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PRICE RANGE
$21 - $54
CUISINES
French, Contemporary, Fusion
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly
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Reviewed November 4, 2023

An evening with Le Living – well almost I couldn’t fault the welcome I received at the Brive restaurant, Le Living. I think it was the owner and chef who greeted me handsomely. I was the shown to my table that I had reserved for...one. At the rear of the restaurant were about fifteen tables for four people on each. My table for one was at the extreme right next to a screen. I just about managed to slide into my seat and was shown the menu for the evening. It was at 37.50€ price for a starter, main course and desert. The maitre D asked if I wanted an aperitif and I chose a kir with mur. This arrived with an ‘amuse bouche’. The kir was perfect with just a touch of creme de mur. The amuse bouche was an interesting concoction but not particularly notable. I was then asked if I wanted some wine with the meal. I asked for a glass of red and was asked if Rhone was OK. The MD asked if I wanted to taste it which was a little peculiar for an already opened bottle and I demurred and he poured a less than generous quantity. He also appeared with a carafe of water but without a glass. I chose foie gras with a mushroom sauce for my entrée which was 3€ extra. The foie was barely discoverable under a thick mushroom sauce with a sprig of parsley on top. Some ordinary bread accompanied it and I thought that it would have been a nice touch if it had been toasted. A group of three people arrived and were placed in the centre of the restaurant. I placed my knife and fork on the finished plate but when the waiter came to collect it, he removed them and placed them back on my place setting. This is acceptable at my local cafe in the Aveyron but not in an establishment which was purporting to be fine dining. I had chosen belly of pork for my main course. It arrived again in a thickish sauce accompanied by some spaghetti and decorated with the obligatory sprig of parsley. It was adequate but no more than that and again lacked any imagination. I had just about managed to make my red wine last for the main course. I had been asked at the beginning what I wanted for a desert but said that I would choose later and I decided on an apple concoction with ice cream. No sprig of parsley this time but a few mint leaves were sprinkled on it. I then had a coffee which was accompanied by a lot of shouting coming from the kitchen. Only two more people arrived so that the restaurant was relatively deserted. Knowing this, the establishment would have shown a bit of style if they had placed me at a larger table in the body of the restaurant rather than cramped up like an afterthought. The meal was barely adequate and definitely not the taste experience as advertised. Overall, it was a disappointing experience. Le living is an ordinary restaurant purporting to be much more.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed September 8, 2023

We enjoyed the food so much the first time so just had to go back. It is certainly fine dining with a convivial chef and his lovely wife. The waiter was very friendly and helpful. Lovely area in the garden, quiet and calm. Thanks Lionel

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed September 25, 2021

First of all let me say my wife booked this restaurant by accident, she thought she was booking one near by that we have used before, but we are thankful she did. I have looked back on my reviews to see if I have ever...had such a well presented and tasteful meal in France. To be quite truthful having lived here for 16 years none spring to mind. How I wish I was one of those people that takes photos of their food so that I could show you all how well presented the food was. The service in this restaurant was second to none the waitress was very helpful my wife is gluten intolerant and between the waitress and the chef several options for starters , main course and dessert were found. If you are a vegetarian there is also an option for you. If you want a plate piled high with tasteless food don’t bother to come here, but if you want the best of what the local area has to offer twinned with spices that make the food melt on the tongue , then this is the place for you. I have given this restaurant top marks but I don’t think that is good enough.More

Date of visit: September 2021
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Reviewed May 22, 2018

I am not the person like to spend time in writing tripadvisor, but this restaurant I have to vote for strong recommended list. Occasionally I went there during my vacation in April, it is very pleasant place with a very nice decor, a beautiful terra...behind the restaurant, but I had to eat inside because of my last minute booking.... The food was excellent and extraordinarily creative in every way, flavours, spices, textures, presentation. Though I thought desserts were maybe not up to the standard of starters and main dishes, I would not be surprised if this restaurant got a Michelin star. They deserve it ! Very good wine list and very professional and friendly staff, they have given a great helps to make my wonderful journey itinerary around in Brive. I hope that I will still visit again soon! A bien tot!More

Date of visit: April 2018
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Reviewed November 14, 2015 via mobile

Amazing.... For sure the place to be in Brive Olivier and his team will welcome you in a cozy place. If you like great cooking with homemade and local products this is a must Thank you for this wonderful evening Regards Vincent

Date of visit: November 2015
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Reviewed November 5, 2015

This stylish gem is centrally located just outside the ring road that surrounds the historic heart of Brive. A large, shaded patio in the back makes for delightful dining in season but as it was drizzling on this late October afternoon, our party of seven...was seated in the one, spacious, ground-floor room. Management had thoughtfully put us at a round table for easier conversation. Decor is spare, in neutral tones with splashes of signature purple. Service was correct but a little slow considering that the restaurant was not half full. My husband and I had the 18-Euro menu as others started at 27 Euros and "a la carte" was expensive. That entitled us to an appetizer, entree, dessert, and coffee (espresso)--a good bit more than most "menus" this price. There were several choices in each category. For starters I had my favorite, foie gras, seldom on "menus" at all, much less at this price. And it was a large portion, to boot. Here, though, the service fell down, as the others were halfway through their appetizers before the waitress brought the bread without which it is bad manners to eat one bite of cheese or foie gras. The entree, osso bucco (not very French but hey! glad to see they are branching out in the provinces!) was good but not overly delicate, and there was lots of it--also rare in most French restaurants. Dessert was something new to me despite having lived in France 10 years, and it was heavenly: flognarde, a pie-looking concoction in which fruit (here, pears) is covered with a custard-type filling and baked. OMG!!! My husband and I both thought our meals excellent but the French contingent--the other five--thought theirs merely "good." Damned with faint praise. With two bottles of Loire wine, the tab came to 162 Euros or about $180. Conveniently, Le Living is half a block from a large car park where the first two hours are free. Note that most parking in Brive is free from Noon to 2 pm when shops are closed and Brivistes are at lunch. And, of course, after working hours.More

