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La Table du Chef might be the last Cannes restaurant that I’m writing about, but it is hardly the least, although the kitchen might be the smallest commercial one in the city.
This little gem of a place is located off the rue d’Antibes at 5 rue Jean Daumas, a quiet side street with an antiquarian booksellers, a gentlemen’s outfitters and a pharmacy.
My Far Better Half (FBH) and I first visited this fine restaurant in 2017, in an effort to escape the buskers on rue Félix Faure. Our plan worked brilliantly!
We visited La Table du Chef twice in 2017 — and twice more this year.
2017 — first visit
My notes from our first visit say that their menu surprise — chef’s choice — was €45 for four courses (without wine). The menu changes every two to three days depending on what is on offer at the city’s large market, Marché Forville.
I also noted that there is no refrigeration in the restaurant.
Our dinner was so good that I wrote ‘WOULD RETURN’.
Starter
We began our repast with a creamy carrot velouté (soup) with undertones of fennel. It came with one grilled jumbo prawn — gambas — and chopped chive.
I am still thinking about it to this day, it was that good.
Second course
The second course was a thick rectangle of calamar — squid — with a crab and sea bream (dorade) foam. It was accompanied by julienned red and orange bell pepper slices and julienned chorizo underneath the squid.
We are still wondering how the chef managed to cut such a thick portion of calamar.
Main course
We had duck breast — magret de canard — resting on a bed of truffle risotto topped with a light honey-duck sauce reduction. It was heavenly.
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of Cassis Bodin 2014 from the Abruzzi family (€38).
Dessert
We had one of the best apple ‘crumbles’ I’ve ever eaten. The apple was diced and seasoned with cinnamon. The apple was placed between three sesame tuiles — as light as a feather — and topped with pistachio whipped cream.
It was an amazing finish to a spectacular meal, and I’m not the world’s biggest dessert fan.
2017 — second visit
We went a few days’ later, taking into account that the menu surprise would have something different, which it did.
My diary notes read, ‘MET OMAR, THE CHEF — worked in London for two years’. He, FBH and I enjoyed a cigarette break together. We were one of the last tables to leave, and he was on his break. In those five minutes, we put the world to rights.
Starter
We had another incredible soup, just as good — possibly better — than the carrot velouté from a few days earlier.
Omar made a creamy courgette soup with chive and olive oil drizzled on top.
It was beautifully presented with delicate stripes of balsamic and chive sauce drizzled down the centre, where he had placed a small round of goat’s cheese topped with tiny bits of gherkins — cornichons — and, possibly, garlic.
It was one of the best soups I’ve ever eaten.
Second course
Omar prepared a fusion dish of sweet and sour salmon with aubergine, accompanied by ratatouille, pesto and olive oil.
What a revelation. This man knows his flavour combinations.
Main course
We enjoyed chicken from a small farm in the Ardèche region. It came with black rice risotto and summer truffle.
Wine
We had a bottle of Chateau Roubine, Cuvée Lion et Dragon 2016, a white AOC Côtes de Provence Cru Classé.
Dessert
As we had never before sampled the sweet, creamy brioche treat named by Brigitte Bardot, we very much looked forward to trying the Tarte Tropézienne with raspberry coulis.
We assume the restaurant purchased it from the Tarte Tropézienne shop near the market. Alexandre Micka, the inventor of the Tarte Tropézienne, has several of these shops around France, which are well worth a visit if you fancy a break from shopping or want a satisfying dessert to take home.
Unfortunately, by the time we got our Tropézienne, it had dried out around the edges. That said, we were grateful for the opportunity to try it.
2019 — first visit
We could hardly wait to return to La Table du Chef and, as we had done in 2017, made reservations for each of our visits.
The price per person for the four-course Menu Surprise is still €45.
Bruno Gensdarme, the young owner, welcomed us and said he remembered me: ‘You were the one who wrote everything down!’
Indeed I did — and with great pleasure.
We sat indoors as it was breezy and cool outside. The décor is one of relaxed elegance.
One table had a foursome of two older, upper middle class French couples. The men had their pullover sweaters draped around their shoulders. All four wore designer spectacles.
Another table of note was the well-dressed French family: Mum, Dad and their two daughters. The elder daughter was probably 16 and seemed embarrassed to be seen with her parents. However, her expression softened once she began eating, and halfway through dinner, her face lit up as the main course arrived. She was a happy camper.
Starter
Omar made another delightful courgette velouté, this time served with a plump, grilled scallop in the centre.
It was perfect.
Second course
The second course was cod fillet served with a lobster accompaniment, garnished with a carrot flavoured Romesco sauce.
On the side was the silkiest cauliflower purée I’ve ever eaten. I would gladly have had a bowl of that. Talk about food memories!
