The new restaurant “La Maison Rouge” offers local cuisine in a green setting in the heart of Montpellier

Catherine et son fils Yori ont ouvert La Maison Rouge en août dernier. – Jean Michel Maart

Catherine and her son Yori opened this unique place a few months ago. Local cuisine, Languedoc wine and piano bar… This bistronomic address is worth the detour. 

A new era begins for the immense red building which sits in the Saint-Éloi district of Montpellier. Renovated last summer, 'La Maison rouge', as local residents called it, is now in the expert hands of Catherine, manager of the establishment, and her son Yori , chef with a dreamy spirit. "It’s a true family affair. We worked in the restaurant business for a long time and this incredible place allowed us to finally launch ourselves", explains the woman in the high heels.

Local and seasonal cuisine

After having cut his teeth in the biggest houses in the region, Yori, 32 years old, is now his own boss. "I had the chance to discover recipes respectful of our region and I decided to bring together the best on my menu", he explains as he prepares the condiments for the day. "We try to do our best to offer local, seasonal products and adapt our menu accordingly", he recalls. "But above all, I can finally have fun creating."

An unexpected terrace

In the dining room, it’s the mother’s business, Catherine. This former beauty queen, Miss Languedoc and runner-up to Miss France in 1986, welcomes customers with an impressive patter. "I worked in catering for a long time, I created this place from scratch", explains the Montpellier woman. Regional wines, "why look further ?". Intimate decoration, "customers must feel good there!" Natural smile and always the word for laugh, Catherine only wants one thing: to create a timeless memory, during a meal.

For this, in addition to the fifteen tables set inside, a wooded park of 4,000 m² offers a unique setting for lunch. "There are lounges distributed throughout the park and a large terrace. It’s quite rare in the city so we had to exploit it", rejoices the manager.

And for the students…

Open from Tuesday to Saturday, the main course-dessert formula is 19.50 €. In the evening, it's à la carte with an assortment of quality wines. "We will also develop an offer for students, who will be able to enjoy a snack and sit in the lounges to eat well and at low prices", hopes Catherine, who specifies: "it’is hard for young people so we do a little, on our scale". Just a few steps from Paul-Valéry University, five pallet lounges spread across the four corners of the park (so as not to disturb customers) will be available for a quick meal at a lower price.< /p>

Art in the foreground

A great lover of art and music, Catherine Billaudeau invites, every Friday evening, a young pianist from the city to offer an intimate atmosphere to visitors. "I’d like this to become a more regular occurrence. It’s important to highlight our local artists", explains the manager. Ultimately, the family would like to organize events once a month such as concerts and openings, "This month, it is the artist Kristo who is lending us her works. Every first Saturday of the month, we change exhibitions to surprise customers."

La Maison rouge, 87 rue de la Chênaie. Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Friday, and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. I subscribe to read more