A Daytrip to Cognac and 'La Belle Époque'

I have always loved Cognac (the town that is... well I'm also quite partial to the spirit!) so on awaking Saturday morning to what promised to be a crisp autumnal day and being lucky enough to live only a 20 minutes drive away we decided to treat ourselves and go there for lunch.  

Cognac is a place we never seem to tire of and although we visit the town often there always seems to be something to do or something going on.  There are numerous Cognac houses to visit with guided tours, the centre of town is full of independant boutiques and restaurants and over the summer months there is a busy calender of  festivals and events including, of course, the famous Cognac Blues Passions festival.   

Being foodies we like to try different restaurants so after a little discussion we settled on a place that we hadn't been to for a few years - the iconic Brasserie du Coq d'Or in the Place François 1er.  

I particularly wanted to go there because of the stunning Art Nouveau interior that is so reminiscent of restaurants in another of my all time favourite destinations, Paris.

  

Spike took a little persuading at first due to the fact that our last visit there was not particularly enjoyable - the food was average at best, the staff were not very friendly and the murky looking seafood tank near the entrance was enough to make you want to turn on your heels and walk straight out. 

People often comment on how lucky I am to be married to a chef and it does of course come with its obvious advantages but finding a restaurant to meet his exacting standards or for that matter friends brave enough to invite him for dinner without getting themselves into a pickle can be quite a challenge.

However, regarding the fortunes of the Coq d'Or I was aware that it had recently changed hands and been given a much needed face-lift so being a sucker for an authentic French brasserie I was keen to give it a second chance. 

As we arrived at the entrance we paused for a moment before gingerly stepping through the door and found that our fears were unfounded as a member of staff greeted us warmly and showed us to a romantic little table for two in an intimate corner.  

The interior, as promised, had been tidied up without losing any of its wonderful belle époque authenticity and the seafood bar had been relocated and was now clean and modern (the dirty old tank with the embarrassed looking lobster hiding under a bit of weed was thankfully no more!)  

As I contentedly sipped my aperatif I also quietly drank in the atmosphere of the place and imagined that I had somehow been magically transported to Paris for the day (oh, heaven... sigh!).

The traditional lighting was soft and intimate and reflected beautifully in the smoked glass Art Nouveau mirrors that encircled the room (the flattering kind that don't give you a shock when you catch your own reflection in them!)  

The restaurant was furnished with traditional style bistro tables and chairs and the banquettes had been re-upholstered with deep prune velvet (trés trés chic). 

Even a little trip to poudre le nez reminded me of Paris with brick effect metro tiles covering the walls and a traditional lit sign above the stairs conveniently pointing the way. 

In my enthusiasm for Art Nouveau interiors I did actually take some photos of les toilettes but decided to spare you!  

All that was left to do now was to wait in trepidation for the all important food to arrive. 

We had both chosen fish dishes (Spike the sea bream and myself the sturgeon) which were brought to our table with a smile. 

The fish dishes were not only beautifully presented but were also cooked to perfection (phew... so far so good!).  

After a brief pause the desserts that followed were also little works of art and I must confess that my pain perdu was indeed lost... in a matter of seconds!    

I feel very lucky to live so close to such a famous and elegant town and for anyone who visits Cognac and is a lover of vintage interiors and classic French food I can now heartily recommend the dear old Coq d'Or as it has truly, like a phoenix, risen from the ashes.