Main course
We had roast loin of veal which came with a luscious fig sauce and a beautiful potato purée.
The meat was tender and perfectly cooked. The potato purée was not the usual runny French one, but creamy with just the right amount of texture.
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of Côtes du Rhone Crozes-Hermitage, Les Launes 2017 (€39), from the Delas estate in Tournon-sur-Rhone.
Dessert
Someone had the bright idea of serving verrines for dessert!
I am hardly the world’s No. 1 verrine fan, but this was extraordinarily good! It was made of apricot, rosemary-flavoured whipped cream, with a lashing of caramel sauce, accompanied by a wafer-thin tuile. I would love to have taken a box of tuiles back to our hotel, they were that exceptional.
2019 — second visit
We ate outdoors once again, as we did in 2017.
The Cannes Lions advertising conference participants were arriving, and we had a table of four American women sitting near us. One of them was a pure vegetarian — no fish — but not a vegan.
This is not the place to go if you have a laundry list of dietary requirements.
Bruno Gensdarme was surprised when she announced her vegetarianism.
‘You don’t eat meat — or fish? But, but … That’s not good!’ Good man! He was nice about it, too, and did bring her something veggie.
What follows is what the woman missed out on.
Starter
Omar whipped up another one of his amazing soups. This was a thick, unctuous cream of mushroom soup with a seared portion of lobe of foie gras in the middle.
I will remember it for a very long time to come.
Second course
We enjoyed fillet of sea bream — daurade royale — over risotto served with three sauce reductions: red wine, balsamic and chives. It sounds mad on paper, but it really works on the plate — and the taste buds.
White fish and a red wine reduction go surprisingly well, by the way — as does veal or beef gravy.
Main course
We enjoyed saddle of lamb with fig sauce and Omar’s potato purée.
Wine
We had a bottle of Cotes de Provence Cru Classé red, Rimaresq 2016 (€39). Read more about Rimaresq halfway down the page here.
Dessert
Omar came up with another outstanding verrine.
This one was made up of raspberry and mango with a pistachio tuile. Again, I would have given nearly anything for a box of tuiles to take back to the hotel!
Additional notes
If you go, please take a moment to read the articles about Bruno and Omar that are in the restaurant window.
Bruno worked for the legendary chef Guy Savoy early in his career. Gordon Ramsay, incidentally, is another Savoy protégé.
La Table du Chef’s Facebook page gives you an idea of the décor and general atmosphere.
TripAdvisor gives the restaurant 4.5 out of 5.
Needless to say, we’ll be booking reservations when we next visit Cannes!
During our 2015 visit to Cannes, we went to Le Bistrot Gourmand and absolutely loved it.
It is located at 10 Rue Docteur Pierre Gazagnaire, in an unassuming side street just steps away from Cannes’s main market, Marché Forville.
Owned and run by Guillaume Arragon since 2007, the restaurant is known for its discriminating use of seasonal ingredients from the market.
We were fortunate enough to make two return visits since then.
2017
We were relieved that the grumpy older waiter who served us in 2015 had been replaced by a delightful young woman who made her job look effortless, even when the restaurant was buzzing with diners.
Chef Arragon also brought some of our dishes to the table and had a brief, yet friendly, chat with us.
Two days after our visit, there was a fire at the night club next door. In 2015, it was called Les Pénitents, because it was right across the street from the Chapelle de la Miséricorde. The next owner renamed the club Hell. That was where the fire took place. Oh, the irony. It took hours to put out, Nice-Matin reported at the time. Apparently, an electrical fault caused the blaze. God will not be mocked.
Starters
My far better half (FBH) ordered a satisfying plate of mushroom ravioli in a truffle cream sauce.
I opted for their stuffed courgette flowers, which were coated in a light tempura batter and deep fried. They were hot and crisp to the end. I thought their spicy dipping sauce was better than L’Assiette Provençale’s tomato-based sauce. Even so, I didn’t need much of this dipping sauce, either, and left most of it behind.
Mains
Once again, we both ordered the steak tartare with matchstick fries. This was every bit as perfect as it was in 2015.
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of Côtes de Provence Rosé from Château Maïme.
Dessert
Had the delightful lemon tart from 2015 been on the menu, we would have made room for it.
As it was, we were more than satisfied with what we’d had and didn’t really want anything else.
2019
We had been anticipating our return visit to Le Bistrot Gourmand for weeks.
That’s how good the food here is.
Once again, the young woman and Chef Arragon served us, depending on the course. Chef also took our wine order.
Our bill came to €120.
Incidentally, I checked out the nightclub next door. Hell had closed its doors for good, never having recovered from the 2017 fire. No one has taken it over, either, which is interesting.
