3 /5
Note moyenne
★
★
★
Situated in Chaillac's main square, the Gerbe de Blé is a perfectly preserved example of a French provincial restaurant - cheerful, bustling, meeting the requirements of its principal clientele - a mixture of pensioners, members of local clubs, the ouvriers working in the area (who come most days of the working week and probably constitute the largest source of income for the restaurant), and visitors. Fitting everyone in and serving a 4 or 5 course menu within the time available is a major logistical problem, but skilful prioritising is the name of the game, and it is the visitors who are presumed to have time on their hands who are placed last on the list. Allow two hours for your meal.The food is tasty, plentiful, and includes dishes you will probably not have come across before. Menus range from 12.90 euros to 29.50. If you opt for the most expensive you will be offered 5 courses with a choice of 4 dishes in each. Wine is available by the bottle (starting at 23 euros) and also by the jug (much cheaper). There is plenty of choice. The only disappointment was the coffee after the meal, which tasted synthetic.All in all, I enjoyed my meal and the comings and goings in and out of the restaurant. It was a convivial experience. And yes, I did have the time to wait my turn!