Auberge de la Vallee - Miélan

For me, the attractions of these menu-du-jour places down in la France Profonde is the big soup starter, the sociable bustle and, overall, a very big lunch - by no means haute cuisine but real food - cheaper than you could buy the ingredients and make it at home. But at this one, the price is that little bit higher, it offered no soup (it began straightaway with the normal follow-up, a small charcuterie salad) and though there was a choice of main course and my rabbit & chips was generous, they charged extra for the wine (traditionally included on these menus du jour). The result was that on the lunchtime I went, there were only five other customers. The large room, meanwhile, looks to have been recently redecorated, giving it a clean but pointless pallor; there's the alternative of a courtyard seating area, facing an unappealing yard. Inside or out, don't come here for atmosphere. To be honest, why come at all?

For me, the attractions of these menu-du-jour places down in la France Profonde is the big soup starter, the sociable bustle and, overall, a very big lunch by no means haute cuisine but real food cheaper than you could buy the ingredients and...make it at home. But at this one, the price is that little bit higher, it offered no soup (it began straightaway with the normal follow-up, a small charcuterie salad) and though there was a choice of main course and my rabbit chips was generous, they charged extra for the wine (traditionally included on these menus du jour). The result was that on the lunchtime I went, there were only five other customers. The large room, meanwhile, looks to have been recently redecorated, giving it a clean but pointless pallor; there's the alternative of a courtyard seating area, facing an unappealing yard. Inside or out, don't come here for atmosphere. To be honest, why come at all?