Starters
Both of us ordered the deep fried courgette flowers, which excelled themselves. The ricotta and basil stuffing was creamy and not overpowering. I did not eat much of the dipping sauce, although I can understand that customers would want a bit of piquancy.
Mains
Why mess with a winning formula? We both had the steak tartare with matchstick fries and side salad.
We think this is the best steak tartare in Cannes.
Wine
We ordered a wine unknown to us, a red Sancerre: Terre de Maimbray (€44), produced by Pascal and Nicolas Reverdy. Maimbray is the name of the hamlet where their estate is. Their wine was a revelation and we would order it again.
Dessert
It looks as if the lemon tart is gone forever.
We opted for two small cheese assortments, which were very good and went well with the red Sancerre.
Additional notes
You can see Le Bistrot Gourmand’s menu, with photos, here.
TripAdvisor gives the restaurant 4.5 out of 5.
This is an excerpted review from a New Zealander, which gives a bit of insight into Guillaume Arragon. This man and his wife also ordered the red Sancerre:
The owner is staunchly proud of fine, fresh food. He was telling us that he liked the site because it allowed him to have a kitchen bigger than the dining area, allowing him to prepare properly from fresh. I tried the cerviche followed by the tartare. My wife had the linguine. All dishes were superb. Generous portions, tasty and clearly made with a lot of love. The wine list was interesting and reasonably priced, enabling us to have an interesting red from Sancerre to accompany our delicious meal. If you want to try something different from the usual tourist stuff and you seek marvellous, fresh French fare, try this place. Really lovely.
I couldn’t agree more.
The unisex loo is sparkling clean and nicely appointed.
Conclusion
Le Bistrot Gourmand is on our list for a fourth visit.
This is an outstanding establishment which consistently offers innovative and appetising dishes at reasonable prices. When in Cannes, we would rather eat here in preference to a five-star ‘palace’ (luxury hotel) restaurant any day of the week.
L’Assiette Provençale — The Provençal Plate — is a great little restaurant to visit in Cannes.
It is located along the Old Port at 9 quai Saint Pierre.
We first ate there in 2017, and again this year.
2017
We ordered their €30 prix fixe menu.
I noted in my food diary: ‘** WOULD RETURN **’.
Starters
One of our first food experiences in Cannes 20 years ago was enjoying stuffed courgette flowers dipped in tempura and deep fried.
Not many restaurants offer this memorable treat. The restaurant where we first had them, La Poêle d’Or (The Golden Skillet), closed a couple of years later. A luxury boutique replaced it.
Therefore, we relished the opportunity to enjoy them once again. We were not disappointed. They came with a light tomato sauce that, to me, was superfluous to requirements. Stuffed with a mild, soft cheese, they needed no accompaniment.
Mains
My far better half (FBH) ordered grilled Mediterranean sea bass — loup — on a bed of mini-canellonis: a perfect balance of textures.
I had sauteed octopus — poulpe — and artichoke slices. The plate had a generous quantity of both.
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of Cassis Bodin 2014. The domaine is run by the Abrizzi family in Cassis in the Var.
Dessert
We had a peek at the tarte au citron, but it looked like American lemon meringue pie, rather than the classic French version.
We declined in favour of a refreshing glass of limoncello.
2019
We could hardly wait to return.
We ordered from the €31 prix fixe menu. With wine, the bill came to €107.
Starters
I ordered the stuffed courgette flowers, which they term beignets, although they are far from being doughy beignets. They were light, hot and crispy up to the end. I did not bother with the tomato dipping sauce.
FBH was in a less summery mode that night and chose the royale des cèpes, a creamy, comforting mushroom concoction with cèpes as the star.
Mains
FBH ordered the roast guinea fowl breast, which came with a superb sauce and potatoes.
I had grilled loup, which was done perfectly.
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of Cassis from Domaine de la Ferme Blanche (€45).
Desserts
FBH liked the cheese assortment.
I loved the coconut crème brulée, which was a great discovery, and one that I would order again. It had just enough coconut for texture and flavour. It was delightfully creamy.
Additional notes
TripAdvisor members give L’Assiette Provençale 4.5 out of 5. Justifiably so.
These are the current prix fixe menus, which, at €26 and €31, offer terrific value for money.
Service is excellent.
The unisex loo is very clean, too.
Conclusion
We’re looking forward to another visit to L’Assiette Provençale on our next trip.
We eat at Le Pistou whenever we visit Cannes.
It is located at 53 Rue Félix Faure, right in the centre of town along with all the classic seafood restaurants.
Pistou is the Provençal version of pesto. Pistou lacks the pine nuts but makes up for it with more grated hard cheese.
We first had Le Pistou’s tasting menu, the menu dégustation — or, menu dég (their term) — in 2015.
