L'opportun

A stone's throw from the centre of Vichy, in a quiet pedestrian street, L'opportun has a small dining room and a shaded terrace. It is the first restaurant of Valentin Leclerc, a young Norman chef who built it around a simple idea: market cuisine, home-made, with seasonal produce.

At lunchtime, everything happens on the blackboard: two starters, two mains, two desserts, plus a burger of the week. The set menus stay easy on the wallet, from the dish of the day at around €11 to starter, main and dessert at around €17. In the evening, it switches to the à la carte menu: allow about fifteen euros a main. On the produce side, the chef works with meat reared in the Allier and brings his cheeses from Normandy, his home region.

In practice: book, the dining room is small. Terrace in season, cards accepted, street parking, wheelchair access. Closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Our take, frankly: a good neighbourhood restaurant, serious about its produce and at a price that stays reasonable for Vichy. For lunch, you can go without a second thought; for weekend evenings, book ahead.