A warm welcome on a cold day

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it really does pay to dress up in this country. The French are so very impressed by how you present yourself , what you wear and how you wear it, more than in any other country I've lived in. Doors are opened, drinks are poured, restaurant tables found, bank loans given, marriage proposals made ; when your hair is styled, you're smelling of perfume and you're dressed to kill...

Such was the case at our first Ladies Who Lunch date at Loft Café in Perpignan today. Owner/manager Jean Michel welcomed us with open arms as we swished into his new restaurant on 2, rue Fontfroide  66000 Perpignan, just opposite the Cathedral. 
We had a lovely meal entre filles and enjoyed very attentive service from all the staff. Apart from the fact that all the girls were looking pretty hot ( if I may say so myself) the free drinks may have been due to the fact that we were eating with restaurant reviewer Louise Sayers of Med and Mountain properties, a dedicated foodie who is just about to launch her own food blog.
The restaurant itself is very modern and contemporary, smooth clean lines with splashy art on the walls - it was very quiet today, perhaps something to do with the arctic conditions dehors but apparently they do a brisk evening trade and double as a music bar/restaurant on Thursday evenings. 
The food was very nice, the plats du jour were parillade de poissons and poulet à la diable - I opted for the chicken which was good, served on a bed of mashed spuds with spinach on the side. The fish also went down a treat for those who ordered it, apart from the fact that the chef in general was a bit heavy handed with the olive oil .. Louise ordered pizza from the café menu ( they have a more sophisticated menu in the evenings) .. all our plates were cleaned, washed down with some wine ( Dom Brial white and a rosé from Mas Camps)
Desserts of brownies and café finished off a very pleasant meal. 

Parillade de poissons

The bill came to just over 100euros for the 6 of us, bearing in the mind we didn't pay for the wine or the complimentary digestives ( rivesaltes ambré and grenat).

Will definitely go back and the jazz nights sound like a great addition to the Perpignan scene with an interesting line up for the next few weeks .... 
Must remember to dress up too!!!