What follows are our dinners there in 2017 and 2019.
2017 — first visit
We chose the €38 prix fixe menu.
Starters
My far better half (FBH) chose the foie gras mi-cuit (i.e. pâté, not lobe). It was a generous, thick slice. The foie gras was made in house.
I chose the jumbo shrimp — gambas — in tempura. They were sublime — crunchy to the last bite.
Mains
We both had the Mediterranean sea bass — filet de loup.
This is always beautifully plated. It comes with pea velouté (pea purée sauce), fine French green beans and two small boiled potatoes. The potatoes are turned; each side is peeled lengthwise for a total of seven sides. Peeled into a slim barrel shape, they look very elegant on the plate.
The loup was moist and flavoursome. This is always a winning dish.
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of Cassis: Clos d’Albizzi 2014. The estate, now run by F. Dumont, has been producing wine since 1523. Cassis has three grape varieties: marsanne, clairette and ugny blanc. The grapes are grown in the native Cassiden terroir, which adds a refreshing mineral taste. It was the perfect complement to our dinner.
Desserts
We both had their crème brulée with cinnamon.
It had just the right amount of cinnamon: enough for flavour but not overpowering.
2017 — second visit
We returned later during our stay for the seven-course menu dég, which we loved in 2015.
This has to be booked in advance. We made reservations a couple of days beforehand.
First course
We began with a delightful tian — i.e. a raised disc — of layered crab, sliced scallop and smoked salmon on a base of avocado. It was heavenly.
Second course
This was an amazing tarte tatin of diced apple and sautéed lobe of foie gras in puff pastry. Words cannot describe how unctuous this was.
Third course
We had lobster ravioli, probably three small ones — a perfect portion size.
The filling and the accompanying lobster sauce were perfect. However, the pasta could have been rolled out more thinly.
Fourth course
This was a palate cleanser: an apple and rum sorbet with plenty of rum. Delightful!
Fifth course
We had a generous fillet of beef with wild mushroom sauce. It came with creamy potatoes dauphinoise.
End of the road
Unfortunately, we could only eat half of the beef fillet.
We were so full by that time, that we were unable to proceed to the cheese course and dessert.
It took some explaining to the caring staff that the food was great, but our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.
The bill, wine included, came to €174, which included the full price the menu dég: fair enough.
Wine
With our first two courses, we had Cassis: Clos d’Albizzi 2014 (as above).
With the next three courses we enjoyed a Bandol Rosé: Domaine des Baguiers 2013, which won a Medaille d’Or (Gold Medal) in Paris in 2016. The estate, located in Var, has been run by the Jourdan family for several generations.
2019
We put our menu dég defeat of 2017 down to our age. Obviously, our appetites are decreasing as the years advance.
However, we could not miss having a three-course dinner at Le Pistou.
Our bill came to €102.
As I noted in an earlier post last month, Rue Felix Faure has been pedestrianised. We found this somewhat disconcerting, as we were used to the recycling bins in the esplanade across the street. All of that has been removed. The traffic is gone. The levelled, new look esplanade took some getting used to.
Starters
Both of us enjoyed the gambas in tempura (see ‘2017 — first visit’ above).
Mains
One cannot have a more reliable course than the filet de loup (again, see ‘2017 — first visit’).
Wine
We enjoyed another bottle of Cassis, Clos d’Albizzi.
Dessert
FBH opted for the chocolate and vanilla millefeuille.
I could hardly wait to have the cinnamon crème brulée again. I was not disappointed!
Additional notes
Le Pistou’s website has their current menu. Their dishes are always reasonably priced, particularly with the prix fixe menu, and great value for money.
TripAdvisor has customer reviews. I particularly liked this one from 2018, excerpted:
Le Pistou’s menu is a bit more creative and so it stands out from the others on the street. Because the menu was so different, we ate there twice during our recent stay in Cannes and were not disappointed. We each had the €23.50 Menu du Marche. I had the Duet of asparagus and parma ham with pesto, mixed salad, roast quail and foie gras, I’m not sure that it held together as a coherent dish but the components were delicious. My wife had the avocado and crab salad and she loved it.
As a main course the monkfish and turbot duo was spectacular. As advertised, the sauce was a curry sauce but light enough that it didn’t overpower the delicate fish. The filet de loup in a pea sauce was didn’t impress me quite as much but was very good nonetheless. My wife loved the gambas and said that the daurade was excellent. Most of the fish dishes were served with a small portion of ratatouille.
Call me insane (my wife does) but for me des[s]ert is the least interesting part of a meal. Pistou’s roast pineapple and mango spring roll with two sorbets in a sauce flavoured with mandarine impériale was very creative and delicious.
Le Pistou has been good for years. With the current menu it moves out ahead of the others on the street. Well worth a visit.
