Things to Do in Eymet: Markets, Restaurants & Our Local Guide
Looking for things to do in Eymet? This lively historic bastide has plenty to offer, from its traditional Thursday market and summer night markets to restaurants, cafés and events throughout the year.
Just a few minutes from La Petite Auberge, Eymet is where we go for the market, a coffee on the square, dinner with friends or one of the summer evenings that bring the whole town to life.
Eymet is small enough to explore on foot, but there’s much more to it than its pretty historic centre. With its weekly market, restaurants, cafés and busy summer calendar, it’s also a lovely place to simply spend time and enjoy the relaxed pace of life in south-west France.
Here are some of our favourite things to see and do in Eymet – plus a few ideas for exploring the surrounding area.
Things to do in Eymet: explore the historic bastide
The heart of Eymet is Place Gambetta, the central square surrounded by its characteristic arcades.
Take some time to wander through the streets around the square, explore the bastide and stop beneath the arcades for a coffee or a drink.
You certainly don’t need a full day to explore Eymet itself. That’s part of its charm. Come for a stroll in the morning and you may find yourself still sitting on a terrace at lunchtime.
If possible, though, we recommend discovering Eymet on a Thursday.
Thursday morning is market day in Eymet
Every Thursday morning, Eymet’s central square and surrounding streets fill with market stalls.
You’ll find fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, meat and other regional produce alongside clothes, crafts and all sorts of other stalls.
The market takes place throughout the year, but summer Thursday mornings are particularly lively.
Our advice is simple: don’t rush.
Browse the stalls, pick up something delicious for lunch, stop for a coffee beneath the arcades and enjoy watching the town go by.
For many of our guests, a Thursday morning in Eymet becomes one of those simple holiday rituals they look forward to each week.
Summer nights in Eymet
Eymet really comes alive during the summer.
On Tuesday evenings, the centre of town hosts its summer night market. The streets and square fill with food, local producers, music and long tables where people can sit, eat, drink and enjoy the evening.
It’s much more than a shopping market. It’s somewhere to have dinner, meet people and enjoy the atmosphere of a warm summer evening in the south-west of France.
Another date worth remembering is 15 August, when Eymet traditionally celebrates its White Wine and Oyster Festival.
White wines from the Bergerac region, oysters and seafood take over the town, with music and festivities throughout the day and into the evening. It’s one of Eymet’s great summer traditions and well worth experiencing if your holiday happens to coincide with it.
There are plenty of other events throughout July and August too, so take a look at our Summer Agenda Around Eymet when planning your stay.
Where to eat in Eymet: a few of our favourites
For a small town, Eymet has a surprisingly varied choice of places to eat. French food, pizza, crêpes, Peruvian and Indian cuisine, pubs and cafés mean there’s usually something to suit everyone.
We won’t give you an endless list of restaurants – these are simply some of the places we personally enjoy.
The Walnut
The Walnut is one of our favourites when we want something a little more contemporary. Run by British owners and located on the boulevard rather than the main square, the restaurant serves homemade, creative food with plenty of flavour. There’s sometimes a British influence to the cooking, which makes it a little different from the more traditional restaurants in the area.
La crêperie Maison d’amour
For crêpes and galettes, the crêperie is another favourite. They take care over their ingredients and use locally produced flour from just outside Eymet. It’s simple, good food made with good local produce.
Andine
At Andine, the Peruvian restaurant, the ceviches are an absolute highlight. Fresh, vibrant and full of flavour, they’re one of our favourite things to eat in Eymet.
Casa Napoli
When we’re in the mood for pizza, our personal choice is Casa Napoli. There are other Italian options in town, but this is where we like to go for a really good pizza.
Tortoni
And then there’s Le Tortoni, one of the places we return to regularly. It’s a friendly pub serving burgers, croque-monsieur, Caesar salads and generous plates of good-quality pub food. It’s also a lively place in the evening, with themed nights and major sporting events bringing plenty of atmosphere.
You’ll find plenty of other choices around town too, including Indian food, cafés, bars and ice cream.
