Wendy and I love eating out and since having our boys we have a goal of taking them to a Michelin starred restaurant preferably before they reach adulthood (and for them to enjoy it !) To reach this goal takes time and training, at 9 and 6 they still arn’t quite ready – the only reason being we don’t think they would quite appreciate the food just yet; still we arn’t far off.
We spent an absolutely wonderful evening at La Goule Beneze last summer with our two boys, Benjamin then 8 and Thomas then just 5 years old. It was our 18th wedding anniversary and we couldn’t think of anything more lovely than having a very grown up meal with our two beautiful boys. They enjoyed ‘dressing up’ in their ‘party shirts’ and Daddys aftershave and Cathy and Dominique, owners of La Goule Beneze hotel and restaurant welcomed us as always with their warm smiles. The boys were on their best behaviour and were full of grown up conversation, it was a wonderful reward for the years of ‘training’ and occasional embarrassing meltdowns we have had in getting our boys to enjoy and appreciate as much as we do, eating out in great restaurants.
La Goule Beneze is a small family owned restaurant and hotel on the edge of St Jean d’Angely, so just a 10 minute drive from our child friendly gites . Being an hotel it is obliged to offer a childrens menu yet the owners have excelled themselves and offer a superb ‘grown up’ menu of paté or crudites to start followed by fresh fish in a delicious sauce or homemade meat patty and tiny vegetables turned to perfection all in child sized portions followed of course by a delicious dessert and all at an excellent price (7€50).
The adult menu is delicious too. There are a variety of different set price ‘menus’ to choose from starting at 16€50 and rising to 36€50 and the a la carte too but as always in French restaurants the ‘menus’ offer the best value. We have eaten at this restaurant many times and both the service and food have never been less than exceptional and their pear profiteroles in butterscotch sauce is to die for !
The restaurant is small and intimate; crisp white linen table clothes, crystal glasses and soft music may not be everyones idea of a child friendly restaurant but I can guarantee Cathy and Dominique will welcome you and your children with a warm friendly smile which makes it one of our personal favourites for a ‘grown up’ meal both with and without our boys.
By Chris Blakeman (originally published March 2012)
By Chris Blakeman
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