CUQ EN TERRASSES
Intimate village house clinging to a hillside with captivating views
PERCHED ON A ROCKY SLOPE in the midst of a triangle formed by Toulouse, Carcassonne and Albi, Cuq en Terrasses exudes hospitable warmth and welcome. You're in
glorious countryside here, surrounded by woods and pastureland with nothing to spoil the view in any direction. While it took us a while to find the right road from the airport, you're less than an hour from Toulouse.
Nooks and crannies abound inside this
tall stone house with its painted shutters and flagstone floors. Hand-finished plastered walls and terracotta-tiled floors are set off by glazed ceramics, woven rugs, crisp cottons, antique beds and varnished wood. The garden is a blaze of colour, and there’s an inviting pool for days when you need to beat the heat.
Owners Philippe and Andonis have made Cuq en Terrasses an
utterly fetching place to stay. Bedrooms look out across the hillside while others face the little village square and church. Antiques, original art, beams and individual decor lend the rooms warmth and character.
Hit the spot
A hilltop hamlet 40 minutes from Toulouse.
Bedtime
Take the ultra private duplex suite next to the pool, with its bird’s-nest bedroom, or Le Chat Bleu, with its fabulous top-floor views.
Be savvy
The house is on six levels – so plenty of stairs to climb!
Be smitten
Captivating country charmer.
Midnight dips
The troglodyte- style Terrace room has its own Roman shower, while the Terracotta room – our favourite – is filled with provençal art and sculpture. Honeymooners should make a beeline for the ultra private Poolside suite (it's actually big enough for four) – a former dovecote that makes a ravishing retreat perfect for midnight dips. Rooms come with robes and fluffy towels,
candles and aromatic bath essences for indulgent soaking.
The icing on the cake at Cuq en Terrasses is the panoramic hillside terrace overlooking sunflower fields – perfect for evening aperitifs and a great start-the-day breakfast. House dog Noemi (who is huge and gentle) may well be snoozing in the sun there.
Cooking at Cuq en Terrasses is a highlight: dishes have a Mediterranean flavour and you might dine on veal tagine or quail fillets with a honey and cranberry sauce, rounded off, perhaps, with a wicked white chocolate cheesecake. Andonis is a great character who loves sitting at the piano after dinner. We had a highly entertaining hour or two in the lounge while he sang and played some of our favourite numbers.
Walks start from the front door, from the tiny village Cuq Toulza. Local markets offer scope for endless grazing and browsing.
Cuq en Terrasses was reviewed for Room for Romance by
Judy Neillands
Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery.
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Dining in
Chef Adonis heads off to market each morning in search of the freshest and best ingredients, so the menu changes daily and is full of surprises. The one thing that’s constant here is the culinary quality. Among the (fairly) regular dishes you might get to sample are
slow cooked lamb stuffed with figs, and the delicious
cheese and herb filled chicken breast wrapped in bacon.
Dining out
A short drive away is Auberge du Poids Public, a Michelin starred restaurant well worth a visit. A little further (20k) is Les Saveurs, headed by the former head chef at the Savoy.
Where?
Cuq en Terrasses
What’s cooking?
Excellent home-cooked local cuisine with the flavours of the Med.
Dress the part
Relax – you’re at the home of friends.
Top table?
On the terrace in the summer, gazing at fields of sunflowers.
See & Do
Go all Da Vinci Code and explore the medieval villages Soreze and Saint Felix, or leave the sleuthing (and your worldly cares) behind and go for a walk in the nearby Black Mountains, which aren’t as imposing as they sound. The Saturday farmers market at Revel is also worth exploring and packed with goodies to take home.
There is a tennis court nearby to work up a sweat in, and a heated outdoor pool to cool off in. That’s not forgetting the three acres of gardens – perfect for evening wanders.
Shop
If the label lover in you fancies the trip, home in on the big shopping streets of Rue Saint Rome and Rue de la Pomme in Toulouse. Marché Victor Hugo is the temple of Toulousain gastronomy and the place to pick up Toulouse sausages and foie gras. Closer to Cuq, foodies should check out La Lorien in Le Grès for great jellies, jams and preserves, and the organic brewery at Ferme-Brasserie Garland.
After dark
If you want a quiet drink in pretty surroundings, then go to Lake Saint Ferraul, framed by great little bars. For nightlife with more oomph, head to the old town in Toulouse.
Dates
July
The skies around Carcassonne light up with spectacular fireworks in celebration of Bastille Day.
July-August
Tap your foot at the Soreze Music festival.
GETTING THERE
Location
Cuq-le-Château, 81470 Cuq Toulza
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Trains
Toulouse station – 38km
Taxis
EUR 50 from the airport
Airport
Toulouse – 45km
Rooms and suites
Six rooms and one suite
Special features
All rooms have a CD and DVD player, a kettle with tea and coffee, and fluffy robes.
Also…
The poolside duplex suite is great for lovers of early-morning dips.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 95 – 200
Open/closed
Closed from 1 November – Easter
Check-in
3pm
Check-out
Midday
Minimum night stay?
Two nights
Breakfast
Buffet breakfast (EUR 19) is served until 10am and features home made bread and butter pudding and toasted granola.
Room service
Late risers can lounge around and have breakfast in bed.
Children
Over-11’s are welcome
Pets
Welcome in rooms with terracotta floors.
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
French, English, Spanish, Greek and Italian
Wedding license?
Yes – with catering for 100 guests. You’ll need to hire the whole place for a minimum of two nights.
Eco conscience
Recycling is king here. Unwanted food is turned into compost and water recycled.
Your contact
Philippe Gallice – Owner