discovering Jacques Chirac’s favorite restaurant

It is an address whose reputation goes beyond the borders of Corrèze. “Chez Françoise” in Meymac is a hotel but above all a restaurant where tradition reigns. Like every day, the work begins with the passage of the primeur. “I bring her good products, she works them well. In the end, we have a great kitchen and it’s good teamwork”, testifies Stéphanie Pinget, scoop. In the kitchen, it’s Françoise’s mother, Monique Bleu, the doyenne, who gets the ball rolling with her tourtous. Buckwheat flour, sourdough, water: once risen, the dough is cooked to form its typical pancakes of the region.

An affectionate bond with Jacques Chirac

In this restaurant, two Corréziens by adoption had their habits there: François Hollande and especially Jacques Chirac, who was close to the Bleu family. “He came to us because my husband was an inseminator. That means he knew the whole countryside, all the farmers, and Mr. Chirac wanted to meet everyone”testifies Monique Bleu. “It went beyond politics. We had a deep admiration for the man.”, adds his daughter Françoise. For a meal or a night, here, it’s a whole era that we find. A moment out of time.