Romantic “tête-à-tête”
Some dinners just have to be perfect. The decor, atmosphere and food all need to play their part to ensure a wonderful experience.
Some dinners just have to be perfect. The decor, atmosphere and food all need to play their part to ensure a wonderful experience.
What’s the recipe for a successful evening ? First, the setting. Second, the food. Third, the welcome. On the Riviera, there’s no lack of addresses likely to meet all three criteria. Cannes and its surrounding region offer lots of gastronomic and semi-gastronomic restaurants where you’ll spend a memorable evening. For those not against a little walk, an address at the foot of Le Suquet : Christophe Mantel and his restaurant of the same name. Here, discretion characterizes both the atmosphere and the decor. The chef’s cuisine is unfussy but tasty, simple but impressive. Those in the know opt for one of the risottos (Italian-style, with flap mushrooms and juice of veal, with red wine and ham…), placing their trust in the talent of Demetrio Argibay to choose the appropriate wine. At the edge of the Med, in Mandelieu, “L’Oasis” plays up to its name, offering a dreamy setting, luxuriant vegetation, a garden patio (ideal in fine weather) and a verandah for regal dinners. The Raimbault brothers (Stéphane, Antoine and François) have made high gastronomy their trademark. The dish not to be missed under any pretext is a thick slice of sea-bass, lacquered and baked on glowing embers, and lobster “chao mein”, followed by a gâteau with two kinds of chocolate. No untoward surprises either at “Le Mas Candille”, where Serge Gouloumès sublimates the freshest ingredients, served in a slightly theatrical dining-room overlooking the countryside around Mougins with its cypresses and olive-trees : thin strips of oven-baked John Dory, crayfish tempura, “piquillos confits” and black risotto with olives from Liguria… Delightfully intimate, “Lou Cigalon” is also very Provençal, in the best sense of the word. Alain Parodi simmers polenta with “sanguins” to perfection, pan-fried Saint-Jacques scallops and velvety flap mushrooms in sherry, or farm-raised pigeon. On chilly evenings, reserve a table on the first floor, by the fireside. Certainly less intimate, but more trendy in terms of deco and cuisine, is the “Moulin de Mougins”, re-looked three years ago by Alain Llorca. He splits his menu into “classical”, “contemporary” and “light”, and guests can relish “bouillabaisse”, sea-bass, turbot and a “barigoule” of artichokes… Here, you’re in the country, but country… chic ! In Antibes, it’s on the ramparts that you’ll whisper sweet nothings beneath the silvery moon. Frédéric Ramos, who once worked with Maximin, mans the ovens at “La Jarre”, a lovely inn with undeniable charm. Try the “croustillant” with a tartar of red tuna marinated in citrus juice and let yourself be guided for wines from the cellar. Ideally situated on the ramparts, you’ll also discover “Les Vieux Murs”. Philippe Bensimon has created a kind of theatre with the best “affordable recipes” on the bill : sole cooked in slightly salted butter and pan-fried shrimps, red mullet with a “marmalade” of flap mushrooms, or shredded ox-cheek in juice of beef stew. All elegantly basking in the light of chandeliers. The same subdued lighting is found at “Le Grand Balcon”. A must for a dinner for two in romantic mode. Two dining-rooms, a large library and copies of Italian masters on the walls, everything combines to create a perfect illusion. On your plate, risotto with crayfish, tuna baked with coriander and wok-fried vegetables, slightly salty cod and potato purée with ginger. Now a great classic from “Le Grand Balcon”.
La Jarre, 14 rue Saint-Esprit, Antibes (04 93 34 50 12). Approx. 55 €. Le Grand Balcon, 10 rue Saint-François-de-Paule, Nice (04 93 62 60 74). Approx. 50 €. Le Mas Candille, boulevard Clément-Rebuffel, Mougins (04 92 28 43 43). Approx. 80 €. Le Moulin de Mougins, 424 chemin du Moulin, Mougins (04 93 75 78 24). Approx. 90 €. Closed Monday. Les Vieux Murs, 25 promenade Amiral de Grasse, Antibes (04 93 34 06 73). From 60 €. L’Oasis, rue Jean-Honoré-Carle, Mandelieu-La Napoule (04 93 49 95 52). Approx. 90 €. Lou Cigalon, 4-6 boulevard Carnot, Valbonne (04 93 12 27 07). From 60 €. Closed Sunday and Monday. Mantel, 22 rue Saint-Antoine, Cannes (04 93 39 13 10). From 60 €. Closed Wednesday.
By Cécile Olivéro - photos : press
