Gaïa

31000 TOULOUSE

12/20
Gourmet Restaurant

Cooking Mediterranean | Tapas

Gault&Millau's review

12/20

Gourmet Restaurant We're not worrying too much about the success of this new star in the old heart of the Ville Rose, in the name of Mother Earth (Gaïa), launched like a rocket a few weeks ago by two Stade arrows accustomed to winning breakthroughs, Antoine Dupont and Pierre-Louis Barassi. For the occasion, they teamed up with two industry professionals, recruiting young Emma Cazorla, a Ferrandi-trained chef who has also worked at Le Sept and the George V, to work in the kitchen. The result is a place that's both festive (DJs Thursday to Saturday evenings) and inspired by the Mediterranean. Set in the inner courtyard of a handsome townhouse, the setting is splendid, with several beautifully decorated spaces that are elegant, warm, exotic and comfortable. Add to this the 80-cover terrace in the courtyard, which will be one of Toulouse's new spots in fine weather. There's something for everyone on the rich and varied menu (fish, meat, pasta, veggie dishes...). The plates are beyond reproach (particularly with respect to cooking), and are worthy of a toque, especially the signature dish (already!) of grilled octopus with bacon from Bigorre black pork, and the XXL pavlova to share finishes the job off nicely. The service is young, smiling, eager to do well, still getting the hang of it, and the cellar is not very interesting at the moment, but varied and not too expensive.