La Cuisine d'Olivier 2 - CO2 Review

The small terrace and interior with low lighting and a calm atmosphere seemed the perfect place to enjoy a glass of rose and look out to the streets and walls of Avignon. Once seated on a table at the back of the terrace, which was nearly full when we arrived, we were given menus, water and a wine menu. Quickly opting for a glass of house rose we settled down to read the menus. There were a few menu options to choose from, a starter and main course for 30€, a main course and dessert for 26€ or a starter, main and dessert for 37€. You can have any of the dishes on the menu and with only a few options for each course the menu was small but with seemingly fresh dishes.

Going for the slightly smaller menu, with the idea of sharing a dessert in mind, we went for a starter and main course each. The choices on the menus consisted of fresh fish, rich succulent meat options and lighter vegetable dishes, so far we were impressed.

Once we had ordered the waitress bought us over an amuse bouche of fresh raw salmon slices with a dill and cream sauce. It was the perfect start to the meal; with the exceptionally fresh fish and light flavour of the dill (which is not normally for me) it cleared the palette ready for the starters.

For the starters we ordered the salmon tartar and the lobster risotto, and being big fans of sharing we shared each. The salmon tartar was just as fresh as the amuse bouche salmon cut into delicious bite sized pieces with a combination of black pepper, a squeeze of lemon and balsamic drizzle topped with an iceberg lettuce leaf. I found this dish to be so fresh and light and exactly what I fancied after a hot stroll around the city. The lobster risotto was slightly more rich and creamy, again the lobster was fresh but the sauce was a rich combination of cream, butter and lobster bisque. It was slightly too rich for me but across the table it had been enjoyed thoroughly, so he swiflty polished off a part of my half too.

With a good rest from the starters (about 10 minutes) our main courses came out. We had opted for the beef with pot potato and the prawn penne with soy sauce and vegetables. Having the penne placed in front of me I was immediately jealous of the beef on the other side of the table, but I was not to be disappointed. The pasta was not too soft or too hard, the prawns were big and juicy with fresh vegetables and a sweet sauce of soy and oil. The only thing that struck me as a downside to this dish was the amount of oil, at the bottom of the bowl the oil seemed to be have gathered in a little pool - maybe a bit to heavy handed on the oil from the chef but the penne and, the prawns particularly, were good nonetheless.

After tucking into his beef I was looking at a big grin on other side of the table. The beef had been cooked to perfection with the slices in a rich gravy and the buttery half mashed potato pot on the side proving the perfect accompaniment to soak up the jus. I obviously had to have a try and I have to say it was particularly taste bud pleasing! Again, a bit on the richer side with the butter and jus but if rich French food is what you are after then this would be the perfect place to go, perhaps an excellent choice in the winter/autumn when a warm rich meal is just what you need.

Next up we decided to choose a sharing dessert, we wanted something light as our waistbands were already bursting. So we opted for a trio sorbets. The trio was slightly different and consisted of a Pina Colada sorbet, mojito sorbet and the more standard flavour of strawberry. Arriving in cute little white pots we immediately got stuck in. The strawberry was the light refreshing taste you expect from sorbet, the Pina Colada was creamy and tasted, well, just like a Pina Colada. The mojito flavour was the only one I was a little unsure of, the alcohol came through slightly too much and we both agreed we would have preferred a more minty flavour to this one.

With the bill coming to around €70 (with only one glass of wine) we were extremely happy, and extremely full. All in all CO2 is a great mix of modern French cuisine if not slightly over rich and powerful in places, but the service is friendly the ingredients extremely fresh and the terrace a perfect romantic quiet spot for the evening.