Stay in Sarlat?

Where are going to eat if you stay in a cute place in the far beyonds - - Sarlat?

Not an answer to your question, but . . . You don't say which caves you plan to see or when; but you should check to see what the situation is regarding the need for or possibility of making reservations. Also, while you're in that area, I recommend a stop at l'Abri du Cap Blanc. It's a prehistoric relief carving into a limestone cliff (now enclosed). It takes about a half hour to tour and is very impressive.
I have no opinion about where to stay. We've been to the Dordogne twice, neither time staying in Sarlat. Once we had the free use of friends' cottage; the other, staying in a village about half an hour away from Sarlat. We never had a problem about getting dinner, so I don't know what Ed is going on about. Many inns offer dinner or are located in villages where there are restaurants. The country inn experience can be wonderful; on the other hand, Sarlat looks very appealing.

There are a few cave painting sights in the area, recommended in Rick's book; as I will be there on a Sat./Sun./Mon I have to go to the ones open, One is closed Sun.; other Mon. So will do by best to cover 2 and perhaps the Lascaux II reproduction which I read is good for overview...

If you have a car I give the edge to the small towns on the river. But it's close. Day trip to Sarlat for sure, if that's what you do. Plenty of decent restaurants in the valley, btw.

If you are at all into outdoor markets, Sarlat's Saturday market is a must stop. We went in 2011 while staying in Sarlat and it was a wonderful experience.

There's probably a couple dozen markets in the Dordogne each week. If you miss the one in Sarlat, you'll stumble across another one that will even have some of the same peddlers. Wednesday through Saturday are the most common days. And doesn't Sarlat have three or four a week?

We stayed in Beynac three years ago, just down the river from Sarlat, and liked it very much. There were three restaurants "downtown" along with a hotel, our B&B was a short walk up the hill (Le Petit Versailles, one of those recommended by RS, which we liked a lot). We were there five nights so had time for a couple of trips into Sarlat, a couple of caves, the prehistoric museum at Les Eyzies, some castles, and a day trip to Cahors (which might not have been the best use of that day). Sarlat had a good deal of traffic and it took awhile to get in and out of town, partly because of a construction project that must be over by now. You'll have a lot more choices of lodging and dining in Sarlat, and it's well worth seeing. For a short stay like yours, with only one full day for sightseeing, I'd recommend Sarlat as a base. That way you can experience the town without having to make a special trip there, and you can use your dedicated sightseeing time for the caves. Does that make sense?

We stayed in a lovely rental house in a little village nearby called Aillac. There were no shops or restaurants at all. If I were to go again, I would stay right in Sarlat. Sarlat is a lovely town for wandering around in and I agree the Saturday market is great. If you are lucky the Paella man will be there. He makes an Enormous pan of Paella (as big across as a kids swimming pool) and you buy it by weight. A wonderful and delicious meal!

Looks nice. My travel agent recommended Le Renoir, which may be better with a car; will have to check.