DIX RESTAURANT - Sainte Alvere, Dordogne, France

Two years ago Raphael and Gemma left Paris to start their new 'restaurant with rooms' project in the Dordogne. After almost a year of work on the building they finally opened in early 2019 and I recently spent an entertaining morning with them discussing progress so far followed by the main event: tasting some of Raphael's creative cooking. A separate video will follow on my blog that hopefully does justice to his culinary skills!

Dix is a very different restaurant concept from what you would normally expect to find in the Dordogne or indeed anywhere in rural France. The kitchen is open so it feels as if you are in their home - which indeed you are. The cooking is light, gifted and fun if that sounds like a song but Raphael will make your tastebuds sing as we found out with a sublime dish of glazed salmon accompanied by an apple and beetroot sauce, lemon gel and a scattering of diced peanuts. This was followed by a magnificent vegetarian ravioli that will convince even the hardest core carnivorians!

If your travels take you to the Dordogne then you must put Dix on your list of places to eat and stay as they have three delighful rooms to choose from so discover the delights of Ste Alvere during the day in order to work up an appetite for dinner in the knowledge that you will only have to walk upstairs at the end of a memorable dining experience!