Le Bistrot De La France - Port-Vendres

Set beside the harbour we enjoyed a good lunch with a friend we met by chance. The prawns were great and the dorado well cooked and presented. Service was good to start but slipped as the place became busier. Wine by he pichet was good value.

3 for dinner. For drinks we ordered a bottle of house red wine $7.50 Euros and a Malibu rum and coke . For dinner, 1 salad $5.50 euros, 1 pizza $10.50 euros to be shared. They served the pizza which was fine. Then, they brought out a plate that contained onion rings fish and God knows what. We questioned the waiter, who spoke English, and he apologized for the mistake. He then brought out the salad that was ordered. We ate the meal and asked for the check. The waiter handed me a bill for the$44.30 euros which is roughly $60.00 US. They charged 12.50 euros for the salad, 13.80 euros for the malibu and coke which is about $18.00 US. I questioned the waiter and he insisted that the salad cost the same as the dinner plate that wad first served. He insisted that the malibu and cokebdrink was correct because iI had to mix Malibu an Rum to make it. What BS. They refused to correct the bill. So, innterms of US dollars, we got a 12 thin pizza, salad, wine and rum drink for about $60.00. We will not go near this restaurant again and this was our 2nd time there in a week. I do not recommend this place. There are many other restaurants that are honest and have better food.

Although we had been given a personal recommendation for a different restaurant, we walked past Le France and liked the look of it as well as the food being served. We changed our Sunday lunch plans when a charming young waitress offered a table in the semi shade. I opted for the menu at €29.50 which was about the same price as most other similar eateries. The entree I chose was a seafood platter comprised of three oysters, three good sized prawns and three bulots served with aioli and a small salad: all delicious and squeaky fresh. For the main course I had ordered a loup grilled on the plancha: loup is often (perhaps more commonly) also referred to as bar in France and is known as Sea Bass in English. This was simply stunning: beautifully crisp skin, slightly golden around the gills, with the white flesh cooked to perfection. It came with a nice ratatouille style vegetable stack as well as saffron rice. The dessert was a nougat ice cream with bits and pieces but anything would have been superfluous after the fish, such was the quality of the fish and its cooking. My partner had chosen a fillet of Daurade (Sea Bream) in a creamy sauce and pronounced it to taste delicious. I went on about how much I had enjoyed the meal to such an extent that my partner decided she wanted to try the same thing. So, three nights later, back we went. The ordering was dead easy repeat as before. I am prepared to concede that I was a bit apprehensive as I was far from confident that the chef would be able to do the same again. I need not have worried in all respects the meal was just as good as the first time. My partner was delighted that she had made the choice to return and waxed just as lyrical as did I. I eat a lot of fish/seafood and am entirely satisfied that the fish served to me on each occasion was right up with the very best fish I have ever eaten, both for the quality of the fish and the skill of the cooking. We experienced good, friendly service on both occasions from a team of waiters and the one waitress. Wines were good, complemented the food and reasonably priced. I was surprised to see no English language reviews of this restaurant for several years, and then some highly critical older reviews. I went to the French language reviews and a very different picture emerged recent reviews and mainly praiseworthy. Plus, it seems that the restaurant changed hands in January 2020: it certainly is in excellent hands now. I cannot recommend it too highly.

Poor service from our angry waiter as we are English no table water so far and now the food(calamari) arrived.... shop bought straight from the freezer should have eaten somewhere else. Could have been much better avoid if you can. Sorry

Stopped off in this restaurant in passing. very friendly staff who were most helpfully. My wife and I both had the €16.50 formula. the good was well presented with parts that tasted really good however most was OK rather than great. Nothing to complain about but nothing outstanding either.