After Paris, we headed down south to Avignon for a change of landscape. As the gateway into the Provence region, Avignon is a popular base for tourists wishing to explore the lavender fields and little hilltop villages that are scattered round the incredibly beautiful countryside. The city itself is home to two important historical monuments, the Palais des Papes (medieval seat of the Popes before they moved back to Rome for good) and the Pont St. Benezet (also known as the 'Pont d'Avignon', and the inspiration behind the popular French folk song 'Sur le pont d'Avignon').
For two of the three nights that we were there, we had dinner at a local restaurant La Tour, which we found through Tripadvisor, not knowing any better about the culinary scene in Avignon. We had committed a cardinal foodie sin on the first night by going to a restaurant on the main square in front of the Palais des Papes that had menus in every imaginable language; I should have known better but was too tired to look for anything off the beaten track that evening (this tourist trap turned out to be extremely mediocre in food and service, and was also relatively expensive). So, I was determined to find something better for the rest of our stay in Avignon, and based on the reviews for La Tour, I figured we couldn't go very wrong.
This charming restaurant is located in a beautiful little courtyard off a side street in the city centre, on the grounds of a 14th-century tower (hence its name) and cellar used to store spices for the Palais des Papes. It is run by husband-and-wife team Yves (chef) and Isabelle (hostess). Chef Yves has trained in a couple of Michelin-starred restaurants and posh hotel kitchens in France, which looked extremely promising to me. Reservations are essential - as a very small business they can only handle a limited number of diners per sitting, and on both evenings we witnessed quite a few people who tried to simply walk in and got turned away by Isabelle in the friendliest possible manner.
To sit in the courtyard having dinner was a real pleasure - it was truly an oasis of peace and quiet amidst the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas not too far away. I feel that special mention is also due to Isabelle's excellent service; it was so warm and personal from the very beginning that we felt right at home.
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| Historical interior (in summer all diners are seated outside in the courtyard unless they request otherwise) |
La Tour offers two three-course menu options at 26 and 33 Euros, with two choices for each course (except for starters which are fixed) - extremely reasonable considering the quality of the food that we were about to get. We tried both menus over the two evenings, and between us covered all the dishes that the restaurant had to offer.
Amuse-bouche: vegetable tabbouleh with anchovy cream (both evenings).
This was the first time I've been offered an amuse-bouche in a casual restaurant - a truly nice and surprising gesture. This little morsel was delicious; the sweet and aromatic tabbouleh, with a nice crunch in the finely-chopped bits of vegetable and a firm bite to the grains, went hand-in-hand with the rich, velvety and savoury anchovy cream. I couldn't wait for the main meal to begin!
Menu 1 at 33 Euros
Starter: house smoked salmon, melon with gooseberries and mixed greens.
A very well presented dish with vibrant colours. A more healthy substitute for ham, the salmon was fresh and not too salty, and the fruits made for a juicy and refreshing complement. The one component that really stood out was the anise powder mixed with the diced melon; this sweet and intensely aromatic spice gave an interesting edge to an otherwise good but predictable flavour combination.
Main course: grilled French veal tenders, parmesan and tomato risotto.
A simple dish perhaps, but everything was cooked to perfection. The meat was incredibly tender and succulent, while the risotto was rich, creamy, and full of flavour, with individual grains still retaining a firm bite. The cherry tomato topping was particularly delightful - to have its fresh juices burst in the mouth upon chewing was a real pleasure.
Main course: fillet of John Dory, tagliatelle with eggplant and a sweet pepper sauce.
This was a brilliant dish - the fish, with its naturally rich and buttery texture, was cooked to a moist and velvety perfection. It is quite uncommon outside fine restaurants to find this premium fish, and even rarer to find chefs who really know what to do with it. The tagliatelle was done to a very nice al dente texture, and the accompaniments of chunks of naturally creamy eggplant as well as the sauce reinforced this picture of understated luxury.
Dessert: chocolate mousse, chocolate sorbet, and mixed red fruits.
