France

Sharing a little less enthusiasm than Passepertout did for visiting his homeland, we set sail from England to France.

French food has a reputation for being snobby, the country still holds the record for the most Michelin starred restaurants in the world (632, if you’re wondering). After all, in French cuisine, you’re not only tasting the food, you’re judging the technique of the chefs, the freshness of the ingredients and the atmosphere in which the food is consumed.

The French Revolution was a revolution for French cooking too, cooks for the aristocracy were out of jobs so they opened restaurants (which is different to the inns and cafes which existed before the revolution). The term “restaurant” comes from the “restorative” soups sold in the establishments.

Toulouse-Lautrec - The person

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is a name you may have heard, along other Post-Impressionists like Van Gogh or Cezzane. He produced a collection of enticing, elegant, and provocative images of the sometimes decadent affairs of the late 19th century. Toulouse-Lautrec even painted posters for Moulin Rouge (his character even appears in the film as main supporting character; he’s the reason the protagonists meet!), along with other Parisian nightclubs.

So what does this artist have to do with food, we hear you ask? Well, Toulouse-Lautrec was an excellent chef and even had his own recipes, which were later published as L'Art de la Cuisine. This book is an ode to his innovative cooking. And by innovative we mean making marmots sunbathe before stewing them or chasing a chicken around your yard to ensure it’s tender.

Toulouse Lautrec - The restaurant

So did the restaurant live up to Toulouse-Lautrec’s name?

It’s considered a good sign when you are greeted at the door by a waiter who’s native to the restaurant’s cuisine. At Toulouse-Lautrec we were greeted by a friendly French waiter, who was happy to steer us towards authentic food and drink to try, or as Jason eloquently put it “the most French thing on the menu”.

The restaurant has 3 levels of unique rooms. Passing through the downstairs dining area with open wood beams and stucco walls, you make your way up a wooden staircase past the open kitchen. Our table on the first floor overlooked the kitchen and gave us a perfect view of the grand piano. The upstairs has a jazz club, with different performances each night, which come highly recommended.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is truly rustic, with a hidden rooftop on the first floor. The finishing touch to the decor were several of Lautrec’s posters dotted throughout the place.

During the course of the evening we were treated to some live piano music. The musican passionately played well known songs with a jazz twist, fitting for the feel of the venue. And most pleasing of all, the music was loud enough to enjoy without being so loud that it intruded on the table conversation.

The menu is fairly limited in options, but what it does have, seems to be an authenticate representation of traditional, hearty French food. This is not a place for vegetarians or vegans to have a full meal, although one or two options were available on the specials menu.

At the waiter’s recommendation, Jason went for cassoulet; a dish of white haricot beans baked with meats, cooked in a cassole d'Issel pot, from which the dish takes it name. Polina choose the Guinea fowl, or Poulet d'Inde, a bird which deceptively takes the name from India but actually originated in Africa and has been breed in Europe since the 14th century.

It was interesting to be able to see into the kitchen while the food was being prepared, partly because every time food was being beautifully placed on a plate, you wondered if that is for you. The foods taste and aesthetic both were excellent. We highly recommend the creme brûlée for dessert, just remember to hit it with a spoon to hear the crack of the caramelised sugar.

As you might expect in a French restaurant, the prices were on the higher side, but you’re paying for the high quality of the food and the great atmosphere.

We may have come with less enthusiasm that Passepartout would have, but the Toulouse-Lautrec changed our minds and was a wonderful way to start our trip into Europe.

Onwards! We head North!

Recommendations

While we are only able to go to one place per country, we want to share with you some other awesome places we found/got recommended if you want to try it out and let us know

• Chez Lindsay TW10 6UQ - Authentic French cooking from Brittany, in Richmond Upon Thames