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eating out |
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MICHELIN STARRED INDULGENCE
TO A DELICIOUS CRÊPE |
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Here are our favourite restaurants,
in no particular order. I'm not listing their whole menu,
just a few dishes that stand out.
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Taverné
Provencal - Gourdon
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This is superb restaurant, with
friendly and efficient service, a good value set menu, excellent
a la carte
and above all an outside terrace with an amazing view of
the
Cote d'Azur.
If we have
a day
off
this
is the
first place we think of going. The trout in almonds
is outstanding, as is the filet steak with wild mushrooms.
In fact it's all good. Very busy in the summer - get
there early to soak up the view and make a proper long lunch
of it.
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| Taverné Provencal
in Gourdon - 10 minutes drive up the road from Le Foulon. |
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Barricade - Greolieres
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Phillipe runs this great little
restaurant and pizzeria. In the evenings the wood fired pizza
oven is lit around 7.30 and Phillipe himself makes superb
thin crust pizzas that literally flop over the side of his
large plates. New for 2007 is a 2 course daily menu, which
compliments a complete menu including pasta, steak, goats
cheese, jambon cru, as well as a children's menus. Lots of
indulgent ice cream desserts and squirty cream. A small outside
terrace
is open in the spring and summer and is a great place to
catch your breath and take a spot of lunch after the walk
up from Le Foulon.
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Les
Ormeaux - Cipieres
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Run by a lovely couple, Les Ormeaux
has a top spot in the village square of Cipieres. If you
are a strong walker it's just 35 minutes walk through the
woods, or take an hour to appreciate the view and catch your
breath. Either way a great lunch awaits at the
other end and you can feel you've earnt it by burning off
a few calories. Speciliasing in stuffed provencal vegetables
these accompany delicious lamb chops, melt in your mouth
pavé de
venison
(when in season),
tournedos of beef and the best chevre (goats cheese) from
the small farm down the road. Delicious and good value.
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Restaurant
au Vieux Four - Gourdon
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Probably the most creative of
nearby restaurants the Vieux Four makes up for a lack of
choice with taste, ingenuity and fresh quality. Usually
offering around 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts, the
menu changes frequently and if you love all things gastronomic
put your trust in the young owner chef - you won't regret
it. His girlfriend runs an extremely efficient and smiley
front of house, and the small wine list reflects the food.
Open for lunch and weekend evenings.
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Le Vieux Four
epitomises the Provencal view on life -
this translates as
'open every-day (may be)'. |
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Auberge des Gorges Du Loup
- Pont du Loup
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At the mouth of the gorge this
large restaurant and auberge has been operating since the
boom years of Pont du Loup and is the only surviving hotel
from the era. An old fashioned French restaurant (and there's
absolutely nothing wrong with that) it has several set menus
offering delicious fare and very good value. They do a superb
guinea fowl, their salmon is top-notch whether as a starter
or a main, and service is irreproachable. The owner is very
friendly and very hands on - he seems to work all hours God
sends him, which is perhaps why the main decoration about
the place are effigies of Jesus himself! A summer terrace
beneath ancient tall palm trees is a great high summer shady
spot.
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L'Auberge
de Courmes - Courmes
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Run the charismatic Jean-Jac
the Auberge de Courmes provides great Provencal cuisine at
reasonable prices. Jean-Jac speaks good English, does the
cooking, most of the serving along with his girlfriend, and
is most certainly a lover of life itself. When not working
he's to be seen trundling around in his pre-war Renault,
and lady's, get ready to be charmed. Highly recommended is
a walk from the village up the Courmette Mountain and back
down again for lunch. Make it to the top and you are rewarded
with a Mediterranean panorama stretching as far away as Corsica.
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Le
Jarrerie -
Bar sur Loup
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Unassuming from the outside this
restaurants character completely changes once you are through
the door. Part of an old monastery the dining room has seen
use in the perfume industry and as an olive press before
being renovated as the imposing room you see today. Like
a medieval banqueting hall there is a sense of occasion
every time you eat here. The food is very rich, very French,
and very good. Run by the charming owners and their friendly
daughter the only criticism is a surly old waiter who would
be better off being rude to tourists on the Champs Elysees
than offending them in an otherwise very pleasant atmosphere.
Surprisingly good value.
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Crêperie
des Artistes -
Greolieres
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Run by a bubbly young woman come
for an indulgent sweet crêpe, or a tasty galette
- these are crêpes made from buckwheat and filled with
various different savoury options. A traditional mountain
snack they include such fillings at ratatouille, smoked lardons
and goats cheese, or salmon with creme fraiche. They also
have a plat du jour such as a stew or steak frites. Proves
a pancake isn't just for shrove Tuesday.
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La
Colombe d'Or -
St Paul de Vence
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One of the most famous restaurants
on the Cote d'Azur this is also one of our favourites. Unpretentious
in both atmosphere and cuisine you won't find everything
covered with truffle or foie gras, you'll simply have a taste
of
real Provence. Made famous by the artists that once frequented
the restaurant the sympathetic owner often took payment for
their extensive tabs with the odd canvas or two. The walls
are now adorned by Matisse, Braque, Picasso and many,
many others. So it pays to be kind to penniless artists!
Great people watching spot.
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l'Ecole des Filles
- Bar sur Loup
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A converted grils school this
restaurant is full of character. Inside the walls are adorned
with group photos of children going back 100 years, and outside
the playground is now a lovely shady spot for lunch. The
varied Provencal cuisine bares no relation to school dinners
whatsoever. Try their stuffed vegetables, duck in orange
and if you fancy something a little simpler they even have
a wood-fired pizza oven. Check out the decidely non-pc painting
of a school girl cheekily showing her knickers - you can't
miss it; it's about 6ft high on the side of the building.
Only in France!
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| School dinners
with a difference. |
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Auberge du Clos des Pins
- Roquefort les Pins
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Run by an English woman and her
French husband the Auberge has an Australian chef and a
distinctly International flavour to it's cuisine. Essentially
French there are nonetheless refreshing twists on traditional
dishes and some unique flavours that really make this restaurant
stand out from the crowd. At 25 minutes drives it's a little
further than you may want to drive of an evening, but we'd
recommend you make the effort. Very good service.
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| Les Ormeaux
in Cipieres is 35 minutes walk by path and is a great lunch-spot. |
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