Food!
There is an abundance of
good,
very reasonably priced restaurants throughout the area
; although all types of cuisine can be found, the majority serve menus
based on the regional specialities, duck, foie gras ,
cassoulet and truffles ( not the chocolate variety!), there is usually a
children's menu, and vegetarians are well catered for.
There are two excellent restaurants within 2 - 3 minutes drive where a "menu"
can be obtained from €10
to €16 i.e. about £7 to £12.
For those more venturesome souls then within 15- 20 minutes drive virtually any
standard of cuisine can be obtained from the €
8 "plate de jour" up to the € 50
gourmet menu. At nearby Les Eyzies there are two Michelin starred restaurants
which are quite outstanding.
French markets are an experience, and the one at St Cyprien on Sunday mornings
is no exception, full of atmosphere as the locals meet and gossip, or take
coffee and aperitifs at the several open air cafe/bars. A full range of mainly
local produce is available, and a full meal can be assembled from the many
stalls offering ready to eat food, how about a starter of fresh Atlantic
oysters, or perhaps a selection of saucisse or charcuterie or foie gras;
main course from the rotisserie, local chicken (or duck or quail or pork),
followed with local (or Dutch ) cheeses, goat, sheep and cows cheese in
abundance, and finish with one of the many desserts on offer, walnut or prune
tart, various gateaux, or as a really special treat one of the choice cakes from
Luccos', master pattissiére (and usually sold out by 11.am).
There is a market on every day of the week within a twenty minute drive where
fresh local produce can be bought, there are two good supermarkets in St
Cyprien, and butchers and bakers etc. There are large supermarkets at Sarlat,
and a very big Leclerc Hypermarche at Perigueux where virtually any fish or meat
can be obtained to suit the most demanding recipes for those who prefer to cater
for themselves!
Shops
Most every day items can be obtained in St Cyprien, there are Chemists (pharmacy), Hairdressers, Banks, Boulangeries, several Bars, Cafes, Pizzerias, etc; garages covering the major marques ( French!), and as always, a shop selling sun tan cream , sun glasses and ice cream! There are two good quality wine shops (caves), and two very good patissiéries, one of which also sells home made ice cream, (the afore mentioned Luccos'), and also a particularly fine producer of foie gras and other delicacies who have a shop on the premises.
This page updated 29/01/08