Have a Delicious, Welcoming Meal at Brasserie Saint Roch

Brasserie Saint Roch sign, in Serignan, France

Have you ever been some place where you immediately felt welcomed and at home? A place where you were made to feel comfortable and appreciated and relaxed? In the beautiful village of Sérignan, France—nestled about halfway between the city of Béziers and the Mediterranean Sea—one cool November evening we were introduced to such a warm, welcoming place: the Brasserie Saint Roch.

This wonderfully surprising full-service restaurant—previously a tapas bar—is conveniently located on the village’s impressive promenade, just steps from where the region’s excellent bus service has a stop on its E line. (If you’re staying in Béziers, you can be at the Brasserie in about 20 minutes, riding in one of these very clean and well maintained buses.)

Shortly after our introduction to Sérignan—and after our surprisingly quick acquisition of an apartment there for our pending move—our new local friends asked us if we would like to join them for lunch. Not far from where we had stepped off the bus and met them at the promenade, they pointed us into the Brasserie.

The warm, welcoming interior of the Brasserie Saint Roch

First Impressions of Brasserie Saint Roch

The sight of the brasserie, with its warm colors inside tall windows, reminds me more than a little bit of the famous Edward Hopper painting “Nighthawks”—though this is no minimalist diner. Stepping inside, the tables are comfortably spaced in a dining area that clearly used to be a bar. The converted layout doesn’t make for any awkwardness, however, rather it creates a feeling of closeness between the patrons and those preparing the drinks and other things behind the bar. Even more, it does all this while still creating a feeling of being someplace both comfortable and up-scale. Place settings are meticulous and the decor is just slightly on the quirky side of elegant.

Now, while the appearance and layout of Brasserie Saint Roch are the start to making you feel at home and welcome, the element that really brings those feelings home is the restaurant’s general manager, Raul Andrade. Raul is one of those people with the rare and amazing talent to make you feel that you have their full attention while also managing to not be intrusive. You know that he honestly and deeply cares that you are comfortable and content; that this is more than just his job, it’s who he is. His mark on the restaurant is that you feel always attended to, while simultaneously feeling that your table is your personal space to enjoy while you are there. The other staff under Raul all work to provide the same welcome, comfortable experience.

La Cuisine, c'est l'envers du décor, là où s'activent les hommes et femmes pour le plaisir des autres...
Bernard Loiseau

The kitchen is behind the scenes, where men and women work for the pleasure of others...
Bernard Loiseau

“The kitchen is behind the scenes, where men and women work for the pleasure of others…”
– Bernard Loiseau

Since our permanent arrival here in April, we have already been back to Brasserie Saint Roch twice for meals (one of those a group dinner suggested by other new local friends) and once just to have a late glass of wine on the promenade. Our experience each time has reinforced our feeling of welcome at this place—both at the restaurant and in the village. Even walking by the restaurant, or sitting just across from it at the local café, should you again catch Raul’s eye, you will get a warm smile and a wave of recognition.

A Chat with Raul Andrade

I had the opportunity to sit and chat with Raul about his experience with the restaurant, and his philosophy about serving his customers. Our conversation only reinforced my impression of the experience dining at Brasserie Saint Roch.

“Here, in this place, I want everyone to feel seen and considered.” he said, when I asked about the kind of experience he’s trying to create. And his customers do feel considered—and remembered! (Raul is very good at recalling his customers, even from years before. His friend Fabienne—who was generously helping with translating our conversation—related that her second visit to Brasserie Saint Roch had been a year after her first, but Raul remembered her from her first visit.)

Huîtres gratinées du chef (oysters) at Brasserie Saint Roch in Serignan, France

Huîtres gratinées du chef
(oysters gratinées)

Raul pointed out how there has to be a balance between being friendly and being professional. “My aim is doing my job properly, welcoming customers in the best way possible. I want our customers to be happy to come here, and also to be happy when they leave, having had a nice experience and good food.”

Delicious, Well Planned Menus

The best service in the world is nothing without correspondingly good food. And behind the scenes at Brasserie Saint Roche—though occasionally making his own rounds of the tables—is Chef Anthony Arrufat. He has decades of impressive experience, and that experience comes through in both the taste and the appearance of everything is served at Brasserie Saint Roch. Every item on the menu, every time we have been there, has been carefully thought out, deliciously balanced, and beautifully presented. Originally hired as head chef here in 2013, he and Raul purchased the restaurant together in 2017.

Carré d’agneau rôti, jus à l’estragon et asperges
(lamb)

Souris de veau confite, pomme Anna et jus de viande réduit
(veal)

In the warmer months (which is about three fourths of the year here), Brasserie Saint Roch has extensive outdoor seating covered with large shade umbrellas, as well as large doors that roll up to turn nearly every table into a patio experience. It’s a also a very pleasant place to stop by just for a glass of wine or a beer—one of many local choices for this.

A la carte prices are very reasonable, and the fixed menu price—a starter, a main plate, and dessert—is impressive for the quality of the food and level of attention that you get. This will be a meal and an experience that you remember for all the right reasons, and not because of its impact on your bank account. (This has generally been our experience with dining in this region of France: often in the United States, you come away from a truly excellent meal feeling great about the food and the experience, but wounded by the impact on your wallet; here, you can enjoy a really amazing lunch or dinner, with one or more glasses of wine, and you don’t have the negative impact of a ridiculous price. (This is all the more remarkable knowing that tips are not expected in France—though they are much more appreciated, should you feel one is deserved.)

Millefeuille de crêpes à la banane, coulis caramel
(banana crepe mille-feuille)

Mousse au chocolat maison
(chocolate mousse)

It’s my hope that, should you find yourself in Béziers or nearby, that you know there is a place to go where you will feel that you are getting more than just a meal, but that you are welcomed and appreciated.

One important note: If you’re staying in Béziers and coming to Sérignan for dinner, the bus service ends around 8pm, so plan perhaps to take the bus to the village, and a taxi or an Uber ride back to Béziers.

Arthur Breur