Hotel Restaurant du Pont Abense

"This review is ONLY about the restaurant, where we had a lovely lunch in the garden. We tried one set menu and a la carte each, plus a bottle of local white wine. The food (French) and wine (Basque) were both quite nice. The garden setting is lovely; the service is quite slow, but this is because there are only two waiters to cover all the tables inside and outside, so best to set expectations. (Just one thing: a group of 3 came about 15min after us and sat down. There were two tables (ours was one) that hadn't been served at all yet, and the matron knew this group and so asked the waitress to skip us and serve them first. Not very professional, I think.)"

"Extremely enjoyable, very nice friendly owners and staff. 9.0 Overall, the hotel was exceptional, the location superb, the sense of being within a Souletin agricultural village made for a very peaceful stay (I've been recovering from a serious health issue)...one day there, about 200 sheep passed the door (I mean in the road outside....not past the bedroom door!) We had our meal time table orders taken by a delightful young waitress...in her "electric dancing boots" (hope she doesn't mind my comment!), and the food was extremely good. The whole experience was very good value for money, and we shall definitely return. We discovered a 30 minute walk around the village which we did daily. We have been coming to the Tardets area since 1988 and know it rather well, but this hotel is just outside Tardet itself and as a result is very pleasantly quiet at night, apart from owls/hibous/uhu! I think that breakfasts could be more substantial....you could charge more perhaps, and we would have been pleased to pay more? I also think that you should have a printed menu outside the property (you have a glass wall case) so that passers by can see the menu. Other than the above, which are suggestions, there was nothing to dislike whatsoever."

"Supper. Winter evening. Thought this place was going to be OK as it was popular with locals (not many visitors at this time of year). Gloomy interior (& I mean 'gloomy'. Rich toffee coloured wood panelled walls with a colourful & busy wallpapered patterned ceiling ...?! The oddest of objects dotted around the place. French interior design is having a very peculiar moment... The food. starter was horrible. A risotto with mini squid and octopus. Tasteless. Nothing more I can say about that. My main was a steak. Lovely taste to the meat, and the small dollop of sweet potato was nice. I think the French should ban the ubiquitous squiggle of balsamic now - it appears on everything & adds nothing to the food. The pudding was obligatory... oh all right then , it wasn't, but we thought we might as well. I got the apple tart which presented in knickerbocker glory format... Honestly it was. My partner had three mounds of lemon posset and a third larger mound of something else....... decorated with a squiggle of chocolate sauce. ||||It was ok. Just ok.||||It was the only restaurant open for miles. Go if you are hungry and not bothered about exquisite tastes. You won't get any but you will get fed."

"Visited restaurant several times in 2013. Choice of quality dining room or courtyard.||||Great menu of the day for 12e., limited choice, but a la carte also reasonable. Good family atmosphere. Delightful staff. ||||Looking forward to visiting in 2014 from nearby campsite!||||Peter and Sarah"

"Very welcoming, interesting cooking, unusual but good wines, slightly pricey but justified."