L'Art de Vivre - Tournefeuille

This restaurant is supposed to be one of the best ones in the region, according to what they say on their own site and the fact that they are listed in the famous Guide Michelin.So expectations are quite high when you go there. Even more, once you see the prices of the food! We often go to a star Michelin restaurant and the prices there are not far from those ones at "L'art de vivre" (which has no star!). An even bigger deception it is when then the whole experience (service, ambience, quality of the food etc.) is a full disappointment. Our statement in the end was that even with lower prices (the average menu on the Carte was at about 50 Euros!), we would not even go back there. We live in the region and there are really much better restaurants for those prices and also for much lower prices!But now a bit to the details: We arrive, walk to the entrance door. Ok it was winter, but the whole outside area gave a run down impression...Does not matter, we walk inside. The first impression inside: God is it cold! Is there no heating we were wondering?! I sat there the whole meal with my jacket over my lap.We are seated by a women who appeals to be the restaurant manager, in her 50ies probably, was quite nice, but the outfit she was wearing... would go for a Bistro, but definitely not for a place that gives itself like being first class: a dress that looked like a bag, to her knees, no tights (!) and sneakers. I normally do not mind those things, everybody can dress in what he / she wants, but there is a time and a place for it.The other three much younger waitresses were nice, but seemed a bit overwhelmed, sign that this was the right impression was probably that we got the first piece of bread when the appetizers came. And there I had to even ask for it.The one waitress as well: not properly dressed, with a skirt way to short for an etablissement like that.The ambience - let alone the freezing temperatures in the room - in general was not for me. The room decoration and style itself seemed fairly cold, in colours like black, white and violet, but mixed with some old decor and elements (like a wooden bar where the drinks were coming from), that it also did not go together.Now to the food: I will be short here with the explanation. Everything (even stuff where you do not at all expect it, like the brioche that comes on the plate of the terrine of Foie Gras) had the smell and taste of some sort of awful grease, we were not sure, but thought it must have been probably old fat they used.For me it is not understandable how someone can be a grand chef and not have the taste (or the smell) for it to see this!The dessert we must admit was very good. So were the cheeses (of course those are from a supplier). But what we ate for the main courses (and even my Foie Gras starter as said) did not make any difference, hence the all covering grease taste.If in the end you pay about 100 Euros per person... no, thank you...

Very nice place, 10 min. far from Airbus, this restaurant has everything you would find for a business lunch or a romantic dinner: very good meals, high-level service, terrace during summertime and nice interior deco. Good wine selection and "cuisine gastronomique": moreover the price for this is correct.A small oasis 10 min. far from Toulouse