Belcastel is a picture postcard village in a small steep valley complete with a small castle - do make time for a wander round. The dining room at Vieux Pont looks directly over the river and the small narrow roller coaster of a stone bridge. On the opposite bank is are the restaurant's rooms that most travellers would need if taking dinner at Vieux Pont. Chef Nicole Fagegaltier-Rouquier is said to be a great follower of Michel Bras with a love for the pays and its produce.

Our lunch warmed up with a cannelloni of scrambled egg, ham and garlic cream. From the 38 € menu we ordered one of each dish for the first three courses, and there's cheese and dessert included as well. Asparagus millefleur used sliced asparagus stems to form the main layers and was complemented by a herb salad and light vanilla oil. Foie gras was wrapped in chicken breast (ballotine) but "seasoned" with bits of coffee beans and hazelnuts - sounds weird but it worked well and didn't seem at all pretentious. Cod rested on a mixture of baby vegetables and tiny shellfish (octopus, mussels) with a saffron bouillon and orange zest as seasoning. Riz d'agneau used Swiss chard and young turnip to counterpoint the sweetness if the sweetbreads to great effect. Dourade was matched with fennel bulb and seeds with the jus enriched with pigs trotter. The other main course was leg of rabbit with a "semoule" galette, ceps and hazelnuts and plenty of rosemary and garlic.

Desserts are taken seriously and you order them from a good selection at the start of one's meal. Warm pineapple pieces and zest of citrus fruits were topped with a soufflé mix and presented in a scooped out half a lemon was light with plenty of interest. Sue had a a fine apple tarte made with oven dried apples and served with quince sorbet. Coffee, again from a menu, and rustic petits fours ended a splendid lunch.

The combination of clean flavours with only two or three components per dish gives a vibrant and clear impression despite the number of courses. The use of alternative "seasonings" and plenty of modest ingredients is admirable and enjoyable. At 38 € the food is outstanding value. By comparison the wine list offers fewer bargains so stick to the excellent "country" wines.

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