A Provencal Lunch at Le Girocèdre Restaurant in Puymeras

Puyméras is a small village on a hill a few km northeast of Vaison-la-Romaine at the northern tip of the Vaucluse near the border of the Department of the Drome. 

When you approach Puyméras coming from Vaison-la-Romaine, the village is visible on the hill surrounded by homes, vineyards and lavender fields. 

There are quite a few good restaurants near Sablet. We come to Puyméras to dine at Le Girocèdre Restaurant because they serve very traditional, in our opinion, Provençal food and there are always good fish and vegetarian options for Shirley. 

We usually find parking across the street from the village fountain and lavoir and if not there, a little further down the hill in a small grassy lot reserved for clients of the restaurant. 

We walk a short distance up the hill as if we were heading to Saint-Michel et Saint-Barthélemy Church, to reach the entrance to Le Girocèdre Restaurant. 

Le Girocèdre Restaurant is owned by the Trappo family. Father Roger, originally from Marseille, arrived in Puyméras in 1977. The name Girocèdre is a combination of 3 first names; his wife Gisèle, born about 9 km away as the crow flies in Veaux, Roger and their son Cédric, who is a native of the area. 

Diners are seated outdoors except during inclement weather or when temperatures drop before the restaurant closes for the winter break.

We were seated at a well-spaced table under a very large Tilleul tree. The daily menu is presented on blackboards. On weekends, the menu is a-la-carte.

For entrée (starter), Shirley chose a goat cheese and raw vegetables and salad plate. 

I chose one of my favorites entrées at Le Girocèdre Restaurant, a small cocotte of ravioles with a Morel mushroom sauce. Delicious!

For plat (main course) we both chose Cabillaud with seafood reduction served in a small pot with quinoa, tomato Provencal, roasted baby aubergine and ratatouille. 

For dessert, despite some fancier dessert offerings such as apricot clafoutis, we both chose a couple scoops of ice cream. 

We were so happy to see that nothing has changed during our long absence from Sablet due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Le Girocèdre Restaurant is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. 

We recommend that you make reservations. At the present time, the restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesday for lunch. 

Le Girocèdre Restaurant 

Rue Portolet 

84110 Puyméras 

Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 46 50 67

web: https://www.legirocedre.fr

Traditional Provencal Meal at Le Girocèdre in Puyméras

Puyméras is located just a few km northeast of Vaison-la-Romaine, so it is convenient for lunch after the Tuesday morning market and from our house in Sablet. Puyméras is a pretty, small village, at the northern tip of the Vaucluse near the border of the Department of the Drôme.

When you approach Puyméras coming from Vaison-la-Romaine, the village is visible on a rocky outcrop surrounded by beautiful countryside dotted with homes, vineyards and lavender fields. The appearance of a few olive trees and fruit trees among the vineyards is what remains of what used to be a diversified farming area which suffered a devastating frost in 1956 so mostly vineyards remain.

Puyméras

As I said, the village is small, the last census in 2017 showed there are 624 residents who live in the village. They are called Puymérassiennes (ladies of Puyméras) and Puymérassiens (men of Puyméras). The area has been settled since the end of the Upper Palaeolithic Era (Old Stone Age), more than 10,000 years ago.

The vineyards of the Puyméras appellation hop back and forth between Drôme and Vaucluse, the Puyméras wine-growing area extends over five different communes: Faucon, Puyméras itself, Saint Romain, Mérindol-les-Oliviers and Mollans-sur-Ouvèze.

There are 136 hectares (336 acres) planted with vines in the Côtes du Rhône Villages Puyméras AOC, they are 100% red. Granted Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC status in 1979, the vineyards were accorded full Côtes du Rhône Villages Puyméras appellation in 2005.

Saint-Michel et Saint-Barthélemy Church

There are quite a few very good restaurants near Sablet that we like a lot. We come to Puyméras to dine at Le Girocèdre, because they serve very traditional, in our opinion, Provençal food and there are always good vegetarian options for Shirley.

