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Auvergne food in Clermont-Ferrand: dishes, cheeses and markets

Published 4 June 2021

In Clermont-Ferrand, everyday cooking rests on three things: potatoes, cheese and mountain charcuterie. The easiest way to discover them is to order a truffade in a restaurant in the centre, then wander round the covered market of Saint-Pierre to bring back a few cheeses. Here are some useful pointers.

Dishes to order in restaurants

• Truffade: potatoes cooked in a frying pan and mixed with fresh Cantal tomme until the cheese turns stringy, served with cured ham and a green salad. It is a hearty dish; one portion is often enough for a full meal.
• Aligot: mashed potato worked at length with fresh tomme and garlic. It comes from the Aubrac, further south, but you will find it on many Clermont menus, often with a sausage.
• Potée auvergnate: cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes and pieces of pork cooked together. It is mainly a winter dish.
• Pounti: a kind of soft terrine with Swiss chard, bacon and prunes, originally from the Cantal, served hot or cold.

The most traditional menus tend to be found in the brasseries of the old town and in mountain inns. If you head up towards the Sancy, our article on the Chaudefour valley gives some mountain inn addresses.

The five PDO cheeses of Auvergne

Auvergne has five cheeses with protected designation of origin (AOP). A board with all five lets you compare the styles:

1. Saint-nectaire, a soft cheese with a bloomy rind, made in the Monts Dore, south-west of Clermont.
2. Cantal, a pressed cheese, sold young, medium or old depending on how long it has been matured.
3. Salers, close to Cantal, but made only on farms and only from summer milk.
4. Fourme d'Ambert, a mild blue cheese, tall and cylindrical in shape.
5. Bleu d'Auvergne, stronger and creamier.

Ask the cheesemonger how old each piece is: a young Cantal and an old Cantal have almost nothing in common.

Clermont's markets

The Marché Saint-Pierre, right in the centre between Place de Jaude and the cathedral, is the most convenient if you are staying in the old town. Under the market hall and around it you will find cheesemongers, butchers and charcutiers, greengrocers and a few counters for a quick bite. It is open several days a week, but not on Sundays: check the opening hours before you go.

The Halle Saint-Joseph, on Rue d'Ennezat, hosts a market all year round on Fridays from 7 am to 12 noon, with a more local feel.

The tourist office keeps an up-to-date list of markets in the area, including neighbourhood markets and summer markets in nearby towns.

Auvergne wines to go with it

The hillsides around Clermont produce wines under the Côtes-d'Auvergne appellation, recognised as PDO in 2011. Five terroir names can appear on the label: Chanturgue, on the heights of Clermont, Châteaugay, Corent, Boudes and Madargue. The reds, made from Gamay and Pinot Noir, are light and go well with charcuterie and pressed cheeses.

And if you head north, the neighbouring Bourbonnais has its own speciality: pâté aux pommes de terre, a potato pie with cream that you will find at bakeries in the Allier.

Cooking your finds at your accommodation

One of the advantages of staying in an apartment is being able to bring back a piece of saint-nectaire, some ham and a bottle of Côtes-d'Auvergne from the market for dinner at home. Our apartments in central Clermont are a few minutes' walk from the Marché Saint-Pierre, and each has a fully equipped kitchen. They can be booked from one night, cleaning and linen included. To go further, our article on Puy-de-Dôme specialities suggests visits to local producers, and our guide to a weekend in Clermont-Ferrand helps you plan the rest of your stay.