If you’re ever in Cannes, don’t miss Le Pistou.
We first ate at La Brouette de Grand-mère — Grandma’s Wheelbarrow — in 2017, as it was away from the more touristy locations which attract musicians, flower-sellers and others in the evenings.
La Brouette de Grand-mère is located in a quiet street off Rue d’Antibes at 9B rue d’Oran. When walking down Rue d’Antibes away from the centre of town, look for an apartment block called Les Hespérides, which is on the corner of rue d’Oran, and turn left. The restaurant is at the end of the block.
This restaurant offers the best value for money. Portions are ample and alcoholic drinks are included. That said, the prices won’t be cheap enough to accommodate a student budget.
We have visited this family-run establishment twice.
2017
The prix fixe menu was €46 per person: €92 in total.
We ate indoors.
Starters
The waitress promptly served each of us a glass of champagne.
She quickly returned with a huge terrine dish of homemade pork farmhouse pâté (coarse, rather than smooth). It came with a carving board of saucisson (air-dried hard pork sausage), cornichons (gherkins) and bread. A side salad dressed in vinaigrette accompanied this, which included sliced mushrooms on top.
I know some people will have a problem cutting into a terrine dish from which others have served themselves. Well, we did not fall ill.
One diner wrote a review on TripAdvisor saying that he could not eat the whole contents! No, one is only supposed to cut off a slice!
It was good, something that one’s grandmother would serve.
Second course
The second course was a plate of smoked salmon, drizzled with dill olive oil. The waitress served each of us a cold shot of vodka. Delicious!
Mains
Here one has a choice.
My far better half (FBH) had sauteed veal with a light cream sauce and sautéed mushrooms that looked — and tasted — out of this world.
I opted for dorade in a light cream sauce which was equally delicious.
The waitress brought us each a complimentary carafe of wine. FBH chose red. I had rosé.
Desserts
We both ordered their lemon tart, which we expected to be the French tarte au citron.
Unfortunately, it was American style, complete with a thick layer of meringue on top. It was competently done.
Hospitality
To get to the loos, we followed a little sign that said: ‘La route du bonheur’ or, ‘The road to happiness’. They were not wrong!
Our waitress was friendly and congenial, without being over the top. Her English was very good, even though we responded to her questions in French.
2019
We looked forward to our return this year.
Prices are now €49 per person, drinks included.
The starter and the second course are still the same.
Mains
There were several options from which to choose, which the waitress described for us. There was no slate, which would have helped on this occasion.
I thought both of us had ordered the same veal dish, but no.
FBH had the one I would have preferred: sautéed veal escalopes in a light sauce.
Mine was a veal shank ragout with olives.
We both enjoyed our choices very much. Mine came with portions of a huge veal shank, incredibly tender in a Mediterranean-style tomato-based sauce. It was a huge portion.
Wine
We enjoyed a complimentary bottle of red Burgundy, Côtes de Nuits: Les Enfants Terribles 2017 from Domaine Jean-Luc and Paul Aergerter.
Desserts
We both had chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream, which was just the way it was made in the 1970s. Nothing to write home about, but it brought back fond childhood memories for both of us.
Hospitality
The ‘Route du bonheur’ is no more.
Instead of being at the back near the kitchens, the loo is now at the front of the restaurant. It has a sign or symbol on it saying it’s for men, but it seemed to be the only one there.
I felt sorry for any women having to use it, especially as the water did not work. I found that out only after I put soap all over my hands. Fortunately, there were paper towels on hand.
Not good overall, however.
Additional notes
TripAdvisor members give La Brouette de Grand-mère 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.
The food, drink and service are consistent, as is the quality.
The restaurant also has a Facebook page.
Conclusion
We look forward to a return visit on our next trip. Let’s hope the lavatory situation has improved by then.
My far better half (FBH) and I have been dining for years at Le Rendez-Vous at 35 Rue Félix Faure in Cannes.
I began posting about the restaurant in 2015 and am delighted to report that they still serve HUGE portions! As I wrote four years ago:
Go, go, go! This is one restaurant where you can order à la carte without breaking the bank!
I didn’t have a chance to write about our 2017 visit, so you’ll get two reviews below.
2017
We both ordered the €35.80 prix fixe menu.
Starters
FBH ordered a thick slice of duck foie gras mi-cuit, i.e. pâté, rather than seared lobe.
I ordered their eight — rather than six! — ‘belles huitres’ (‘beautiful oysters’) and was not disappointed.
Mains
FBH ordered a delightful scallop plate — coquilles St Jacques — which came in layers. Seasoned in a Provençal style and sitting on top a bed of rice were a bottom layer of sweet potato purée, then a truffle purée in the centre, topped with scallops sautéed in olive oil.
