Gaia Restaurant, Foix, South-Western France

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in that quintessential south-western French town of Foix, little more than an hour by car from Toulouse, it would behove you  to visit a snug, unpretentious little restaurant called Gaia. Tucked away in a narrow cobbled street of three storey shuttered village houses, this honest gem not only boasts  a transcontinental following but also enjoys fans from countries far and wide.

Accompanied by my gorgeous daughter and two internationally acclaimed wine and food connoisseurs from the Midi Pyrennee region I relished this opportunity to experience the gentle lunchtime fare of Englishman John Player delivered to our table with such glad and gracious tidings by his lovely Australian wife.  We’d chosen a quiet day and this allowed us a chance to engage with the owners and  to linger over our meals with the everpresence of a bevvy of beautiful local wines, predominated by the much-loved rose style so popular in the region but, of course, including the 2008 Minervois pictured below.

The Plat du Jour, Tagine de poulet au confit de citron et olive verts was a towering feast of flavour, a sensational stack, a soft, creamy cabochon to be savoured and treasured with every precious mouthful. The full gambit of flavours had been well captured in the dish and reflected the care, attention and respect shown to the ingredients during the preparation and cooking stages.

 Chef John’s tiny kitchen is open to view and diners can see him at work during the course of their meals, giving an intimate touch of reality to the experience and valuable interactivity.

Tarte au citron may not sound particularly flambouyant in dessert terms but I can assure you that the very homely, non-commercial nature of this beautiful sweet was a melting moment of luscious joy. Exquisite texture, perfectly moist and bursting with the summeriness of the season’s harvest. Gaia and its owners   have every reason to celebrate the success of this most excellent petite restaurant. I will revisit when next luxuriating in South-West France!