Our last night in Provence we were staying in Aix. Where should we eat? We asked a few of the winemakers we’d visited, and the votes stacked up for this place: Toinou. It’s a fishmonger’s with a restaurant – always a good combination. We rocked up as walk-ins and they had one table left. Feeling grateful, we took it, and the proceeded to plunder the oyster menu.

The oysters were available in the full range of sizes, and were named by origin. And there was a gourmet oyster selection, too – the oyster equivalent of the fine wine list. So a comparative oyster tasting ensued. These oysters were simply stunning. Geay = the best!

To drink: the wine list was on initial inspection a bit disappointing. Generic names, without the producer or vintage indicated. But fortunately the list was well chosen, and both the Chablis and the Muscadet we ordered blind (the staff couldn’t tell us who the producers were) turned out to be excellent.

After the oysters, moules. These moules were the best I’ve had: small, succulent, and beautifully seasoned. It was pretty much a perfect meal: simple, but brilliant.

Domaine Jean Marie Naulan Chablis 2015 Burgundy, France
Lovely expressive citrus fruit with a smoky, mineral reductive edge to the lively lemony fruit. There’s lovely focus here – a characterful, precise wine. 91/100

Domaine de L’Auriere Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2015 Loire, France
Crisp and taut with lovely mineral, stony citrus fruits and nice acidity. Some grapefruit and pear notes. Lovely lemony acidity here. Typical and expressive. 90/100

Toinou
58 avenue Henri Malacrida
13100 Aix en Provence