Thoumieux Restaurant, Paris

With Miri at conference and Drew on dialysis I decided a brisk walk south from the hotel and across the river to my old haunts in the 7th Arrondissement followed by a spot of lunch would be a perfect tonic for the previous two days of over indulgence. There is nothing more designed to uplift the spirits than a good walk on ones own across Paris, ogling the architecture and streetscape, enjoying the sounds and smells, with the knowledge that a good scoff at ones final destination is the reward for all this solitary exercise. One of my favourite restaurants in Paris is the Thoumieux on the Rue St Dominique, in the heart of this very bourgeois district. A neighbourhood known for it's quiet elegance, leafy streets, and the many embassies in the area. You know by the clientele what sort of district this aspires to. The men, all in their 50's and 60's attempt a slight foppish arrogance and the women (of a certain age) all sport that bullet proof hair-doo, slightly bobbed and lacquered to within a inch of its life (so favoured by well-off matrons) accompanied by a channel suit, pearls and a way of looking down their nose that intimidates even the most powerful of Maitre'des. I first visited this restaurant in 1984, when I spent some time living around the corner with an old friend in the Passage Jean Nicot. The Thoumieux, with its robust Gascon menu, very quickly established itself as a great favourite, especially during the chilly months of winter when robust and unsubtle is the order of the day. The Thoumieux does not have a grand Belle Époque dining room like so many other restaurants of this standard have in Paris. But its understated simplicity is part of its attraction. And it is elegant in its own way, with starched white tablecloths and napkins, fading paint, mirrored walls, low lights and good professional staff. I started with a light salad of soft lettuce leaves, Avocado, prawns and grapefruit segments doused in creamy vinaigrette. A lovely way to sharpen the tongue for the assault that was to come. The restaurant has its own label vin du table rouge, which is good enough to accompany such strong flavours - I ordered a bottle - drew breath and prepared myself. I ordered the restaurants signature dish, their famous cassoulet, which by the way shows a complete lack of imagination on my part, as I've consistantly ordered the same dish when ever I've been lucky enough to visit the Thoumieux during the last 20 years.

Now I know for many of my friends and fellow gastropods this cassoulet offers up a slight dilemma - For many years I have always cooked my cassoulet creamy and thick, using the back sheet of pork rind in the bottom of the casserole to stop the beans from burning during the many hours in the pot. But more importantly the rind imparts an unctuous creaminess from the collagen and fat that thickens the sauce as it's slowly released during the cooking. For years this is also how I've been served this dish in many regional restaurants in France and I know a lot of my friends like it this way as well. Many of them would be dissapointed if you couldn't use what was left over as wallpaper paste. The cassoulet the Thoumieux offers is much more separate in its consistency with a not-so-thick sauce, almost a broth, accompanied by distinct (as opposed to mushy) haricot beans and a very fresh flavour. I'm now convinced that this is the way all cassoulet should be served. As well as being much lighter to eat and therefore not requiring a lie down for two days to get over it, the separate tastes in the dish can actually be identified. The duck confit tastes of duck confit, the saucisse tastes like saucisse etc etc.

Now that I’ve had my damascene moment about cassoulet, I’m firmly convinced this is one of the best ones I’ve ever had. Of course there was no room after all this for pudding, which brings me to my only disappointment of the lunch. I thought I’d finish with a short coffee and a single malt. All they had at the bar was Johnny Walker, not the most erudite of drinks, and a surprising omission from such a good restaurant.

Thoumieux Restaurant
79, rue St. Dominique
Paris, France 75007
+33 1 47 05 49 75