French bistroChef Jacques and Laurent Pourcel€€€ÉcussonDaily 12:00-14:15 and 19:30-22:00
La Canourgue is the Pourcel brothers' every-day bistronomic room at Hôtel Richer de Belleval in Montpellier, Mediterranean plates on the shaded square.
Tip: It serves seven days a week, a rarity in this city of Sunday closures; the courtyard tables go first in summer.
Mediterranean€€ÉcussonMon-Tue 19:30-23:00; Wed-Sun 12:00-14:30 and 19:30-23:00
Le Paresseur cooks grandmother recipes with Italian flair and Sétois heritage under vaulted stone on Rue Jules Latreilhe in central Montpellier.
Signature: Gnocchis à la betterave
Tip: One of the few good Écusson kitchens serving Sunday and Monday nights; the vaulted cellar room downstairs suits winter, the terrace summer.
French bistro€€ÉcussonFri-Sun 10:00-15:00 and 17:00-23:30; Mon-Tue and Thu 17:00-00:00; closed Wednesday
Tôt ou Tard fills a plane-tree square in Montpellier's Écusson, bistronomic plates, tapas and organic Languedoc wines poured until around midnight.
Tip: The terrace on Place de la Chapelle Neuve is one of the old town's loveliest; it stays open through August.
Mediterranean€€EuromédecineTue 10:00-19:00; Wed-Sat 10:00-22:00; closed Sunday and Monday
Soulenq turns a former plant nursery in Montpellier's Euromédecine quarter into a wood-fired bistro and 400-reference wine cave with a big terrace.
Tip: Buy any bottle from the cave and drink it at the table for 10 euros corkage; the name is Occitan for the harvest-end meal.
Steakhouse€€ÉcussonDaily 12:00-14:30 and 19:30-22:30
Chez Boris grills Fleur d'Aubrac beef on the Esplanade in Montpellier, tartares cut to order and an onglet à l'échalote that anchors the whole card.
Signature: Onglet à l'échalote, Parmentier de joue de bœuf à l'aligot
Tip: Open seven days facing the Esplanade; the 18 euro parmentier of beef cheek with aligot is the sleeper order.
Modern French€€ÉcussonTue-Sat 11:00-00:00; Sun 11:30-18:00; closed Monday
Faune feeds Montpellier's MO.CO. contemporary art museum on Rue de la République, seasonal plates and Sunday brunch in the collector's-house garden.
Tip: The Sunday brunch seats in the museum garden are the draw; on weekdays it runs straight through to midnight.