Snuggled into the promenade along the River Muse in Dinat, surrounded by markets, banks, and a host of pricey restaurants, Le Caprice seemed a smart choice for a snack. Not lunch as almost all of Europe knows it, but a quick bite to tide us over for the sumptuous dinner we had planned for early in the evening.
Caprice was definitely not fancy, but clean, convenient and quick. Locals seem to prefer lunch as the main meal of the day after a coffee-and-roll breakfast. We like a small lunch and a larger dinner, which might explain my ever-tightening jeans. Le Caprice Snack Taverne looked like a Belgium version of fast food.
Tacked to the wall at the rear of Le Caprice, beside the ordering bar, were photos of all the luncheon plates. We could have given the lady a number, but pointed instead, as our French was a bit rusty. After ordering the local brew (1.45Euros), we picked out a table next to the cluttered windows overlooking the sluggish Muse. A dainty little waitress skipped over in less than 10 minutes with our steaming mushroom-and-cheese omelet smothered in a mountain of French fries (4.90Euros). Choices of sauces for the fries littered the ceramic table. Mushrooms tumbled from forkfuls of soft mellow cheese and fluffy egg. I tried my fries with mayo, like the locals, but fell back on the old standby, catsup.
A tattered menu squished between the sugar and salt and pepper listed everything from cutlets to ice cream, sodas to wine, coffee, hot chocolate, and open-face sandwiches. A little of everything was on the menu and also on the walls. Detailed hiking and auto maps sprinkled all the walls, with listings for day trips from Dinant. Colorful posters advertised abbeys, gardens, castles, caves and tours on the River Muse. We had found the next best thing to the Tourist Office. Everyone was friendly, polite and managed to serve a smile with decent fast food. Le Caprice does not take credit or debit cards.