Date of visit: October 2015
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Reviewed May 10, 2015

It's not the first time we have been to this restaurant and from the excellent that it was, it is now just good. I won't talk about the food a huge amount as the chef may complain about my review. 27 euros menu, and you...have to order dessert when you order your food. I ordered a walnut dessert at around 8pm. At around 9.30pm, a waitress who had abviously been sent to us as the sacrificial lamb as she had not been our waitress, I was told that they had run out of my dessert. When I explained that I was surprised that they had only just found the time to tell me and it was 90 mins since my order, she went on to explain that they had run out earlier in the day and had not had any when I placed my order... I think that this will be the last time I will be going. The razor fish was ok, the noodles with ris de veau, nothing to shout about. My friends rhum baba was stodgy and without rhum. Luckily they put a bottle of rhum on the table so you can have as much or as little as you like...More

Date of visit: May 2015
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Reviewed April 26, 2015

If you are with a group you can eat in a separate room upstairs. Slight disadvantage is that there is a tv screen on in that room. The food is okay as well as the service. Prices are reasonable for the food which is quite...good.More

Date of visit: April 2015
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Reviewed December 29, 2013

We visited Le Living on the last night in Brive. Four of us visited, sitting in the middle of the back room. The decor is modern, comfortable, and clean. They were offering Mojito’s as a special cocktail, which were refreshing and well made. All of...the dishes and made with local ingredients, and the suppliers are listed on the first page. We found all of the dishes well made and delicious. The staff are attentive without being overly pushy. The wine list is extensive, with plenty of affordable choices. Overall, we had a lovely evening, and left pleasantly full from top quality food and wine.More

Date of visit: December 2013
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Reviewed September 20, 2013

I really hoped not to be writing this. We had some US and British visitors with us in Brive and told them we knew a really good, value-for-money place to eat - Le Living. This was the fourth time we had eaten here and it...was a huge disappointment. Has the chef or owner changed? 4 of us had the "Menu Living", 2 of us the Menu 100% Local. My duck foie gras was tasteless. Those of us who had the Limousin beef found it tough (in the Limousin!). The dessert was horrible. Only the wine was good - Pic St. Loup "Dame St Jeanne" and a non-oaky, non-oily Chardonnay - Domaine De L'Aigle. But I still object to paying €56 for 2 bottles. The meal for 6, including the wine, came to €220 - too much for the poor quality food and slow service. We won't go again.More

Date of visit: September 2013
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Reviewed September 12, 2013

We were recommended to dine in this restaurant by Brive locals. Given we are Munster rugby fans I did wonder if this was a Brive 'revenge'. I could not have been so wrong. A very relaxed environment with good wholesome food, foie gras to start...and cote de couch on for mains. Great wine selection. Deservedly very busy so book in advance. And, if you must, 2 Irish bars within 100 metres.More

Date of visit: September 2013
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Reviewed July 2, 2013 via mobile

Bruno, the owner of the hotel I just checked in (Le Collonges, not bad for a 2 star place), insisted I should eat here, even called ahead and reserved an outside table for me. And he was right: First if all, I would never have...found this gem of a restaurant on my own, it is a bit off the beaten path, and the terrace is behind the building. And I knew right away when what I presume was the owner led me through the restaurant onto the outside terrace, some ten tables under a nut tree, surrounded by lush greens and a wall - an island in the big city (I'm joking). All you hear are some blackbirds singing nearby ... The ambiance, the other clients, the waiters - all feels hound and, surtout, relaxed. The menu offers some attractive choices, I settled for the 4 course budget menu and ordered foie gras, beef, followed by fromages and dessert. With that a half bottle of (une demie de) Badoît (ordering that anywhere in France instantly makes you an insider) ... ... and a bottle of red. First time a wine list that lists the reds separately by 'light and xxx' and 'dark and strong' (I jumped upon the latter, of course). The list is impressively long and reasonably priced, and a few lines from the top my eyes fell on this: Vin de Merde "Le pire ... cache le meilleur" (On the label it says "Le vin des philosophes") Philosopher I'm not, but how could I not order a "Wine of [--]", with a note that means "the worst ... hides the best"? A unique experience at least by its name, and not a bad wine after all. Recommended. I finished by ordering Foie Gras, Beef, cheeses and dessert, all for just 26 Euros. And all really good. When in Brive, live in Le Living (but be sure to sit on the porch unless its raining).More

Date of visit: July 2013
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Reviewed June 29, 2012

From the moment we arrived at Le Living we were made to feel welcome. The ambience of the restaurant is lively.The meal was excellently presented, well cooked with an excellent wine list available. The starter was excellent, accompanied by pre-dinner drinks and between courses we...were delighted with 'amuse bouche'. Also, there was an excellent selection of home baked breads. The evening was a total joy.More

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LE LIVING, Brive-la-Gaillarde - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

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Le Living is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4