Unashamedly indulgent, the mousse was extremely thick and creamy, while the sorbet, whilst possessing an unusual lightness, was no less intense in flavour. The chocolate used must have been of very high quality - full bodied with a long aftertaste. Luxurious.
Dessert: apricot, roasted and in sorbet, on an almond and white chocolate cake.
A healthier and equally delightful option making full use of the most common seasonal fruit. The contrast between the cold sorbet and the slightly warm roasted apricot and almond cake was most pleasurable. This dessert was also a study in textures, from the light and smooth sorbet, to the juicy roasted apricots, and the moist and grainy almond cake studded with velvety bits of white chocolate. A generous pool of subtly aromatic regional lavender honey on the side was a surprise touch that completed this picture of seasonal delights.
This first dinner was definitely on par with some of the Michelin-starred set lunches that I've had, and I didn't hesitate to give my compliments to Isabelle, who was obviously very pleased that we enjoyed the food so much. I really thought that we got much more than we paid for.
We were so impressed with the quality and portion sizes of the food that we decided to return the next evening on a whim, and we were very lucky that exactly one table was free!
There was a slight blooper at the beginning of this second dinner - Isabelle forgot about us after we were sat down, and we were kept waiting for the menu for about 10 minutes. Upon realising her mistake, she apologised promptly and offered us an additional side of olives after we ordered our food. Good service recovery, I must say.
Menu 2 at 26 Euros
Starter: terrine of poultry, sun-dried tomatoes and olives, mixed greens.
This was quite agreeable, if somewhat commonplace; the chicken remained reasonably moist, and though a tad bland itself, was compensated for by the tasty chunks of tomato and olives scattered throughout the terrine.
Main course: basil gratiné of Provençal lamb shoulder, brochette of potatoes.
This was an incredibly aromatic dish saturated by the fragrance of basil, a popular herb in Southern French cuisine. In the cocotte lay fork-tender and succulent chunks of lamb in a thick stew, topped by a generous layer of basil pesto. The characteristic smell of lamb that some people find repulsive was nowhere to be detected here; all that remained were mouthfuls of fragrant, full-bodied, melt-in-the-mouth goodness, waiting to be savoured. The skewer of roasted potatoes with a sprinkling of basil was also very good - crispy and aromatic on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. A most substantial and satisfying dish.
Main course: red mullet fillets with shredded courgettes, fried gnocchi, and basil pesto dressing.
The chef certainly knows what to do with fish - like the John Dory dish of the previous evening, this was done to perfection. Firm but moist, every mouthful was a pleasure. The fried chewy gnocchi was pure comfort food, while the generous mound of shredded courgettes provided a healthy balance. Lashings of aromatic basil pesto enhanced the appeal of this thoroughly enjoyable and wholesome dish.
Dessert: vanilla crème brûlée with a planter's sorbet.
A traditional dessert with a twist - the crème brûlée was exceptional, with soft wobbly custard infused with the rich flavours of vanilla. The presence of crushed real vanilla pods throughout the custard was proof of its authenticity and high quality. This rich component was balanced by a small glass of sorbet (in name) that was really a margarita (it even comes with salt along the rim and a straw); curiously named 'planter's sorbet', it was actually a concoction designed by Isabelle herself, consisting of rum, exotic fruits, and cinnamon - rum being the dominant flavour almost at the expense of everything else unfortunately, but still a refreshing complement to its more indulgent other half nonetheless.
Dessert: iced peach delicacy, chocolate sauce.
This was one pairing I didn't understand; the peach parfait was excellent to begin with - so light in texture, flavourful, yet not cloyingly sweet - and the addition of a strangely watery and weak chocolate sauce nearly spoiled it. It would have been much better to leave the chocolate out of the picture, and let the quality of the fruit shine through undisturbed.
Summary notes: fantastic value for money, good location in the city centre yet not touristy, peaceful, cosy ambience, extremely genuine and personal service. This was authentic home-style cooking with passion, and ingredients were of a consistently high quality. With a few minor tweaks to the food, this little restaurant could be destined for greater accolades. It is one establishment to which I'll certainly return if I'm ever in Avignon again.
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