Recently, my friends and I drove out to Les Bois des Aresquiers for a hike. Not before having lunch, though. Driving through Frontignan, I vaguely remembered a restaurant called something with a fish. So when I spotted signs for Le Poisson Rouge, we decided to go for it. As we pulled up in the middle of a residential area, I thought I was witnessing the end of my reputation as the South of France expert… But we were very hungry and needed some food, so we entered what seemed like the back entrance of the restaurant anyway. And what a pleasant surprise awaited us!
Aperitif Le Poisson Rouge
As soon as we stepped through the door, we walked into an inviting open space, exquisitely decorated with natural materials. And outside, we marvelled over the terrace with a view over the Mediterranean Sea. Although it was a Tuesday outside of the high season, the place was packed. A promising sign! The minute we sat down, we were immediately treated with an amuse-bouche. The huge glass filled with homemade olive tapenade went very well with our aperitif of local wines and kir royales.
Copious
After reading the tempting and authentic menu, with an emphasis on delicacies from the sea, my friends went for a copious salad as a main dish, priced at 15 euros. I opted for the 19 euro ‘Marché du Jour’ menu, including starter, main and dessert. While the girls received their plate of oysters locally caught from the Bassin de Thau, I had a small salad with tomato confit and crayfish tails as a starter. And by the time my friends were savouring their richly filled salads as their main dish, I was enjoying my fillet of mullet on a bed of freshly prepared tabbouleh.
Café Gourmand
If you have a sweet tooth, like me, or if you have difficulty choosing, I suggest you order a ‘Café Gourmand’ for dessert. This fantastic- French?- invention allows you to discover several small desserts served alongside your coffee. My friends went for this suggestion, and luckily Le Poisson Rouge served a great one. The platter included some of France’s dessert classics, as well as a smaller version of the passion fruit crème brûlée that came with my menu. After our delicious lunch, I, fortunately, regained my hard-earned reputation as the South of France expert ;).
