Restaurant chez Germaine

Our tour bus somehow arrived in St Emillion later than expected, so we were told that we have barely half an hour to eat before the Monolith church tour. Forget about my carefully researched and bookmarked choices... we need something quick right there at the square.

Thankfully we didn't have to resort to the golden M, even if there were one. We spotted this restaurant and walked in. I explained that we really didn't have a lot of time, cringing as I remember all the horror stories of snobby French waiters... Not this one. Or maybe snobby waiters only exist in Paris. Our friendly waiter swiftly handed us the menu and within 5 minutes our orders arrived.

It was early into our trip, so I didn't realize it, but the beef tartare I tasted that day was to be the best for my whole trip. Tender, hand chopped, seasoned but not overpowered, totally delicious. The mushroom omelette was again, simply the best I've had in my life. I've never tasted mushrooms bursting with so much flavor and fragrance, in egg so tender and rich, it totally raised my bar, and set me onto a futile quest thus far to relive the flavor again.

The awesome service and amazing food turned this quick lunch bite into one of my favorite meals during the trip!

This is a fine place to have lunch while visiting Saint Émilion. It is right in the middle of the upper courtyard, so there is a great view. They offer wraps, burgers, salads, and other more-tourist friendly foods. Pricing was reasonable, service was nice and the food was OK. To be honest, my favorite part of the visit was probably the misting fans. It was hot and they were a wonderful addition to the umbrellas that only cut the heat a little.

Good food and reasonably priced considering it's location. Beautiful views of the Eglise Monolithique. Very busy at lunchtime and had to wait about 30 mins for a table but passed time in La Grande Cave winery next door! Good cassoulet.

A quick lunch break while on tour in this beautiful historic city, we chose this very busy place for lunch. We were tired and very hungry and this place filled the bill. We enjoyed the Moules Frites and the Charcuterie platter. Everything was promptly served and our lunch choices were very good. For tourists on the go, Chez Germaine was a good fit for our group. The views from the plaza are outstanding.