La Poule a Velo - Saint-Jean-de-Thurac

Few people have ever set foot in a lock cottage, and even fewer have dined in one, unless of course they are lock keepers! For the last eight years, La Poule a Vélo (the hen on a bicycle , a few miles outside Agen, has offered the opportunity to spend an evening right beside the Canal de Garonne, in idyllic surroundings (apart from the trains which sometimes pass on the other side of the waterway, but I like trains so that's O.K. In the converted lock house, owner and chef Christelle Cousset serves tasty and imaginative meals which utilise local ingredients as do the wines. When I asked whereabouts our wine (Suivi Des Fées, a Cotes de Brulhois came from, the waitress simply pointed across the canal. Christelle has a flair for imaginative flavour combinations: sliced apple, crispy bacon and warm goats' cheese may be an unusual starter, but an extremely palatable one. The main courses are an explosion of flavours, and as for the pavlova with fresh berry fruits...my mouth is watering even now when I think about it. This was the third year in which we paused on our canal boat journey to eat at La Poule, and once again we were not disappointed. Not only was the food a delight, but the young waitress who served it was cheerful, welcoming and efficient. Who could ask for more? At 25 euros, dinner is not especially cheap, but it is good value for the quality. A satisfying meal in a historic building in picturesque and tranquil surroundings: who could ask for more? We'll be back.

We were cruising on the canal, saw the place as we chugged past and it didn't look much. However, we stopped and the wives went back to see and we ended up enjoying a delightful quality lunch on the terrace by the canal. Limited choice but food was of a high quality and plentiful. It was very busy so you need to get there early, certainly for lunch. Highly recommended

A small restaurant by the side of the canal du midi serving good quality bio food. A lovely warm welcome, great staff and a small but interesting menu. I am a vegetarian and was delighted to find a wonderful main course a rare find in France. There are 2 set menus and an a la crate menu too we had a variety of dishes and everyone enjoyed their meal. The setting is lovely and the ethos of this restaurant is excellent.

We scheduled a stop here on the advice of friends as we cycled a length of the canal and arrived on a hot sunny day. This well run bistro is very popular with both cyclists and locals offering a restaurant with a shaded outside terrace and also rustic canal side furniture. we chose to sit canal side which offers great views of the passing barges navigating the lock. The friendly staff suggested we tried a platter of mixed meat and cheese accompanied by a dressed salad and served on a wooden board. We also sampled a delightful local beer. All the meat and cheese was sourced locally and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. We agreed that we must return and try the restaurant soon. Overall a great place to enjoy local food with good service. Highly recommended.

Nous venons de déjeuner dans cette auberge et c'était un très joli moment. L'endroit est vraiment très mignon, l'accueil hyper chaleureux, et la cuisine est mmmmmmhhhh. Si vous êtes dans le coin je vous le recommande vivement !