L’Oasis, La Napoule

From 1970 to its closure in 1988, L’Oasis was one of the few restaurants in southeast France to have three stars in the Michelin Guide. We were fortunate to have enjoyed the famous Loup de mer en croute and the fabulous cellar strong in wines from nearby Cassis and Bandol. Well-aged Bandol red wines were available at very reasonable prices.  After Louis Outhier decided to retire, the restaurant was closed for several years. It was reopened under Japanese ownership. In 1999 the chef, Stephane Raimbault, was able to buy it and has been successful in establishing his reputation. Michelin has restored two of the stars. Although we had been to L’Oasis for pleasant lunches in recent years, we had not really had a chance to try a significant meal there. So we went on the evening of June 26, 2008.

Josy-Jo, Haut de Cagnes

In 1970 Josy Bandecchi created this restaurant in the shadow of the thirteenth-century castle dominating Haut de Cagnes on a hilltop between Nice and Cannes. Amadeo Modigliani and Chaim Soutine have lived in the house where Josy-Jo is now. The specialities have always been local, with charcoal grilling featured. Linda and I had not been there for many years so we followed a hospital visit nearby to return on the evening of June 11, 2008.

La Table du Cap, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat 2

Last October we had an excellent meal at La Table du Cap under its new chef, Laurent Poulet. It closed shortly afterwards for renovations and we had not had a chance to go back until May 29, 2008, when Linda and I went with Kees and Els. 

L’Ane Rouge, Nice 2

L’Ane Rouge, the Red Donkey, has been a regular fixture near the top of the Nice dining scene for the thirty years we have been coming here and probably for years before that. Looking in my 2005 Michelin Guide: it was one of three restaurants in Nice with a star, but it does not have one in the current guide. It survived a fire five years ago and has been redecorated. Although we remembered the excellent bourride, Linda and I had not been for many years and we decided to try it again on May 27, 2008.

Hostellerie Les Gorges de Pennafort (update)

(This relates a second visit; address and website on earlier entry)

( May 2, 2008 ) Another fine spring day, but this time a drive in the country to the charming Hostellerie Les Gorges de Pennafort, where we ate in January

Les Pêcheurs

18, Quai des Docks;04 93 89 59 61;
www.lespecheurs.com

( May 1, 2008 ) Finally, a beautiful spring day. One that cried out for a walk and a nice lunch. Our destination was the port of Nice, specifically Les Pêcheurs,

L’Isle sur-la-Sorgue

La Maison sur la Sorgue
www.lamaisonsurlasorgue.com
6, rue Rose Goudard; 33 4 90 20 74 86
( April 18-20, 2008 )

We have always enjoyed our visits to this charming village, laced with canals and home to several hundred antique stores, so we decided to go there for a weekend after we found a bed and breakfast that is right in the center of town.

Cap Estel

 

1312 Avenue Raymond Poincaré; 
Èze-Bord-de-mer; 04 93 76 29 29 
www.capestel.com
www.latableducapestel.com(April 5, 2008).  Sometimes write-ups can change the nature of a restaurant or tax the service or otherwise take away from its charm.  Such was our dilemma after enjoying a virtually private lunch on the terrace at Cap Estel.  Should we or should we not write it up?  Since our circulation is such that our write-up will probably not send hordes of people, we overcame our hesitation.

L’Aromate, Nice 2

Seeing Gary and Varian’s enthusiastic blogpost a few days ago on this new restaurant, Linda and I decided to dine at L’Aromate on April 5, 2008.  We were the first to arrive, but eventually the larger dining room filled up on this Saturday evening.

The Royal Riviera, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat 2

On April 1, 2008, Paul and Renate invited Véronique, Jean-Yves, Linda and me to lunch on the terrace of the Panorama restaurant at the Royal Riviera Hotel. Spring has been slow arriving and this was our first lunch of the season outside.

L’Aromate

20-22 avenue du Maréchal Foch; 04 93 62 98 24

(April 1, 2008)  As we wander around Nice and other cities, we gather cards from restaurants that look interesting. Unfortunately, it is an entirely different matter to actually eat at any of them, but this year we have tried two and both were worthy of note.

Taverna di Pulcinella

La Taverna di Pulcinella; 16 rue Maréchal Joffre; 04 93 88 4874; Closed Sunday and Dinner Monday  

(March, 2008).  Our second visit, with a friend who coincidentally discovered that he and the owner are neighbors, gave us another opportunity to test the kitchen.

La Bastide Saint Antoine 4

It seemed natural to celebrate Linda’s birthday by dining at Jacques Chibois’ restaurant. He has been one of our long time favorite chefs and Linda doesn’t let such attachments weaken when the critics, including me, start to quibble that Chibois isn’t up to what he used to be. So on March 24, 2008, we took advantage of his “Forfait Gourmet” which includes a room for the night, a gastronomic dinner for two (with wine) and breakfast the following morning.

Pierre Gagnaire, Paris 2

We used to go to Michelin three star restaurants several times a year, but have been neglecting them recently. We did go to Astrance in January of last year, but that was before it received its third star. The last one before that was in January 2006 when we went back to our favourite restaurant anywhere, Pierre Gagnaire. So on our two night trip to Paris March 11 and 12, 2008, we went to two: Le Meurice, which I have just blogposted separately, and, of course, Pierre Gagnaire, where we had lunch on March 13 before getting on a plane back to Nice.

Le Meurice, Paris

The first time I went to Paris, in 1957, we stayed for a week at the Hotel Le Meurice.  I imagine we ate there several times, but I really do not remember. (I do remember the roof rolling back at Lasserre.)  But the hotel was not young, as I was. It has been in the same location since 1835, always striving to be the best luxury hotel in Paris.

La Coupole, Paris

La Coupole has been a well-known Paris address since 1927. Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker and Jean-Paul Sartre were regular customers. It was renovated a few years ago and is still a popular brasserie. Joëlle, Linda and I had lunch there on March 11, 2008.

Avenue 31, Monaco

This location, at 31 Avenue Princesse Grace, in a modern glass enclosure, with outside tables and fronting on the boulevard and seafront on the east side of Monaco, would seem to be superb. But the last three restaurants in it have failed. Now some experienced Monaco restauranteurs have just opened Avenue 31, a chic casual restaurant there featuring fish and seafood. 

Le Diamant Noir, Nice 6 & 7

On March 6, 2008, two days before our friend Kees’ birthday, we invited him and his brother Flip, with their wives Els and Lide, to join Linda and me at Le Diamant Noir  to celebrate with the truffled Menu Dégustation. We all had a happy celebration.

Le Figuier de Saint-Esprit

14, rue Saint-Esprit
Antibes
(closed Tuesday, Wednesday lunch)
04 93 34 50 12
www.christianmorisset.fr 

(January 19, 2008) Christian Morisset left the two-star restaurant, Juana, in Juan-les-Pins and wound up buying Frédéric Ramos’s La Jarre which Ramos had left to take over the new Novotel in Monte-Carlo.

Morisset brought with him his number two from Juana, Christophe Gris, and they are assisted in the kitchen by Jordan Morisset as the menu states very clearly. Madam Morisset serves in front.

Restaurant Christian Plumail

54, Bd, J. Jaurès, 04 93 62 32 22      

www.christian-plumail.com

(December 11, 2007).  During the four years in which the tram was being built out front of this restaurant, we avoided this old standby.  Unfortunately, I think a lot of others did too, but Plumail struggled through the disruption and kept his star.