We arrived in the pouring rain and the place was packed. It was full of students and families having a lazy Sunday brunch. As we entered from the cold drizzle, the smell of warm bread hit us and we instantly new we were in a good place.
The first thing we saw was this:
An amazing arrangement of fresh viennoiseries (that's croissants and pain au chocolats for my English speaking friends), baguettes and little treats like donuts and tarts; ideal for a very wet Sunday in the South. The restaurant itself was light and airy with windows lining the walls, filling the room with a wonderful, warm light. There were plenty of friendly staff working like bees dancing around, gathering orders and setting places. Behind the counter there was a TV with the flames of a wood fire on the screen. Usually things like this make me hurl, as they're completely naff, but this somehow worked and added to the warm atmosphere.Now for the important things: the food. Karl's' slogan is "all day eating" and you certainly can do this here: 'Le Matin' (The Morning), 'Le Midi' (Lunch) and 'L'après-Midi' (The Afternoon). We got there at 11ish so ate from the 'Le Matin' menu and were not disappointed by soggy toast and tinned tomatoes; this brunch was no dodgy fry-up. There weren't rubbery eggs or greasy sausage in sight, and for once I was glad (as I am one for a fry-up). A typically continental menu but with something for everyone; from muesli and fruit to the classic French combination of croissants and coffee- French breakfast at it's best. And then there was my option: 'assiette de Provence'. A delicious mix of cold meats, olive bread, goats cheese, sun dried tomatoes and marinated courgette, red pepper and aubergine. And to top it all off, two fresh baguettes with lots of creamy butter and about 6 different spreads. The only thing missing was Marmite, but seeing as I'm in France I'll let that one pass...
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Between us all, we had enough food to feed the Welsh rugby team (who won the day before, I'll proudly add!) My plate was definitely share-able between two but it was so good I ate (almost) all of it myself. The creamy goats cheese wrapped in a sharp and rich sun dried tomatoes on some of the warm olive bread tasted just like Summer and made me very happy on a gray day like Sunday. The orange juice was so fresh; I've never had anything like it. I'm sure they just smooshed an orange around a bit in my glass. A perfectly sharp accompaniment to cut through the rich meat and cheese. A delicious combination of Mediterranean flavours. I felt like I was on a warm beach somewhere on the Côte d'Azur, not in the rain in Bordeaux.There really is nothing better than fresh bread, good meat and strong cheese; flavours that are simple yet sublime. Just delicious.
So, if you do ever go to Bordeaux and fancy a spot of lunch, do stop by at Karl's as you'll get great food at a reasonable price that will make you happy for the rest of the day, it certainly did it for me. As we left to be tourists for the day, we had to push through the crowd at the door to leave. If my words don't show how good the food was there, then that definitely does.
When I think of French breakfast, I now think of Karl's.
Burt Lancaster once said "I judge a restaurant by the bread and the coffee". If this is anything to go by, Karl's would get 10/10.
Until next time friends,
Bon Appétit
Karl's Website
