France Dordogne Valley, Brive-La-Gaillarde

La Table d'Olivier, Brive, Dordogne

La Table d’Olivier – Michelin star restaurant

Nous sommes trop gâtés! We finally arrived at Brive, the last leg of this wonderful and hectic adventure.  Brive is  the biggest commune in the Correze department. The medieval centre is mainly a commercial district with retail shops and various eateries. What better way to start a new chapter by going to a Michelin star restaurant, La Table d’Olivier. A small establishment located in the town centre of Brive, the restaurant cater for 24 covers a night. It’s run by 30 years old chef, Pierre Neveu and his master pastry chef and waitress wife, Fanny. A team of only two dishing out fantastic food in Brive.
On arrival we were greeted with a smile by Fanny and directed to our perfect set table.  Everything was good, from appetisers to desserts with a succession of scents, textures and taste of exquisite foods presented like piece of art on our plates. The quality ingredients with perfect and precise cooking  excites the taste buds. A refined and discrete service in a warm atmosphere. Bravo !

Michelin star restaurant, La Table d’Olivier

wine: Sancerre blanc, Domaine du Carrou, 2012
Bright and intense colour with gold highlights. Elegant and subtle aromas of citrus (pink grapefruit and lemon) but mostly yellow peach . Perfect acidity and refreshing notes of sweet pear, provide a pleasurable palate. Great match and accompaniment to the foie gras and the lamb dishes. Their wine list is quite expensive.

La Table d'Olivier, Brive, Dordogne, michelin star mealLa Table d'Olivier, Brive, Dordogne, michelin star meal

Starter: foie gras de canard, rhubarb, strawberries (mara de bois) and pepper
a delectable and rich foie gras cooked in low temperature and served cold, with strawberry compote and liquor and rhubarb and pepper cream.
Main: a melt in the mouth lamb cooked sousvide,  mini leeks, garlic black, emulsion of rosemary, reduction jus served with the most delicious mash potatoes.

La Table d'Olivier, Brive, Dordogne, michelin star meal

desserts: macaroon, black pepper ice cream – to die for!, rhubarb candy.

La Table d'Olivier, Brive, Dordogne, michelin star meal modern and fresh take to cooking using quality, fresh and local ingredients. Perfect!
prices : gourmet menu at € 39 (starter + main course + dessert to choose à la carte) night; tasting menu € 57 (6-course); lunch menu (weekdays only) 23 € (starter + main course + dessert)
 La Table d’Olivier – booking recommended
3 Rue Saint-Ambroise, 19100 Brive-la-Gaillarde, France
Phone:+33 5 55 18 95 95

Saturday Market in Brive 

Saturday Market in Brive, Dordogne, Correze

Saturday Market in Brive

This market is a social and shopping event happening in the city centre. People come from all over the county to buy fresh ingredients and specialist products.
Apart from fruits and vegetables, poultry, cheeses, these markets offer a wide range of local produce such as mushrooms, liqueurs, foie gras …  Brive la Gaillarde market also offer a wide variety of clothing, shoes, hosiery, haberdashery, leisure, tableware, furniture …

Saturday Market in Brive, Dordogne, Correze

Covered Market in Brive

 
figs stuffed with foie gras – amazing texture and taste and  local seller a service with a smile.
a family business

The region is well known by their walnut plantations and specialist restaurants, museums, local markets, walnut farms, craft merchants, and distillery using the  Périgord walnuts.
In 2002 the region won the Appellation d’Origine (AOC) “Noix du Périgord” for fresh walnuts, dried walnuts and walnut kernels.

Denoix distillery

Located in the centre of Brive, Denoix is a family run business founded in 1839, nowadays is headed by Madame Sylvie Denoix-Vieillefosse.  Their drinks are based on walnuts and other fruits all guaranteed to be free from colouring, preservatives and added flavour. Their recipes and method hasn’t changed since the 19th century, to retain their heritage and  know-how in addition to quality and taste.  Above we tasted their famous Supreme Denoix. They also make the Violet Mustard since 1986.

 the copper cauldrons and the century-old tuns that mature liqueurs mysteriously and silently.

Ferme Auberge Moulin a l’Huile de Noix

This farm house is situated near Martel about 30 minutes from Brive and the building dates from the XV century. They produce the majority of the food they serve in the restaurant. Their menu follow the seasons , home cooking style and it’s fresh.
Asparagus soup with sourdough farm bread and walnuts!
green salad with white asparagus and smoked duck and the farm cookbook

grilled lamb chops with a tasty creme d’ail (creamy garlic sauce), cream, lots of garlic, onion, rosemary, flour, salt & pepper. simple and very enjoyable.

duck confit on a bed of crushed potatoes and a marvellous desert!
dessert: acacia beignet, walnut souffle topped with meringue, walnut cake and chocolate sauce – amazing!!
 
above Madame Marie-Claude Castagne, the owner taking orders.
the aftermath to our meal….
making walnut oil
walnut grove
The farm specialised in foie gras, duck and lamb, walnuts, walnut oil and walnut appetiser
Price: between 18 et 24 € and children : 8 €
Ferme Auberge Moulin a l’Huile de Noix
 Route St Denis, 46600 Martel, France
Phone:+33 5 65 37 40 69
 PS: I got the farm cookbook – beautifully photographed, inspirational and glorious recipes.
That is the end of my Dordogne adventure for now at least. I hope to go back one day it’s such a beautiful and uplifting region of France.
Back in the UK : I made Gateau aux Noix with walnut oil and Denoix liquor with black pepper ice cream – inspired by Madane Marie-Claude Castagne, Madame Sylvie Denoix, and Michelin diner at ‘La Table d’Olivier’ – amazing!

Disclosure: I was a guest of Brive Vallee Dordogne Tourist Board . I received no further remuneration. I retained full editorial control over this and other related posts. all views are my own.



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