La Terrasse goes Live

La Terrasse, Monclar

On a dismal wet Monday evening five years ago, we accompanied two foodie chums to what was then La Terrasse restaurant in Monclar. Inside it was dingey and smelt of cat-wee. Equally worrying was the fact that we were the only people dining there. It wasn't a memorable experience, but as we left one of our friends remarked how, with a good refurb, it'd have about the best Bastide view in Haut Agenais.

The following year the restaurant closed. We go to Monclar now and then anyway, because the theatre there is very active, and they have other arty events from time to time. The theatre does a good dinner-dance thing on occasion, and the musicals are (if not West End standard) then at least energetic. The whole scene is directly descended from a sort of variety-cum-culture tradition that was once very common in provincial France. And in the specific case of Monclar, one feels that with just one or two more events and venues there, it could easily go upmarket in the way that nearby Pujols has.

A few weeks back, French-based nby reader John Leon told me of a jazz and aria evening being held in Monclar; and when he mentioned La Terrasse as the venue - recently developed by his friends David and Linda Runchman - we immediately booked for ourselves and two friends.

The Runchmans have developed the site exactly as one would've hoped. It is now a stylish walk-through bar and terrace restaurant, with space between the two for acts to do their thing. As predicted, the view over surrounding Lot et Garonne countryside is amazing:

Looking south from La Terrasse

Foolishly, we ate before going out, because the cheeseburger salad and chips cooked in the open kitchen looked excellent. The jazz band (a loose New Orleans troupe of local Brit mates) got properly into their stride as the evening went on, and the female opera singer was outstanding. The matriarch of a multi-talented family (her husband was on the honky-tonk, and her son also played a short set of rags and Gershwin) she chose some light operetta, but also two tricky Debussy pieces. It was extremely well-received.

All in all it was a fun evening, with great ambience and a fairly international audience. Sadly, at present the Runchman's are having enormous difficulty finding a maitre d'/manager to develop the place (their forte is property, not catering) and so it isn't open that often. But with the right handling, La Terrasse could easily become a seven nights a week goldmine. Both local Brits and French are starved of good live entertainment - especially in a stylish venue - and as the heating system has been completely renewed, it could also become a bright light during those long winter evenings out here.

David & Linda (left and centre) on the terrace

La Terrasse De Monclar. terrasse.monclar@hotmail.com 29 Rue de 11 Novembre 47380 Monclar Tel: (0033) 553 411463