Last year, Chéri and I discovered a fantastic local restaurant: La Carte Timbrée, which means ‘the stamped postcard’, appropriately located in the former post office in Thézan-lès-Béziers. I knew of this sleepy village thanks to our girl’s violin lessons and would never have expected such a small place to host such a fine restaurant. From what I heard around us, it was about time that we finally visited this excellent culinary addition to the area.
Superbly
Every little detail is thought of at La Carte Timbrée, from the appetizing dishes to the trendy interior and everything in between. The chef Mathieu and host Chloé have renovated the restaurant rather rigorously. As Chéri and I walked towards the former post office, we could only but conclude that the owners had improved the place superbly. The restaurant looks so inviting, with its colourful terrace surrounded by pretty flowers. In addition, the bifold doors blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Therefore, even though we sat inside, it felt like we were part of the exterior.
Around the globe
La Carte Timbrée works with an à la carte menu that changes monthly and a new set menu every day. As Chéri and I came for lunch, we both opted for the 18 euro three-course menu, which included a glass of wine. We started with a savoury and freshly cut beef carpaccio, decorated with multi-coloured pickled carrots on top. The main course included a spot-on grilled chunk of salmon, which came on a bed of grapefruit couscous and a yoghurt dip with fresh herbs on the side. These beautifully presented and tasty dishes demonstrated that the chef had travelled around the globe and knows his way around a variety of cuisines.
Millefeuille
Although the starter and main course were light dishes, the dessert was more of a feast. The chocolate millefeuille was everything I had wished for. Heavenly chocolate and vanilla cream under two layers of homemade puff pastry, drizzled with a fruity passionfruit sauce. This restaurant certainly knows how to prepare their food with great care and attention to detail. Ever since our first visit to La Carte Timbrée, Chéri has tried to take me back for lunch numerous times. The restaurant is clearly on his favourites list!
