Toulouse Restaurant - Our Review

March 11, 2015 by Rich - Foodie Reviewer

Toulouse Review

Ok, so last Sunday the age old argument started between my wife and I, where do we go for lunch? Now, the weather pays an important part in our decision, after all you don't want to be sitting in a dark intimate restaurant if it's lovely sunshine outside, albeit this sort of place has its romance on the right day! Well, the sun was certainly shining that morning, although rather chilly, so, we decided, Toulouse.

Not having been here since Christmas Day, a visit was well overdue.  Also, they had recently employed a new head chef, so that further swayed our decision.

Upon arrival we received a friendly greeting from the maître d. I must point out here, having eaten in the restaurant on numerous occasions over the years, the waiting staff have almost stayed the same, which straight away speaks volumes for the quality of an establishment. We were seated by the window which was perfect with the winter sun shining through, it could have been mid August not March!  

I love the layout of the restaurant, as the kitchen is open for all to see, this in itself, adds to the atmosphere. The a la carte menu is clear with plenty of starters and mains to choose; carnivores and fish eaters will not be disappointed. We decided to skip starters, but to go for their special Fruits de Mer. Now, unlike the traditional dish, the Toulouse twist is hot and cold seafood.  This arrived at the table on a three tier stand.  The top tier had half a dozen rock oysters, which were freshly shucked accompanied by lemon and a shallot vinaigrette (my favorite!). The middle tier included some breaded calamari rings which where not greasy, and very tender and some pan fried scallops which where perfectly cooked. Now my only gripe here was the number of scallops. Bearing in mind the dish is advertised for two, they served three scallops, which means you end up fighting over the third with your dining partner!

Moving on, finally on this tier, a generous bowl of moules mariniere, which where delightful. On to the bottom and largest tier; this comprised of two mini cod fillets deep fried in batter, nice, (although a little greasy), a plate of fresh anchovies, some peeled prawns, two warm smoked haddock fillets and smoked salmon. There was also a dressed crab, which was packed full of beautiful crab meat, and I love crab! The secret behind a dressed crab is obvious…CRAB!

This was perfect spread on the accompanying brown bread! If you like huge prawns then this is the dish for you; four of the largest prawns concluded the bottom tier, and they were lovely! The whole dish was accompanied by a spicy mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce. We decided to order a side of their triple cooked chips as well. These where fantastic, almost like crispy roast potatoes, and perfectly fluffy on the inside. However, this was un-necessary as the Fruits de Mer was enough on its own.

To drink! Another very important part of a restaurant..... Now, I often judge a restaurant on how quickly you are offered your first drink. There is nothing worse than being seated, presented with the menu, and your waiter/waitress wandering off! Not only are they missing a sale, to sip a drink whilst perusing the menu, in my view, is mandatory!

Well, Toulouse didn’t disappoint, we were offered a drink with the menu, and we both enjoyed a Peroni. The wine list at Toulouse is pretty good, and not too overwhelming. We enjoyed a lovely bottle of Picpoul De Pinet, which is a perfect match with fish, and a very under rated wine. At only £23 a bottle a bargain too. After we had consumed the main dish (which actually beat us!) sadly there was no room for pudding. But the pudding menu did look lovely. The bill arrived, and on the face of it, the Fruit De Mer is not a cheap dish at £69. However, you do get a lot of food for your money, and remember this is a dish for two!

To summarise, Toulouse is an established restaurant, in a beautiful position. I have eaten here many times before and have never had a bad experience. So, I would thoroughly recommend, if you haven’t already, to give this place a try, I’ll put my neck on the line, you will not be disappointed.