« La Faim des Haricots » is a small restaurant that is hidden by its surrounding buildings, but whose brightly-colored sign immediately attracts the eye. It’s on rue du Puits Vert in Toulouse. Its interior isn’t very big, but the tables are organized in a way that allows lots of people to eat there at once. The tables are mostly on the ground floor, but you can eat outside as well as on a mezzanine. But be careful! The ceiling is fairly low, as my friend, who’s a bit taller than me, discovered when she aloofly bumped her head. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. The food is vegetarian, and you can try a variety of dishes. It reminds me a bit of the cafeteria at Dickinson College because it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet. I’ve been there twice now and I know the menu very well. There are vegetable tarts similar to quiches, soups, a main course, and various desserts. Each table gets a basket of bread, but when I went with other American students, we got a second serving of bread. Low prices are also a good quality of the restaurant. You can eat a lot for less than 11 or 12 Euros. “La Faim des Haricots” is similar yet different from the Dickinson cafeteria because everyone talks at the same time and its very loud, but not quite as loud as Dickinson. Some people are bothered by the noise, but I find it comforting. Of course, I don’t really miss the cafeteria that much, but a bit of familiarity is reassuring when you’re in a different country for the first time like me. The restaurant suited me well. I had two good experiences at “La Faim des Haricots” and I’d love to go back again.
