La Forge du Vieil Alby — Restaurant in Albi

Our second visit after a poor first visit last year. We wanted to give it a second chance. However we will not return again as nothing has improved. The food was good but not outstanding. It lacked technique and execution but overall it was just ok. Unfortunately parts of the food were allowed to go cold while the final part was cooked before being plated. Perhaps bad teamwork or lack of staff in the kitchen? The atmosphere of the restaurant is charming but please get rid of the iPad menus. It is not helping your clients choose and understand the menu fully, difficult to see all the options on a small screen. Discussing the menu as a group is important but only 1 or 2 iPads per table make this impossible. What's wrong with simple paper or wall menu? Technology is not always an improvement. The service was terrible but not the fault of the waiting staff. She was clearly doing too many jobs on her own. Inevitably the service was slow and lacking in every way. Seemingly untrained too. Overall it was ok, but it could be so much better with finesse needed in all areas. The toilets were unclean and blocked too. But no staff available to...

We stumbled upon a real gem today for lunch, La Forge du Vieil Alby in the heart of Albi. Tucked away in a cozy space with beautiful brick arches that echo the city’s architectural soul, the restaurant had this quiet warmth and charm that made us instantly feel at home. • And maybe it was serendipity, the only table available just happened to be next to a display case filled with vintage Armagnac bottles. My partner lit up like a kid in a candy shop. Honestly, he spent most of the meal eyeing the labels and planning which year he would choose for a post-meal digestif. Pure joy! • The menu was a fixed three-course meal, and everything was beautifully prepared. My partner began with the salmon starter and guinea fowl main, and even braved a bold chocolate (surprisingly delicious!). • I had a creamy risotto in beet broth with asparagus, followed by a large piece of lamb. I ended with a towering vanilla crème brûlée that I almost could not finish. • It was one of those slow, indulgent meals, over two hours of good food, and soaking up the moment. Albi continues to charm us...

The welcome we received here was quite reserved, which made us feel a little uncomfortable at first, but this changed once we sat down and ordered. The ambience is very relaxing with discreet music in the background, and the room is very pleasant to be in. The staff were friendly and helpful, but got slightly confused with one allergy request and one dislike request -but with no ill effects so it was by no means a disaster. We all ordered from the 36€ menu, (there are two more expensive options) which had excellent choices. All of the food was delicious and beautifully presented, with manageable portions. Two of us tried the Gaillac red and rose wines which were both delicious. We have been to one other restaurant in Albi, which had a similarities in its menu and price, but this restaurant was far better and a more enjoyable setting. We would...