| For eating, there's nothing to beat the popular Perroquet, near the station at 1 av de Gaulle, which has a good selection of very reasonably priced Catalan dishes (closed Wed Sept–April; lunch menus from €9), with the Expéditeurs hotel-restaurant (closed Sat eve & Sun; menus from €10) running a close second. For something smarter, head for the elegant Côte de Théâtre, at 7 rue du Théâtre (tel 04.68.34.60.00; closed Sun and Mon lunch; menu from €24), which serves a splendid selection of local cuisine, or try Les Trois Soeurs, 2 rue Fontfroide (tel 04.68.51.22.33; menus from €12.50), for elaborate seafood creations. There are plenty of places for a leisurely drink in Perpignan. The Bodega du Castillet, in the rue Fabriques-Couvertes, is a favourite bar with the locals (and also serves good-value tapas), and there are several decent cafés on place Arago. On place Verdun, under the plane trees in front of Le Castillet, the Grand Café de la Poste is a great place to watch the world go by, and it's here, too, that on summer evenings you see the Catalan dance, the sardana, being performed by kids, grandparents – anyone whom the spirit moves. There's also live street theatre and music in the city centre every Thursday night during July and August (ask at the tourist office for details). In midsummer, you can witness more music and general Catalan merrymaking at the festival of Les Feux de St-Jean, though Perpignan is better known for La Procession de la Sanch, the Maundy Thursday procession of penitents that goes from the church of St-Jacques to the cathedral between 3pm and 5pm.
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