Les Copains d'Abord - Cognac
Bordeaux
At a glance
Les Copains d'Abord in Cognac offers a delightful culinary experience along the banks of the Charente River. The restaurant is conveniently located at 20 Rue des Pontis in Cognac, France, providing diners with picturesque views of the François Ier Castle and the Saint-Jacques Bridge. The ambiance here is warm and inviting, reminiscent of a lively guinguette, where guests can share long tables or enjoy the seasonal outdoor pierrades and braseros.
The venue's decor varies with the seasons: a cozy mountain chalet setting in the colder months with the warmth of a fireplace and comfort foods like raclettes, fondues, and tartiflettes, and a breezy, vintage-style setup in summer, complete with shaded terraces and fresh regional dishes. The cuisine focuses on traditional French fare along with local specialties, all prepared using fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced through short supply chains with local producers, allowing the menu to celebrate the rich terroir of the Charentes region.
Guest reviews highlight the welcoming atmosphere and attentive service, emphasizing Les Copains d'Abord's reputation as a charming spot for gathering with friends, family, or colleagues. Open from Tuesday through Saturday, it offers flexible dining options for lunch and dinner, catering to varied preferences. The restaurant is also equipped with a cocktail bar and allows pets, making it a friendly choice for all kinds of dining occasions.
Reviews
Unfortunately not a good experience. The quality of the food was as expected from an expensive restaurant. The bad things now: 1. I made a reservation online a day before and I was not placed on a table by the river. I asked for one but the stuff told me that all was booked. An hour later I checked and most of the tables were empty by the river. Maybe it was because I was a foreigner. 2. I ordered the menu that you cook your self the food (les pierrades). I asked some guidance of how to cook because I do not cook duck everyday as opposed to what they believe. The answer I got was to cook the duck approximately to 50C. Ofc I am walking around with my cooking thermometer so I didn't have a problem with that. The quality as said before was ok, nothing special. 3. We ordered two different cocktails and both were extremely sour. 4. There are items on the menu where you have to reserve before you sit down. I don't understand why I was given that menu since I wasn't able to order any of it. In a nutshell, if you have been in this restaurant before and you know what you do and what you expect obviously this review is not for you. For the rest, you can avoid this experience and go to the restaurant called Origin where you can have a better duck experience and better cheaper food. The decoration though was very beautiful.
Unique way of presenting food. They bring a hot brick so you can warm your food at the table. It was interesting and worth trying! Nice atmosphere sitting outside next to the river.
The service in this place was really excellent. We hadn’t booked but were seated quickly. The waiter was very kind, he explained many things. They made me a cocktail that was not on the menu, as a suggestion based on what I like (a Cognac Sour). We ordered Indian chicken, prawns and duck, but didn’t realise that we would cook the meat ourselves on the tables on hot stones. For the chicken we were a little concerned, as we were only given one set of cutlery to pick up the raw and the cooked meat (you can’t cook it all at once due to the size of the shared stone). The Indian chicken smelled nice but had a very light marinade flavour. The portions of meat were very generous. The cold fries and salad were just okay. Beautiful location right by the river with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Delicious beers on tap.