I ordered Mediterranean sea bass — loup. Unfortunately, because it was a Monday, there was no loup, only whiting (merlan). I did not know that until the waiter brought it to our table and announced it as such. Under French law, restaurant staff must advise of any substitute when a plate is brought to the table. I was so disappointed. I wished they had come by after we’d placed our orders so that I could have chosen something different — like the scallops!
Wine
We ordered a reliable white Cassis Appellation Protegée: Domaine du Paternel (2016) for €42. The Santini family own the domaine and have been making wine for three generations.
Desserts
FBH ordered rhum baba, deemed ‘good’. Decent rhum babas are hard to find, as most of them are from the cash and carry or are prepared the quick way — substituting cake for a raised dough — in the restaurant. There is no quick way around a rhum baba.
I enjoyed a generous crème brulée, which was delicious.
2019
Le Rendez-Vous still has their €26.80 and €35.80 prix fixe menus.
Our bill this year was not far off from 2017’s and came to €120.
Starters
FBH had crab and salmon tartare, which was mostly crab cocktail: okay, but FBH wanted more salmon tartare.
I wanted to have the whitebait — petite friture — that I had in 2015, but that’s off the menu now, unfortunately.
Still, I was pleasantly surprised by my deep fried squid — calamari — topped with an abundance of thin, crispy deep fried onion rings. I noted in my diary: ‘HUGE!’ The flavour was huge, too. Absolutely scrumptious in every way.
As we were finishing our starters, a Danish family sat down next to us: Mum, Dad and three daughters. They ordered three or four starters, one of them being the calamari with onion rings. I really had to resist poking my oar in and saying, ‘You’ve ordered way too much food!’ I was not wrong. They left nearly all the calamari, when that was the best of what they’d ordered. Still, they seemed like a nice family. I was intrigued to see that they played cards between courses and had a beautiful deck of gilt edged playing cards, the likes of which I’d never seen. Again, it took quite a bit of self-restraint not to ask them where they’d purchased them.
Mains
I had frogs legs à la Provençale. Excellent!
However, this would have been the evening to order Mediterranean sea bass — loup. I was somewhat envious when I saw FBH’s plate, which had a whole loup — two beautiful and large fillets. Sigh. They were picture perfect and beautifully sautéed.
While we were eating, an elderly Catholic priest walked in for dinner. He was obviously a regular and received a warm, yet reverent, welcome. That further confirmed to me that Le Rendez-Vous is a quality restaurant.
Wine
We went with the Domaine du Paternel once more.
Desserts
We must be getting older, because we had no room for dessert!
Additional notes
TripAdvisor has mixed reviews, giving Le Rendez-Vous an overall 3.5 out of 5.0 stars.
Verdict
We would certainly eat here again, but probably only once.
I am somewhat disappointed that Le Rendez-Vous has changed their menu to accommodate ‘lighter fare’ but can appreciate that some diners, e.g. the Danish family next to us, prefer those types of dishes.
This Cannes restaurant’s name aptly describes itself, because it truly is a hit with customers!
Le Hit — Chez Jean-Louis is my favourite restaurant in the city. Others come close, but for top ratings on food, prices and hospitality, you cannot do better. Its location is also excellent, as it is a short walk away from the railway station and main bus stop.
Here is a bit about our past and present experiences at 12 rue du 24 août (24th of August Street) in Cannes.
Au Bec Fin
Many years ago there was a family-owned restaurant at 12 rue du 24 août called Au Bec Fin.
I ate there in May 1978, on my first visit to Cannes. It was the first time I’d ever had frogs legs. Smothered in a Provençal olive oil sauce with diced tomato and garlic, they were out of this world. Since then, I have always had frogs legs in Cannes. I consider it to be a good precursor of a return visit.
So, when my far better half (FBH) and I began taking holidays in the city, we used to go there. On our visit in 1999, we had their bourride, which is a Cannois version of bouillabaisse. Au Bec Fin’s came with the best ever rouille (rust) made from aïoli — a garlicky, saffron-infused mayonnaise — combined with plenty of paprika. Rouille is used to flavour the soup. I’ve tried many times to reproduce it at home but mine never tastes as good as theirs did.
Their steak tartare was also the best we’d ever had, and the accompanying skinny fries were out of this world. We have since been able to reproduce the tartare at home. Here is the recipe.
The interior of the restaurant was modest. There were old film canisters and strips of film hanging from the ceiling. Unfortunately, those intriguing ornaments had to be removed, no doubt thanks to new health and safety laws.
There was a charming elderly woman who used to eat dinner there. I assume that was her daily meal and, at her age, probably all she needed for the next 24 hours. They did serve ample portions.
