Where to Stay and Eat in Limousin
The best dining and sleeping options in Limoges, Brive-la-Gaillarde and beyond
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12 of Limousin’s Most Iconic Sites
What to See and Do in Limousin
HOTELS
The comfortable Hôtel Campanile Limoges Centre-Gare is on the northwest side of the Jardin du Champ de Juillet, within walking distance of the railway station, the old town and the Musée national Adrien Dubouché.
Just to the south of Limoges lies the charming village of Solignac. In the centre, near the abbey, is the Hôtel Restaurant Le Saint Eloi Logis & Spa, built in the traditional Limousin materials of stone, oak and chestnut.
Just northwest of Limoges, some 10km into the countryside, the Hôtel Restaurant La Chapelle Saint-Martin is a Relais & Châteaux set in a 40-hectare park.
The road from Limoges to Brive-la-Gaillarde takes you past Uzerche, ‘the pearl of the Limousin’. The Hôtel Joyet de Maubec – and its restaurant, La Treille Muscate – occupies a 16th-century house here.
The cosy Hôtel Le Collonges stands on the edge of Brive-la-Gaillarde’s vieille ville, conveniently near a secure car park. Rugby fans may know the proprietor, Bruno Marty, who played scrum half for the town in the 1990s.
The friendly Inter-Hôtel Tulle Centre overlooks the Corrèze river and the old town from its prime location on the quai de la République.
Hôtel La Chapelle Saint-Martin is in a beautiful country setting near Limoges
GLAMPING
One example at the high end of the camping scale (quite literally) is Le Jardin de Beyssin. Its prime accommodation is the tree house, but there’s also a wooden caravan and, in summer, tepees.
RESTAURANTS
Recognised as one of the best tables in Limoges, the La Cuisine du Cloître takes pride of place at the top of a beautiful square near the cathedral. There’s no menu here: rather, chef Guy Queroix offers the best of what’s in season.
On the square (well, it’s actually a triangle) from which it takes its name, the Hôtel Bistrot Le Marceau has established itself as something of a Limoges institution.
You haven’t been to Limoges if you haven’t had a steak dinner. La Boucherie, next to the Hôtel Campanile, is (as the name suggests) the place to go.
For a cosy stay in Brive-la-Gaillarde’s old town, try Hôtel Le Collonges. Photo: Jon Palmer
For sightseers on the move, Le Bistrot Jourdan is the perfect place to stop after a morning enjoying Limoges’s cathedral quarter. Be warned, it gets very busy at lunchtimes.
To understand the food of Limousin, visit the Halles centrale de Limoges, even if you aren’t buying to cook à la maison. Appetite whetted, stop for lunch (they don’t open for dinner) at Le Bistrot d’Olivier for Limousin cuisine at traditional Limousin prices.
La Table d’Olivier in Brive-la-Gaillarde is more up-market than its namesake in Limoges, but no less authentic. Surprisingly, the chef is actually called Pierre. Also highly recommended here is the L’Atelier du Moûtier, on rue Maillard. The brunch there (11am-3pm) is the best in town.
Tulle’s Restaurant les 7 on the avenue Charles de Gaulle offers a quick lunch menu (including a dedicated children’s menu) and a fancier gastronomic à la carte offer in the evening. It’s not a big place, so book ahead to ensure you get a table. Also recommended in Tulle is the Restaurant Le BO (Bouche à Oreille), which again plays it prosaically at lunchtime and poetically in the evening.
TO BRING HOME
In Brive-la-Gaillarde, do go to La Fromagerie par Bruno, the finest cheese shop in town; and La Chocolaterie Lamy, for the best chocolate in the area. All your non-edible souvenir needs can be satisfied at La Boutique 100% Gaillard.
From France Today magazine
Top chocolatier Éric Lamy runs La Chocolaterie Lamy in Brive-la-Gaillarde. Photo: Malika Turin
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