy bustle of the cathedral square is the Belcour, true to it's name this little restaurant is situated on a private alley with its own belle court out front. Perfect for a hot day in Nimes visiting the big sights.

Peeking inside, the contemporary interior with large windows looking out onto the pretty archways would suit autumnal evenings of winter lunchtimes.

Sitting down to one of the last few remaining tables, the waitress presented the menu along with the suggestions du moment. It didn't take me long to to opt for the lunch special, it sounded tasty, simple and seasonal.

The mains was a well presented and genourous serving of roast pork with provencal vegetables. The tender roast pork came with a sweet honey gravy, topped with a chunk of crunchy, not chewy, crackling. Accompanied by some oven baked herb topped provencal tomatoes (unfortunately not as sweet as they could have been, but local producers have complained of a poor season).

More accompangments came in the form of a garlicky baked courgette mousse, the delicate flavour was accentuated with the crisp bronzed top and the airy middle. Finally there was the potato gratin, which really showed off the chefs skills as the potato was so finely grated it transformed the flavour, aspect and completely.

I enjoy saving my favourite flavour for my last mouthful, but here this was a tricky decision; the courgette mousse, the finely grated gratin or the crackling. I settled with a bite size chunk of crackling. 

I was further impressed when the dessert was served, a café gourmand (except being British I opted for a cup of tea). The French have invented a clever dessert combination in my mind, often three bite size sugar hits with an espresso to finish.
In this instance the loose leaf tea came served with four individual homemade desserts.
A Provencal Calisson flavoured ice cream, Calisson is an almond sweet speciality from Aix en Provence, a chantilly topped chocolate and pistachio panna cotta, a hazelnut brownie and a coconut butter baked biscuit.

This wasn't my first café/tea gourmand, but it was certainly the best I've had to date - on par with some of Britains best afternoon teas.

Le Belcour, come here to savour some home cooked flavours that you wouldn't achieve at home..great food & great value.

 

Location

Map of the surrounding area