Summer update
The heatwave has finally broken - although sadly not with as much rain as we had hoped, but we're already enjoying the cooler mornings and evenings.
If you're sick of sheltering indoors, and desperate to get out again, why not come along to our tapas night at the Bar de Varen on Wednesday 22nd July, 18h-21h? Temperatures are forecast to be mid-20s for the evening - quel joie!
We're cooking up some delicious Spanish tapas dishes using local ingredients where possible, and we can't wait for you to try them. Relaxed and convivial atmosphere guaranteed. Reservations advised. Get in touch to reserve your place.
After that we're looking forward to our August Soirée Festin on the 7th. The menu pays tribute to one of our favourite ways to eat in the summer - with generous sharing platters lining the table.
Soirée Tapas Espagnole | Bar de Varen | 22nd July
Come and join us for an evening of Spanish style food and fun at the Bar de Varen. We’ve got a wide selection of tapas dishes including plenty of vegetarian options. Top tip - don’t miss out on the Torrijas, which are a firm favourite with patrons - delicious morsels of custard-soaked pain perdu, fried in brown butter and tossed in cinnamon sugar, served with poached apricots.
Soirée Festin | Les Mirabelles | 7th August
We’ve just finished developing the menu for August’s Soirée Festin, and it looks like a corker! We start with a welcome drink. This month, as our own mirabelles ripen, we're offering a mirabelle and cardamom shrub with local white vermouth and sparkling water. This is a light and refreshing aperitif, made to whet the appetite. Alongside this, you can snack on our delicious sweet onion and rosemary focaccia with local olive oil from the Tarn and aged balsamic vinegar.
Once gathered around the table, you'll begin with a tomato tart tatin with black olive crumb. Heritage tomatoes from the ferme de la Verdurette sit atop buttery, crisp, homemade puff pastry for the perfect taste of summer.
For the main course, we're serving up sharing platters of tender guinea fowl (pintade) dressed with white wine, olives and wild oregano. For vegetarians, we've prepared roasted peppers stuffed with fresh goats cheese, olives and oregano on a tomato and basil sauce. Both dishes are served with heaps of shoestring fries, generous dollops of paprika-spiked aioli, and courgette, pea, ricotta and mint salad.
Roquefort serves as our cheese course, with fresh figs and homemade quince jelly. Then a palate cleanser of zurra (white sangria) jelly with apricots in sherry takes us into dessert.
Finally, we round off the meal with a Peach Melba-inspired pavlova: meringue nests - crunchy on the outside, soft inside - topped with poached peaches, raspberry coulis, soft crème Chantilly and a light crème anglaise.
Take a look at our website or social media for the full menu and more information - but be quick, there are only two places left! We’ll also have a waiting list for cancellations.