Touósto

Pale green walls, golden banquettes, a Zimbabwean black granite bar… This cool café, named Touósto (which means “tartine” in the local patois), is run by Émilie Fleys (ex-Café Bras) in the kitchen and Édouard Albaret (ex-Petite Auberge in Bezonnes) with the wines. On the menu the day we went for lunch: a soft-boiled egg from the Ferme de Quintard that could have been a little jammier, placed within a zucchini velouté and topped with julienned zucchini, fried country ham chips, razor-thin radish slices and croutons; a delightful chicken suprême from the Boubal farm, moistened by a curried coconut milk and paired with kasha, sweet potato purée, local chickpeas and haricots verts; before an utterly simple chocolate mousse sprinkled with buckwheat grains, chocolate shortbread and vanilla ice cream. At night, it’s a tapas party – cream of lentils with chickpeas; veal rump with sauce gribiche; yogurt, organic honey and granola – and brunch is also served on Sundays. // Gérard Roubeix

FEELING THIRSTY? A Birlou kir (white wine and apple-chestnut liqueur from the Cantal for €5), before oodles of living wines: Un coup de dés jamais n’abolira le hasard, a Côtes-du-Rhône red from the Château de Montfrit (€6 a glass), La Gouyate, a Bergerac blanc from the Château Barouillet (€26 a bottle), Fer…Play, an Aveyron red from Philippe Gard & Filles (€24)… Or an Aubrac lager from the Brasserie d’Olt (€4.50 for 330 ml).
PRICE: Combo menu €16.50, set menu €20 (lunch), tapas €6-12 (dinner), brunch €29, kids’ menu €16.50 (Sunday).