High Gastronomy
Hill-top villages with restaurants offering high-flying menus !
Hill-top villages play host to restaurants which, in addition to an elevated view (for some), also offer high-flying menus !…
Don’t think for a minute that all our talented chefs are relegated to a thin strip of shoreline from Monaco to Mandelieu. Some take a shine to country villages or set off for dizzier heights. You therefore have to do a bit of driving in order to settle down at their tables. Not to worry, it’s certainly worth the detour. In Mougins, for example, a village renowned for its artists, there are no less than three chefs plying the culinary art : Serge Gouloumès at “Les Muscadins” (the restaurant at Le Mas Candille), Alain Llorca at the “Moulin de Mougins” and Luigi Fiore at “Il Lago” (at Le Manoir de l’Étang). The first gives priority to market-fresh ingredients, focussing on the original taste of each and every one. Alain Llorca, on the other hand, plays on several themes : classic, contemporary and light, in three menus that he orchestrates from starter to dessert. With Luigi Fiore, Italy takes centre-stage : antipasti, pasta, fish, all on a very creative palette. At Valbonne, “Le Bois Doré” is a good example of cocooning Provençal-style. Raphaël Castella blends classicism and innovation with notable skill, as demonstrated by his terrine of “foie gras” with fig and raspberry marmalade or grilled Saint-Jacques scallops with a purée of chickpeas and artichokes with hazelnut oil. Heading back down towards the coast, make a halt in Biot. Here, a 16th-century pottery is home to “Les Terraillers” where Claude Jacques and Michaël Fulci turn gastronomy into a multi-facetted notion. Further east, another must for tourists is Saint-Paul-de-Vence. The village square still echoes with the voices of Yves Montand and Simone Signoret while “La Colombe d’Or” has almost become a museum where one can also dine. At “Le Saint-Paul”, there are two dining-rooms to choose from, the first vaulted, the second decorated with frescoes : recipes here are based on seasonal fare. In Èze, the view of the sea is quite dizzying. At “La Chèvre d’Or”, an hotel-restaurant of international renown, Philippe Labbé proposes a cuisine with a Mediterranean accent. His Mediterranean sea-bass grilled in Colonna lard with a creamy velouté of fresh “ovar” peas richly rewards the steep climb into the village. At Falicon, Jean-Marc Delacourt has opened his own restaurant called “Le Parcours”. A breathtaking view, contemporary decor and cooking that wavers between refinement, elegance and (elaborate) simplicity… And you can rise even further ! La Turbie is home to “L’Hostellerie Jérôme”, run by Bruno Cirino. In this priory built by the monks of Lérins in the 13th century, the chapel has been turned into the dining-room. And every morning, the chef drives down to the market in Vintimiglia. Fresh ingredients only, and recipes that he prepares depending on the month ; his specialities include a “tarte potagère” made with 15 kinds of vegetables and a risotto with morel mushrooms and locally-grown asparagus. Then fans of the mountains and heartier fare will tell you that Tende has an address you really must not miss : “Le Chamois d’Or”. This is the place for lovers of wide open spaces : the site called Castérino is on the western side of the high-altitude valley of La Roya, at the gateway to the Valley of Marvels. Here, dishes are traditional and nourishing. You’ll relish venison stewn, Italian-style rabbit or pork loin chop, baked in the oven. And by now, you should be ready to take to the road for a feast for the eyes and the palate !
By Cécile Olivéro - photos : press