And that’s one of the pleasures of staying close to Eymet: you don’t necessarily have to plan where you’re going to eat. Sometimes you can simply head into town and decide what you fancy when you get there.
Eymet and its special British connection
British visitors often feel particularly at home in Eymet.
The town has had a sizeable British community for many years, and English is regularly heard in the shops, cafés and around the market.
There’s an English-language bookshop in town and a British food shop, while familiar British products can also be found locally if you’re missing something from home.
But Eymet still feels unmistakably French – and perhaps that’s what makes the combination work so well.
You can find something familiar if you want it, then walk a few metres to buy fresh bread and croissants from a French boulangerie, shop for local produce at the Thursday market or settle beneath the arcades with a glass of Bergerac wine.
Things to do around Eymet
When it comes to things to do in Eymet and the surrounding area, one of the biggest advantages is the town’s location. It’s a lovely place to have on your doorstep, but it’s also an excellent starting point for exploring this part of the Dordogne.
Visit Issigeac
The medieval village of Issigeac is an easy trip from Eymet and feels completely different.
Its narrow streets, old houses and irregular layout make it a wonderful place to wander, and its Sunday morning market is one of the best known in the area.
It’s also somewhere we enjoy eating out – L’Atelier is one of our favourite restaurants in Issigeac.
Discover the local vineyards
Eymet sits between the wine regions of Bergerac and the Côtes de Duras, so visiting a vineyard and enjoying a wine tasting is an easy addition to your holiday.
There are plenty of family-run estates within a short drive, including Domaine du Siorac, just 10 minutes from La Petite Auberge, as well as vineyards around Monbazillac, Bergerac and Duras.
We’ve put together a separate guide to our favourite vineyards and wine estates in Bergerac and Duras, with the places we personally recommend visiting.
Spend a day at Château de Bridoire
If you’re travelling as a family, Château de Bridoire is another easy day out from Eymet.
Rather than being simply a château to walk around and admire, Bridoire is particularly well known for its traditional games and activities, which makes it much more entertaining for children – and, to be fair, for quite a few adults too.
Explore the bastides and villages
Eymet is surrounded by beautiful villages and bastide towns.
Issigeac, Monpazier, Biron and Villefranche-du-Périgord can all become lovely day trips, particularly when combined with a market, lunch or another attraction nearby.
And if you’re happy to travel a little further, an entirely different part of the Dordogne opens up.
Sarlat, Beynac, Castelnaud, La Roque-Gageac, Limeuil, the Vézère Valley and some of the Dordogne’s most famous sites are further from La Petite Auberge, but absolutely possible as a full day out.
We’ll cover those in a separate guide to the Dordogne places we think are really worth the drive.
Staying near Eymet
La Petite Auberge is just a few minutes from Eymet, which means our guests can enjoy everything happening in town while staying in the peace and space of the Dordogne countryside.
Our three independent gîtes can be rented separately or together, accommodating up to 21 guests, with almost three hectares of grounds and a large 10 × 5 metre swimming pool.
You can spend Thursday morning at Eymet market, come home for lunch and an afternoon beside the pool, then head back into town for dinner.
Or use La Petite Auberge as your base for exploring vineyards, villages, châteaux and the rest of the Dordogne.
For us, that’s one of the best things about being here: there’s plenty to discover when you want to explore – and absolutely no reason to go anywhere when you don’t.
Eymet FAQ
Is Eymet worth visiting?
Yes. Eymet is a historic bastide with a lively central square, cafés, restaurants, shops and a popular weekly market. It’s small enough to explore in a few hours, but there’s enough going on that many visitors return several times during their holiday.
What day is market day in Eymet?
Eymet’s traditional market takes place every Thursday morning throughout the year, with stalls spreading across the central square and surrounding streets.
When is the Eymet night market?
During the summer, Eymet’s night market traditionally takes place on Tuesday evenings. Exact dates vary each year, so check the current summer programme before your visit.
What can you do around Eymet?
Within easy reach of Eymet you’ll find vineyards and wine tastings, Château de Bridoire, Issigeac, Monbazillac and numerous villages and bastide towns. The famous Dordogne Valley and Sarlat area are further away but make excellent full-day trips.