We usually find parking across the street from the village fountain and lavoir.

Shirley in the center of Puyméras

We walk a short distance up the hill as if we were heading up to Saint-Michel et Saint-Barthélemy Church, to reach the entrance to Le Girocèdre Restaurant.

Entrance to Le Girocèdre

Le Girocèdre restaurant is owned by the Trappo family. Father Roger, originally from Marseille, arrived in Puyméras in 1977. The name Girocèdre is a combination of 3 first names; his wife Gisèle, born about 9 kms away as the crow flies in Veaux, Roger and their son Cédric, who is a native of the area.

Le Girocèdre Terrace

A few weeks ago, we went to Le Girocèdre with friends Steve and Mary and Windsor neighbor Taylor. The restaurant is always busy, so reservations are recommended.

Tables on the terrace are situated under shady trees and umbrellas between bushes that break up the dining area.

Shirley and Taylor at Le Girocèdre

We were seated and took up the task of selecting a nice bottle of wine to accompany our lunch. Although, with the heat, rosé wine might have been a better choice, we are all lovers of red wine so we chose a bottle of 2016 Domaine Alary Cairanne, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan.

2016 Domaine Alary Cairanne

Le Girocèdre offers a 3-course menu for 29 Euros (currently $32.00). You can see our choices in the photographs that follow.

Salad with Bruschetta of Zucchini, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Perorino Pepato, Lonzo, and Pistou

Leg of Lamb with Ratatouille and Spelt topped with Chevre

Grilled Tuna with Ratatouille and Spelt

Apricot Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream

Caramel Ice Cream with Biscotti

Molten Chocolate Cake with Pistachio Ice Cream

The restaurant is usually open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday through Sunday, from around the middle of March. As I said previously, reservations are recommended. I also recommend you call to check on whether they are open after the 1st of October, because we have found they close for several months during the off season.

Le Girocèdre
4 montée du Portalet
84110 Puyméras
Tél: +33 (0)4 90 46 50 67

Le Girocèdre Restaurant, Puyméras

As I told you in my last post, the reason we went to Puyméras in the first place was because after multiple attempts, we finally were able to secure reservations for lunch at Le Girocèdre Restaurant.

We found Le Girocèdre Restaurant after a short walk up the hill from where we parked near the fountain and wash house.



After walking through the red iron gate, we entered into the beautiful tended garden of this restaurant in the heart of Puyméras.



The restaurant's exterior wall is covered with ivy.



The garden is planted with trees and ornamental and vegetable plants. There are many nice touches such as this pretty wrought iron bench.



There are tomatoes in the garden



and herbs for the kitchen.



The restaurant has an "open kitchen" where chef Sébastien can keep his eye on what is going on in the "dining room" under the trees.



It was a beautiful sunny day and we were shown to a table shaded by the many trees in the beautiful garden.



We were not seated very long before a server brought bread and a dish of olives for us to nibble on while we looked over the menu.

We decided that a glass of nicely chilled rosé wine would be the perfect accompaniment to our lunch in this beautiful setting.



For her lunch, Shirley chose a combination platter consisting of melon, a yummy eggplant flan with fresh tomato sauce, rice, sliced tomatoes from the garden and a green salad. She loved her lunch.



For my first course, I chose the eggplant flan with tomato sauce accompanied by green salad.



For my plat - main course, I decided on the sauteed veal served with rice and purple carrots.



For dessert, Shirley finished with the chocolate mousse.



I chose the café gourmand which consisted of chocolate mousse, panna cotta, cookies and espresso.



When asked what I love most about Provence, I generally answer leisurely lunches on sunny days seated at a table shaded by trees. Le Girocèdre Restaurant is my idea of the quintessential place to have lunch in Provence.

If you go, you should know this is not Michelin star food and thankfully so as far as I am concerned. It is delicious, simply prepared from very fresh, local ingredients.

We will return many times I am sure.