Cost of Living

I was a bit surprised at a comment my Menu post on e-Gullet received. Something to the effect that what did the relationship between the $ & Pound vis-a-vis the Euro have to do with the price of meals in France.

Thinking about it the commentator was right. It has nothing directly to do with the cost of meals in France.

I didn't make my point clearly. The point was that if you are a tourist from the USA or Britain the exchange rate has made France & its meals far more expensive than last. Or if you live in France, but your income is in dollars or pounds your cost of living has gone up pretty dramatically over the past year. The 100 Euro meal is now $160 instead of $130 for instance. Live here and multiply all of you expenditure by the same factor & it starts to pinch a bit.

Inflation in Euro terms has also accelerated here in France. Not just gas & diesel, but all kinds of things. ( I still haven't figured out why the price difference between petrol & diesel has almost disappeared. Diesel used to be about 20% cheaper; no more.) Fruit & vegetables have really accelerated. Fish is way up & getting scarcer as the fishermen protest by not going out. Lots of other things are up as well.

A while ago we briefly considered moving back to the states. Our Euro valued house would translate into a lot of dollars, but we rejected the idea. Too many negatives & too far from family.

Anyway, if you are coming to France on vacation let me know & I'll send you the write up I did on how to enjoy France yet save money by doing many of the things the locals do.

In the meantime we'll just ride this out until the currencies regain their common sense.

Local Restaurant List

Name	Prices	Food type	Dave
The Glebe	10.5€ for 4 courses, wine included	Local style, good & abundant, better selection than most	Very pleasant 'truck stop' style. You won't go away hungry. Madam is nice.
Ravel	10.5€ for 4 courses, wine included	Similar to the Glebe. Not as much selection.	I like it as well as the Glebe. Also its closer to home.
Auberge de La Castille	9€ set light lunch. Dinner from 23€	Local style, but with some extra unuaual dishes. Serge tries hard & his presentation is good.	Good solid place to eat. Has improved after a bad spell in the past.
La Renaissance	9€ set light lunch. Dinner from 23€	Traditional with some pretensions. Also inexpensive Lunches	Haven't been for a while, but it was Ok last time.
Il Cappello	About 10€ and up	Good range of plats, salads, pizza, pasta * desserts. All well done.	A favorite. Nice ambience, good food & reasonable prices.
Au Rince Cochon	Lunch menu about 14€, Dinner around 23€	Very nice food, good imagination & presentation.	Liked it the one time we've been there. Will definitely go again.
La Corniche	20-30€	Mix of tradition & imagination. Can be uneven, but always pretty good.	Our last visit was great. We had a really nice Sunday lunch. Better than our expectations. Try again for sure
Le Moulin de Varen	25€ +	Traditional local dished done well plus some more imaginative attempts.	New ownership & we haven't been. An unknown.
Les Jardines des Therms	25€ +	Very good cuisine well presented. Patio is the best place to eat.	I liked the food a lot. Dining room a bit cavernous & staff willing, but not expert.
Le Saint-Mamet	Lunch menu about 14€, Dinner around 23€	Nice, imaginative cuisine. Changing menu & a nice dining room	Prefer lunch to dinner here, always good.
Fleur de Lotus	Varies	Range of Far Eastern cuisine. Good, nicely served. Dining room nice.	Its good to have an alternative cuisine.
Eskualduna	Lunch t 14€, Dinner 23€	Grilled beef & fish. Best beef in the area. Great 'salad' bar	Really good beef is scarce, they have it here. Great ambience n
Delice du Portugal	Lunch menu 14€, Dinner 23€	Portuguese specialties. Said to be good, but haven't tried it	Must go, but the steak across the street keeps calling.
La Grange du Cros	12€ Dinner! Including wine	Good simple fare, nice host, nice ambience	Haven't gotten in yet. Very busy. Friends all like it.
L'epicurien	About 35€ for dinner	Very good & well done food. Highest quality in immediate area.	Really good. Food, presentation, service all excellent
Le Vieux Pont	Main Menu is 49€ Can spend more	THE best for miles around. 1 Michelin Star, but deserves more. A great eating experience	Love this place. It has it all & does it without pretension. GO!
Les Gorges de l'Aveyron	About 35€ for dinner	Pretty classic, but well done	Haven't been so am going on reports
Le Clos Gourmand	mid- 20's for dnner	Nice local cusine in a pretty room	enjoyed it the last time we were there.
Chez Danny	Cheap, no more than 20€	Eclectic. Can be very good.	You just have to go & hope.
Ferme du Mas Monille	inexpensive set meals	Farmhouse + barbeque.	I find it fun & food Ok. Linda not so keen.
Auberge de L'Hirondelle	Inexpensive, but very good.	Quality & presentation a cut above most.	Highly recommended. Really excellent value.
Le Claux de la Bastide	15€ weekdy lunch. Set menu at 24€	Excellent. Very, very good.	Only been once, but will go back. Had amazingly good beignets. Not sure if they do dinner.
Le Domaine du Cedre	Lunch € 18	Fairly classic, nice presentation. Simple, but good menu.	Really good. We go here for lunch when playing golf. Always good.
Creperie du Chateau	15€ dinner menu	Crepes; simple local dishes, but very well prepared.	Simple, good, views are great from the terrace.
La Bergerie	27€ for a 5 course dinner menu	Superb! Great food served & presented beautifully. A bargan!	For 33€ you can get appropriate wine with each course. Try it!!
Restaurant de la Valle	12€ for lunch	Quality & quantity very good. Lunch price includes wine & coffee.	A cut above the other cheap lunch places. Very convienent from CDM.
Segalar	12-14 € for lunch.	This is France! Really good, mainly locals, no décor, hard to find. Worth the effort.	Great fun especially for Sunday lunch. People watching is a free extra.
Chez Sara	Cheap, pizza less than 10€	Cheap & cheerful. Good pizza's. Usually a plat de jour.	Great place for kids & dogs. Grown ups will like the relaxed pace.