Another nail in the urban coffin.

Regular visitors to this page will know that I had a favourite nearby restaurant, that I've been visiting for 50 years; albeit under several different ownerships.

Last year it was run by the lovely Natalie, and we would visit regularly for their totally superb 'Steak and Chips'; the steaks were always wonderfully generous and tender.

Now, sadly, the Hotel/Restaurant is under new ownership, and we hear that Natalie is heading for one of the French Caribbean islands (Reunion I think).

We went on Thursday evening, and I was very interested to see how it would compare to Natalie's tenure (see new menu above).

Oh dear, oh dear. I chose the Magret, and Lady M the Confit, accompanied by (as it states on the menu) chips, rice, or green beans. You can't really go wrong with magret and confit, but where were the chips?

No chips or salad, instead of which we were both offered a small spoonful of mixed insipid boiled vegetables that had no doubt been re-heated in a hot water bath. The whole effect was abysmal. The bottle of local 'Bergerac' was probably the best bit.

They had even changed the name of the hotel. Previously it was always known as the Hotel du Commerce, but now it's the Eden Auberge. And the restaurant itself has become Aux Multiples Saveurs; how pompous is that!

This is not good news. Our small nearby town goes from bad to worse, and I'm afraid that the dumbing-down of the restaurant is almost a final nail in the coffin. We shall certainly NOT be going again. What were they thinking; if anything they should have tried to improve.

We have one more new nearby restaurant to inspect. It's further away, and I'm hoping that the standards will be higher than the AMS. Otherwise, that's it. In future we shall eat at home; a good steak is less than half the price if I prepare it myself.