Cartouches - Toulouse

Superb dinner and friendly service. Best meal in a while. The cod was delicious and their local wines magnificent. Be sure to book in advance.

I booked this restaurant as it was awarded a Michelin 'Bib and that is usually indicative of competent kitchen. Sadly this wasn 't the case, while the place looks good and unpretentious, the food was diabolical. I met a friend who had just flown in from L.A and who owns a famous Gastro-Pub in London The Cow (I have also opened four in London) and both of us know what we are talking about. The starter was some kind of prawn croque-monsieur half grilled in Hovis type bread in a puddle of tinned tomato sauce. Totally inedible. The main was Lievre a la Royale which is a classic of Bourgeois cuisine (Hare in rich red wine sauce). The meat looked as it has been reconstituted, no flavour or sauce! for that matter, garnished with some parsnip chips which were OK but worth €36.00 a plate. Dessert, a baked Alaska or Omelette Norvegienne was OK but probably industrial. We downed two bottles of red wine in our sorrows, a Gamay and a Côte du Rhone, both most quaffable but pricey. The service was fine and helpful with a young ebullient woman doubling as waitress and Sommelier. The head chef was narly bordering on rude and didn 't seem to be doing much cooking. Toulouse has a plethora of restaurants but this one should be given a wider birth at all cost. Bill came to an eye watering €219.00 for which in London or Paris you can dine out like a king. Sorry to post such a negative review but I believe it important that other folk don 't suffer the same experience.

Always reluctant to write bad reviews about owner proprietor restaurants, but the service at Cartouches was so bad, it is the rare exception. We arrived on a blisteringly hot evening in August and were pointed to a table, rather than greeted, and handed menus, again without any words or welcome. And then we waited ... and waited ... and waited. The small dining room was impossibly hot, so that the lady at the next table and my partner ended up standing outside. Meanwhile, I kept trying to attract the attention of the young woman who seemed to be the only person serving to get water, bread, a drink, anything! but without success. Finally, I after 20 minutes, I did speak to woman, but only because I got up and went to where she was to tell her we were leaving. They charged a no show fee, which I am all in favour of if customers don't show, but that wasnt the case here. And, if you want to complain to the restaurant, good luck trying since they don't seem to have a functioning email.

Very nice kitchen. Everything is fresh and beautifully prepared

Very good food quality and very good service Only the negative point was to eat very tight at the bar