St Pons de M - Village Blog site

Le Petit Bistrot
The Bistrot occupies a prominent position in the centre of the village. Over the years it has been a bar, later becoming a restaurant and now a bistro.  We know it has become increasingly difficult to make a living from small village bars but it is almost impossible without the provision of meals and snacks. St Pons de Mauchiens is a quiet village with a population counted in the hundreds rather than the thousands; there is little passing trade. Given its name, one might anticipate that the Bistrot itself is ‘petit’;  against this rather unpromising background the current owners, Sylvie and Stéphan Clavier decided to transform their lives away from the hustle and bustle of city life in Montpellier.
They both admit that, over the past few years, they struggled to make the business viable. This year (2011) they made a decision to invest in and develop the business.  The interior has been completely refitted providing a sleek welcoming environment with a modern feel, which meets the demands of a contemporary clientele without detracting from the charm and intimacy of authentic French dining.  And now they have come up with a further bold and ambitious plan, which they hope will cement permanently the Bistrot into the life and landscape of the village.
Thanks to the cooperation of  M. Soulier the Mayor,  the Claviers’  latest project has seen the construction of a large decked ‘terrasse’ in the Place Jean d’Arc  next to the Bistrot,  which will provide much needed capacity in the Summer months.   Their warm and friendly personalities always translate into a genuine and memorable welcome; soon we shall see whether their ambitions translate into a loyal customer base, particularly with the locals.  Let’s hope so. The Bistrot provides a point of contact and genuine conviviality which drives cohesiveness and a sense of community among villagers and those from other places who have chosen to spend some time in this delightful area.
The truism ‘Use it or Lose it’ applies here just as it does to small village businesses elsewhere.
Stéphan and Sylvie provide lunchtime and evening fare; see their door for actual opening times as these will vary depending on the seasons.  Menus can be accessed via the appropriate link on this page.  They both speak some English so tell them if you are vegetarian etc. and they will do their best to help.
Friday evenings, 6-8pm usually attracts a good crowd who enjoy an ‘apéro’ whilst swapping useful information on every facet of local life; do come if you are visiting the area.

The weekly menu can be found here and special events at the Petit Bistrot -concerts, jazz evenings......

The village
A tiny village perched on a hill, St. Pons de Mauchiens is a typical example of the "circulade" type villages dating back to the XI and XII centuries. The castle there was built for the Bishops of Agde in 1199. Just 4km from the village you may also admire a fine mill the : "Moulin de Roquemengarde" on the river Hérault. To really escape from the modern world, there is a fine footpath (17km) that has been recently restored and marked out leading from the outskirts of the village right out into the hilly "garrigue" countryside, perfumed with thyme, lavender and rosemary.

There is a legend around the long name of this very small village : one of the lords of the castle owned a pack of ferocious dogs ("chien" in French) that he let loose at nightfall. One day he arrived home late and the doors to the castle were locked. The dogs did not recognise their master, savagely attacked him at the throat and tore him to pieces !

To capture the character of the village you can view a selection of photographs taken by Georgia Glynn Smith. Other examples of her work can be seen at her web site.

For a comprehensive history of the village please click here. Thanks to Tim Moore for providing this document which is based on a document prepared by the late Gabriel Pargoire, a former mayor of the village.

The area makes an ideal location for a holiday and further information can be found at Languedoc holiday guide and Pezenas family activities sites.

Golf at Chateau Lavagnac - read all about it - Developers site Golf -course design FT article

Read the story of an English Family who spent one year in St Pons de Mauchiens also in french.