The staff always made conversation with her and other regular locals used to sit with her to chat.
Then, on our 2009 trip, we found to our great disappointment that Au Bec Fin had closed. What a sad day that was.
It became a lunch spot, and, in time, we lost track of it. The Cannes restaurant scene is ever changing, and the transformations the new owners make with their establishments pretty much obliterate what went before.
2017 — Le Hit
On our 2017 visit, we walked down the street and found Le Hit — Chez Jean-Louis.
The menu looked intriguing, so we made a reservation.
We were not sure what to expect, but it ended up being every bit as good as Au Bec Fin.
Jean-Louis gave us a warm welcome, as if he’d known us for years.
We ate there twice that year.
Jean-Louis has reasonably priced prix fixe menus and serves ample portions.
First visit
I noted the day we had our first dinner there: ‘Would return’.
Starters
FBH had salmon tartare.
I had frogs legs prepared in a nearly identical fashion to Au Bec Fin’s. This would have been enough for a main course. Sumptuous! A la carte, they cost €17.
Mains
FBH ordered steak tartare with big, fat chips. There was a bit of salad on the side. FBH said the tartare was too eggy. However, the fries were good, and the salad was dressed in a tasty vinaigrette.
I did much better with my gambas — big prawns — and rice, prepared similarly to the Provençal-style frogs legs. Delicious!
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of Bandol rosé: La Bastide Blanche 2015, from the Bronzo family in Var (83330 Le Castellet).
Dessert
I ordered a cheese plate with four different kinds of French cheese and a side of salad. It came with a basket of bread along with butter. Superb!
Hospitality
We enjoyed ourselves so much that we were the last customers to leave.
Jean-Louis came over to talk to us after taking cigarette breaks outside the hairdresser’s across the street. He always asked how we liked each course and made small talk, which made us feel welcome.
Second visit
We made a return visit to Le Hit a week later.
Starters
I had frogs legs again and was not disappointed.
FBH ordered their homemade duck foie gras mi-cuit (pâté). It was a generous plate with a few slices — rather than just one — of foie gras, accompanied by a competently made fig chutney. As with the frogs legs, this is a meal in itself.
Mains
FBH had swordfish — espadon — with a delicious ratatouille.
I had the steak tartare this time. Yes, it was too eggy, but the chips were ‘top’, as the French say, and the salad brilliant.
Wine
We ordered the same Bandol (see above).
Dessert
We had eaten sufficiently and did not partake of dessert!
Hospitality
Once again, we were the last to leave.
Jean-Louis sat down at the table next to us, and we had a lengthy conversation with him about setting up a business and aspects of his private life.
FBH asked about Au Bec Fin. Jean-Louis said, ‘This is it! This is the same address!’
He told us that, for the first few years, he served only lunch before expanding into a dinner service. That was probably the lunch spot we had seen a few years earlier.
Incidentally, L’Internaute states that Le Hit was opened in 2010 by Jean-Louis Barthélemy.
Wow!
As I said above, we had no idea anymore because of subsequent restaurants in that street.
He introduced us to his intended successor, who was cleaning up behind the bar before returning to the kitchen.
We had a really good time and, once we left, put the restaurant on our list for a return visit in 2019.
2019
This year, we made two visits to Le Hit.
First visit
We could hardly wait to get there.
Starters
I had — what else? — frogs legs. I noted in my diary: ‘HUGE!’ The price has gone up by only €1 to €18.
FBH ordered the foie gras and salad again, pronouncing it ‘excellent’.
Mains
Jean-Louis came by with a slate listing dishes from that day’s lunch menu. He smiled and said, ‘We still have a few items left over, if you are interested’.
FBH ordered the duck breast off the prix fixe menu.
I had a look at the slate, which Jean-Louis reviewed in detail. One item caught my eye, something I’d never had: andouillette. Jean-Louis warned, ‘It’s tripe sausage, you know. I don’t like it, personally. That said, I only have three portions left.’
Yes, I knew what it was and I was willing to try it only at a restaurant I trusted: ‘Fine by me, I’ll have the andouillette’.
I was not disappointed. Instead of the tripe being minced, the chef had tightly rolled up the tripe and somehow managed to get it in the casing. It looked beautiful and tasted even better. It had very little intestinal taste at all. The accompanying sauce was plentiful and piquant, a perfect complement.
I told Jean-Louis that he was missing out on a real treat and asked him to relay my compliments to the chef.
Wine
We enjoyed a Côte de Provence: Estandon Rosé, which Jean-Louis says his own family enjoys.
Dessert
We did not have dessert that night.
Hospitality
Jean-Louis remembered us by sight. He told us that he had stopped smoking. I replied that we hadn’t, so would appreciate sitting outside once again.
We were among the last to leave!
