In Assignan
CASTIGNO CHÂTEAU & VILLAGE ... A LITTLE AIR OF A PRIVATE VILLAGE
The road:
30 minutes from downtown Béziers, this atypical hotel created in an old village is the guarantee of a tasty and charming break.
The inhabitants, numbering only 150, rub shoulders with the hosts of Castigno in good understanding in this place full of charm.
The chef:
the executive chef Stéphan Paroche focuses his work on the flagship products of the region and works in pairs with his partner Justine Viano. Together, the young couple had taken over the
Hameau des Baux
(Baux de Provence) and won their first Michelin star in 2019, before leaving for Asia.
After more than a year spent in Vietnam, Justine Viano and Stephan Paroche settled down in Assignan last summer.
The plate:
onion from the Cévennes, and beef from Aubrac for the gourmet restaurant, herbs from its vegetable garden for the Thai restaurant and in the village brasserie, high quality homemade products.
The omnipresent aromatic herbs (thanks to the seeds brought back from the trip) bring the necessary freshness to the most incisive dishes.
The work on acidity, through pickles, titillates the taste buds from the first snacks.
The wine domain:
the castle which adjoins the village, houses a sublime cellar, in the shape of a bottle lying down as if it came out of the ground, entirely covered with cork bark, which merges into the valley, with the Haut Languedoc Natural Park as a line horizon.
Audacity and an ode to nature, unique in the region.
The address:
Castigno Château & Village, rue des Écoles, 34360 Assignan.
Phone.
: 04 67 24 26 41.
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Destination Béziers, splendor rediscovered
To Avignon
Hôtel de la Mirande, a refined and historic little gem at the foot of the Palais des Papes.
La Mirande / Photo press
MIRANDE… THE FLAVORS OF THE WORLD AT THE FEET OF THE POPES PALACE
The road
: we don't just dance on the Pont d'Avignon, in the city we are also interested in the Hôtel de la Mirande, a refined and historic little gem at the foot of the Palais des Papes.
This former home of the cardinals has kept all its charm and the walls breathe its history.
The chef:
Florent Pietravalle, only 33 years old, works in the kitchens. Originally from Montpellier, the chef received a star this year for his cuisine after spending four years in the kitchen of Pierre Gagnaire, a benchmark that suits him well. He who loves travel did not let himself be defeated during confinement, on the contrary. He invited other chefs from all over France to bring the flavors of the regions into his kitchens with a view to very different click & collect. An idea that won over many people.
The plate
: before the reopening, he shared with us his new products that appeal to the taste buds.
His recipes, which have made his table famous in Avignon, use local products more than ever.
And in the huge cellars of the house he built a mushroom cellar to ensure the production of the product in abundance.
The address:
Hotel La Mirande, 4 place de l'Amirande, 84000 Avignon.
Phone.
: 04 90 14 20 20.
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Our hidden addresses from Saintes Maries de la Mer to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Montpellier
Jardin des Sens, a restaurant in a hotel and not a hotel restaurant, classified spaces with original decor - remarkable frescoes - a place that transports you to another world, that of the eternal 17th century.
Press photo
JARDIN DES SENS… GASTRONOMY, R&C HOTEL BOUTIQUE AND WORKS OF ART
The road
: on the renovation site of the Hôtel Richer de Belleval, a 17th century building, the little hands of Atelier de Ricou (
working on the most beautiful heritage and historic buildings
) are busy restoring the splendor of the historic building which was for more than a century the Town Hall of Montpellier, then, offices for the Regional Council and Labor Court…. A breathtaking update of frescoes, door frames, paintings, as well as sumptuous sculptures, are reborn after many years given over to bad weather and the wear of time. It took 4 years for the reappearance of the famous "Garden of the Senses" of the Pourcel brothers, which in its history has posted up to 3 stars in the Michelin guide.
The chefs:
Jacques & Laurent Pourcel are
part of the astonishing destiny of this house with centuries-old walls.
The two chefs who were the first youngest cooks to win three stars in the 2000s are completely overhauling for a new gourmet table that resembles them.
The plate:
on the flavor side, and after having tried the two brothers' first flights, it promises to seduce more than ever, with their daring associations that put the Mediterranean in the foreground.
The address:
Hôtel Richer de Belleval, place de la Canourgue, 34000 Montpellier.
Phone.
: 04 99 66 18 18.
Read also: 5 sunny reasons to visit Montpellier
Was
THE MARCEL… A STARRY TABLE, A HALL COUNTER AND GUEST ROOMS ON THE CANAL
The road
: thirty years of history for this restaurant which was created by Betty Rouzaud and Yves Faurie, two key figures in the cultural life of Sète.
The restaurant has seen Catherine Deneuve, Fanny Ardant, Fabrice Lucchini, Nathalie Baye, Pierre Arditi and many others pass by, we are running there today for a plate removed and well chiseled by a young chef, Fabien Fage.
The chef:
he supervises all the restaurants, the gastronomic one, that of the small boutique hotel which has just opened a charming place on the canal and the counter in the halls of Sète, where he offers three different menus.
Born in Arles, Fabien Fage worked with the greatest, Bernard Loiseau, Alain Passard, Michel Roth, Alain Ducasse.
The plate
: it changes in the three places but stubbornly remains with Mediterranean flavors, an iodized plate which gives way to local products.
All the producers are located around the Thau lagoon, the tables are above all gastronomic.
The address:
Restaurant The Marcel, 5 rue Lazare Carnot, 34200 Sète.
Phone.
: 04 67 74 20 89.
Read also:
Sète, an unusual stopover in the Mediterranean
In Nîmes
Pierre Gagnaire, one of the most emblematic faces of French gastronomy, is the conductor of the three restaurants at L'Imperator.
Press photo
Duende… Pierre Gagnaire's table
The road:
this exclusive address with twenty-five covers is finally opening its doors as well, while keeping its specificities for the gourmet restaurant: Wednesdays and Thursdays for dinner only, and Fridays and Saturdays for lunch and dinner.
Attached to the region and to its products that he sublimates in his dishes, Pierre Gagnaire, one of the most emblematic faces of French gastronomy, is the conductor of the three restaurants of L'Imperator and a sign of his talent their cards.
The chef
: Nicolas Fontaine is in charge from day to day, disciple of the three-star chef with whom he has worked for 14 years. This new challenge represents the culmination of several years of profession and passion. The chef sublimates local products and offers a simple and generous menu with Mediterranean accents.
The plate:
Duende, offers regional dishes.
After having reinvented the cod brandade for L'Impérator, it is an all the more delicate and creative cuisine that it offers à la carte.
Make way for Mediterranean prawns, cuttlefish carpaccio, roasted duck foie gras or young wild boar stew.
As for desserts, there are rich associations such as the perfect Sicilian pistachio: walnuts, avocado velouté with lime, green pepper sorbet.
The address:
Duende, Maison Albar Hotels L'Imperator, 15 rue Gaston Boissier, 30900 Nîmes.
Phone.
: 04 66 21 90 30.
Read also: From the Pont du Gard to Nîmes, Romanity on the move