Le Tire Bouchon - Montpellier

We live near Montpellier for over 12 years and know the city centre well, especially this pretty square which is sunny and relaxed with bars and bistros.Sadly, we experienced our worst ever lunch we have ever had last week in this lovely town, at this restaurant.The entree was a terrine which was not cooked and the sauce was really disgusting, followed by a 'croustian d'agneau' probably de frosted,with a salad (roughly chopped tomato, salad leaves).The waitress was pleasant but when the second 'plat' was over half an hour late we were ready to leave ! This was not mid summer when the town is full of tourists, but a mid week sunny day - no excuse for delays - may be a bad day for the chef? but we doubt it . We should have gone to our favorites restaurant La Coquille further up Rue Foch!

I was in Montpellier, together with a couple of French friends that live in Uzès, to see the Bazille exhibition at Musèe Febre. As it was nearing lunch time we decided to eat first. It was a lovely sunny Sunday so we walked up Rue de la Loge, the main shopping street, to Place Jean Jaurès where there are several cafes and restaurants, the majority with outdoor seating on the square.Le Tre Bouchon was the busiest and the food being served looked very appetizing. The friendly waiter showed us to a table in the sun, which we had requested. It being mid-October, it was warmer sitting in the sun we wanted to enjoy it before the onset of winter.We were tempted by the lunch menu, with a choice of two courses for € 22 or three for € 27 with many options but decided that we really only wanted a main dish. The selection of fish was somewhat limited and we all decided to have the fillet of sea bream – “Dorade” together with a bottle of dry white wine that the waiter recommended. The fish was perfectly cooked and served with a delicious sauce. After that all we wanted was a nice cup of espresso. The bill came to € 80, which for the quality of the food and wine, was reasonable.

After 3 weeks in France, we had one day to spend in Montpellier. We wandered around the city and came across this lovely terrasse, sandwiched among 2 other restaurants. We figured that the place was busy so that's usually a good sign. My wife and I both speak French (Québécois accents, but fluent) so the language was not the issue. However, in all my time in France (even Paris) I had never felt like I was treated any less because of being a tourist...until now. I am not going to complain about the length of time to be served, the place was busy, but when other tables around us, who arrive well after us, are being served long before us, it makes me question. Letting that slide, we finally get our entrées - no problem there, quite tasty. Then we both ordered the roast beef since the roast pork special was already sold out. Problems:1) the roast beef was cold2) the diced veggies were less than a teaspoon full on my plate and only 4 (we counted) tiny cubes on my wife's plate - why even bother2) the fries were undercooked 3) others around us had the same meals and their plates were beautifully presented. They had copious diced vegetables and their fries were delivered in little baskets and they certainly looked better cooked than ours. Bottom line, the food was less than spectacular and we felt very much like 2nd or 3rd class guests. With the plethora of other fine eating establishments around, spend your money and time elsewhere.

We eat here nearly every time we visit Montpellier and have never had a bad meal. The restaurant is in Place Jean Jaures which is a nice open space with trees in a pedestrianised area of the town. It has many restaurants and shops and a great place to people watch! This time we both chose to eat a salad. One was with prawns and smoked salmon and the other with duck breast and warm goats cheese on olive bread. Both were delicious with very fresh salad leaves. We had a carafe of rosé. The staff are always helpful. It is a very busy and enjoyable place to eat.

Visited for lunch on a hot day after failing to get served in a nearby café. My wife and I were pressed for time as our car parking time was running out. We were seated on the terrasse and both ordered the plat de jour (which was le plat de marché as it was market day by the aqueduct). The dish was supreme de pintade with chevre and aubergine). The meal was superb and great value and was served by a charming lady. The goat cheese was like a foam and the aubergine was cooked in three different ways - one of which was a deep fried slice. We had bread and tap water and we both enjoyed our choice.