This is a brief list of places we have visited or heard good things about. They don’t all have their own websites but you can ‘google’ them and get an idea of what is on offer.
NB French restaurants have very limited opening hours and outside of July and August in this area practically all restaurants are closed on Mondays, as well as one other day of the week – or they may open just in the evening on some days. It is always worth checking before setting out.
BEACHSIDE / WATERSIDE EATING
Valras Plage is a nice seaside resort town, quite ‘French’ in feel and we have heard good things about a restaurant called Le Phare
http://www.restaurant-lephare.com/
At Portiragnes Plage there is a great restaurant called Les Voiles which is on the beach.
Cap d’Agde is a modern marina with lots of things going on and I can recommend
Nearby, at Grau d’Agde there is a good beachside restaurant, Les Vagues
We really like Marseillan port (not Plage which is on the beach) which is on the inland lagoon Bassin de Thau – very pretty with lots of excellent restaurants and bars along the quayside.
Also along on the Etang de Thau we love Les Jardins de la Mer at Bouzigues, they don’t have their own website but you can find their details here (the photos do not do it justice)
http://www.tourisme-bassindethau.com/index.asp?ID=383&IDF=40
URBAN EATING
In Pézenas we have just discovered a great new restaurant, L’Endroit, in a shady outdoor setting with a swimming pool. Excellent cooking and service, very popular with locals.
Our other favourite one in Pézenas is Le Pannequet, town centre and with no outdoor space but very pretty.
Nearer to home we like the new Montblanc restaurant, Mahi-Mahi, and also L’Asparagus in the neighbouring village of Valros.
A couple of villages away is Le Bistrot d’Alex in Florensac. Set in the Cave Co-Operative there is a good selection of wine and good cooking.
Béziers has a few restaurants we like, in particular Barba which is renowned for its fish and shellfish. Set along the main road – so no nice views – the interior is beautifully designed as an ocean liner.
Alongside the Canal in Béziers is La Raffinerie
We like the location and the cooking.
Not many tourists visit the centre of Béziers but the cathedral and the old town are worth a visit. And while you are there tyou can visit a great wine bar at one end of the central alleyway, l’AlléePaul Riquet, Le Chameau Ivre
http://www.linternaute.com/restaurant/restaurant/16452/le-chameau-ivre.shtml
and at the other end is this pleasant restaurant, Le Patio,
http://www.restaurant-patio.fr/index.htm
I have just noticed that a couple of our choices here figure on the review page of a locally run website – and I guess their other choices are probably good too so for some more ideas take a look at