Côté Resto — Restaurant in Limoux

Sometimes a restaurant makes a wonderful first impression, only to see it crumble bit by bit. This was one of those cases.

The evening started off on the wrong foot: our table was placed under a lamp that kept flickering non-stop. An irritating distraction that did little to add to the ambiance. After asking to be moved, we were given a table right next to the kitchen and service station. Convenient for the staff, perhaps, but far from ideal for a relaxed dining experience.

Halfway through the evening, the music suddenly stopped. A small detail, but you immediately noticed how the atmosphere deflated. What didn’t help either were the flies that seemed constantly drawn to our food. Small inconveniences, yet in a restaurant experience they pile up quickly.

Service felt inconsistent. A cappuccino turned out not to be a cappuccino at all, but coffee topped with whipped cream — despite this being explained beforehand. It gave the impression that convenience was chosen over care.

And then the food itself: surprisingly good. The duck was excellent, and the Caesar salad hit all the right notes. The steak, however, was underwhelming; unremarkable and somewhat flat in flavor. Unfortunately, the evening took a serious turn when one of our party fell ill after eating the beef tartare — a mistake no restaurant can afford to make.

And yet, the location is stunning. Which makes it all the more important to get the basics right. The potential is there, but dining out is about more than just well-prepared food; it’s about the overall experience. And that’s exactly where this restaurant missed the mark.

A talented kitchen, but a messy experience and a severe food safety issue mean I won’t be planning a return visit...

We had a warm welcome and our waiters were friendly and efficient. The chicken curry was a strange mix of cuisine, a well cooked piece of chicken on a bed of mashed potato in a light sauce flavoured with a pinch of curry powder. I suggest the chef looks at the work of Atul Kochhar or another fine Indian chef for inspiration. It took me 4 days and 3 emails to make this reservation because they insisted that I used their new on-line booking system which did not work initially. It was not my job to sort out their system. I suspect these were teething problems and we will be pleased to dine there again. Very good value included a glass of their...

The food was great, wonderfully simple, local and flavorful.

That said, it is never pleasant leaving a dissatisfied review on an establishment you have been wanting to go to for so long feeling like you were let down. In this case simply by the low level of consideration and accommodation by the staff in the restaurant. The welcome, the seating, the service. I prefer not to leave details of grievances, you are more than welcome to contact me. Some of the issues where the basics in hospitality and unnecessary altered a positive experience. That said, the ladies in the Tasting room where 10/10. Accommodating, informative and above all pleasant and...