Lit up by fairylights, Frou Frou is a little gem of a restaurant, situated in the centre of Tiverton. My husband and I welcomed the opportunity to dine out on Saturday night, with two small children at home making it more of a rare treat than we would like. With eager anticipation we stepped out of the chill of the evening into the warm ambience and delicious aromas of this chic, bistro-style restaurant. Within a couple of minutes of settling into our cosy corner by the roaring fire, the friendly, attentive waitress set about taking our drinks order. One thing that stood out immediately from the drinks menu was the extensive range of over 50 gins on offer, including the ‘Gin of the Day’, London Dry, which I felt compelled to try. It was delightfully smooth and a very welcome recommendation.
The menu reflected the restaurant perfectly in that it was refined and classy. Out of the five starters on offer, I chose salt & pepper squid rings with lime mayo (£5.95) and my husband went for duck liver parfait with apple & plum chutney (£6.95). Both were beautifully presented and cooked to perfection. The squid melted in the mouth and the rich duck parfait was complimented perfectly by a slightly tart but sweet chutney. Portion sizes were hearty; the side salads were nicely dressed and sprinkled with pomegranates.
When ordering our main courses, we were pleasantly surprised to be offered alternative sides to those on offer should we wish. After much deliberation, we settled on Thai fish skewers with a coconut, ginger & coriander drizzle (£13.95) and a 10oz sirloin steak which came with mushrooms, tomato, onion rings and fries (£17.95). My skewers were made up of king prawns, monkfish and scallops which were all beautifully marinated in rich, fragrant Thai spices. Extra vegetables were provided but not necessary given the generous portion sizes. The steak was precisely what you would hope from a hearty main course – perfectly cooked, generous in size and satisfying.
After munching our way through our sizable main courses we briefly contemplated skipping dessert but quickly changed our minds after spotting the enticing dessert board. Being big cheese lovers we had intended on sampling the delicious sounding cheeseboard aptly named Frou Frou Fromage but instead were unable to resist two incredibly indulgent puddings. My salted caramel chocolate tart was quite simply divine and my husband’s chocolate sundae definitely hit the spot (both £5.95). In fact, had I known how delectable the puddings were, I would have made a note to save more room to finish mine!
If you’re looking for a cosy, intimate meal with locally sourced, modestly priced and superbly cooked food, look no further. In fact, we can’t wait to go back one day to try out their popular Thursday night Jazz night and enjoy another personally recommended glass of gin. Once we’ve arranged another babysitter!
By Sally Newell
Visit the Frou Frou Facebook page here.
