Baudon de Mauny
Languedoc-roussillon, France[view map]
Local restaurants
Aficionados of art, meat, and/or wine should head to Le Comptoir de l’Arc (+33 (0)4 67 60 30 79) on rue Hôtel de Ville. The bar-brasserie also plays host to a monthly art exhibition, although its French/international menu (which includes an exquisite steak tartare au pesto) is already creative enough. Close to the Fabre museum on Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, Insense (+39 (0)4 67 58 97 78) is famed for its foie gras crème brulée. Make sure you book in plenty of time if you want to go gastro at La Maison de la Lozére (+39 (0)4 67 66 46 36) on rue Aigullierie – it’s one of the finest restaurants in town, and accordingly popular.
Worth getting out of bed for
The Musée Fabre (+33 (0)4 67 14 83 00) on Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle is home to a hugely prestigious art collection of more than 400 years worth of masterpieces. It’s closed on Mondays. Head underground at the Grotte de Clamouse (+33 (0)4 67 57 71 05), a Unesco heritage site and one of France’s most impressive caves and underground river systems.
Diary
August Strike out for the nearby fishing port of Sète, home to Paul Valery, and witness the implausible but impressive Languedoc sport of water-jousting during the Fêtes de la St Louis.