Our bill came to €113.
Second visit
We ate there again before we left.
Our bill came to €196, so you know we enjoyed ourselves. This was our highest restaurant bill ever in Cannes.
Starters
No prizes for guessing what I had.
FBH enjoyed a beautiful plate of scallops flambéed in Calvados. No skimping here: the plate was full.
Both are among the prix fixe dishes.
Mains
We both ordered a delightful and memorable plate of squid à la Provençale, accompanied by small slices of the best chorizo I’ve ever had. I don’t know if Jean-Louis bought it at the market or if he has a specialist supplier, but the taste profile was out of this world. Sometimes chorizo has a slight tangy or sour taste, but this was rich and smoky with paprika undertones.
As with most of Jean-Louis’s other dishes, this also came with a small side salad.
Dessert
We both had French cheese assortments, which were excellent.
Wine
We enjoyed two bottles of Bandol: La Bastide Blanche 2015.
Hospitality
Jean-Louis and his putative ‘successor’ once again made us feel very welcome.
Both asked during and after each course whether we enjoyed what we had. Yes, we most certainly did enjoy all of the courses! We were members of the Clean Plate Club!
Jean-Louis attention to his customers is top-notch. His assistant, the successor, is also attentive to customers’ needs.
After we finished our second bottle of Bandol and had a bit of a pause, Jean-Louis came up to us and asked in the most congenial way, ‘And what can I get you to drink?’ I had Sambuca. FBH had brandy.
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to going back, if all goes well for us and them, in 2021.
Additional notes
Judging from the photos on Le Hit’s Facebook page, we are far from being the only customers to have had a delightful time there.
A couple from nearby Mougins who commented on TripAdvisor in April 2019 were as enthralled with Le Hit as we were. An excerpt follows (translation in the original):
In short that happiness, a warm welcome, an irreproachable service by the Head waiter for a real meal composed of fresh ingredients, and simmered as at home.
The best part of all this is that you do not pay more than some crowded restaurants that have succumbed to sirens vacuum industrial products and reheated by a microwave attendant.
So my wife and I thought we were going to repeat the experience, to see if it was a stroke of luck, and we went back several times.
Well in the end, we are very satisfied, we can assure you that the quality is constant which is rare, not to say exceptional.
An authentic restaurant as we like, that does not cheat with its customers no false pretense, nor darling and even less junk food.
It has happened to us to exchange with other guests who share the taste for the true traditional and tasty food … but also that of the conviviality and the authenticity, in short all the opposite of the shameless and the eternal dissatisfied …
You can go there with our eyes closed, we, since this discovery, we return regularly !
Enjoy your meal in the Hit !
Betty & Hubert
You can get a better view of the interior courtesy of La Fourchette and can see autographs from the jazz musicians who play there on Friday — perhaps also Saturday — nights.
The unisex restroom is immaculate. It has three different notices asking customers to please leave it as clean as they found it.
Conclusion
Now you know why Le Hit is my favourite restaurant in Cannes.
Next week, we’ll look at FBH’s faves.
Socca — a crepe-like pancake made from chickpea flour — is associated with the city of Nice.
Margo Lestz, who lives there, wrote an interesting article about it, ‘The Superfood of Nice, southern France: Socca’, for The Good Life France.
She tells us that socca batter was first used as a weapon rather than as a foodstuff:
Legend has it that the recipe for socca was discovered when the Turks attacked the city of Nice in 1543. When they ran out of ammunition, the Niçois mixed hot oil with chickpea soup and poured it down off the top of the walls and onto the heads of the invaders. Apparently, it stopped the invading Turks in their tracks and when the defenders licked their fingers they thought – “Hey, this stuff is pretty good! We could probably even sell it!”
At the turn of the 20th century, vendors went along the coastal thoroughfares with portable ovens on wheels to sell this large pancake, which can serve several people:
These could be taken to the port in the early morning for the fishermen, then later in the day, rolled over to where other labourers were working. It was a nourishing and inexpensive Niçois fast food.
Socca is a perfect gluten-free treat that can be eaten with one’s fingers or a fork.
Socca’nnes
Fortunately, during our recent stay in Cannes, I did not have to journey to Nice to try it. The city’s Marché Forville has a socca stand run by Socca’nnes. The chap pictured here and a lady run it. She takes the orders. He does the cooking.
It doesn’t take long for the socca to bake in what looks like a huge portable pizza oven that is blazing hot. The huge pan is coated with olive oil and heated before the batter is ladled on. You can watch the chickpea flour batter batter bubble up and brown on top to make it a bit crispy. The interior is moist and unctuous.
The lady cuts the huge pancake into several portions, then cuts each one further into Chicago box cut squares. (Actually, this is a Sicilian method of portioning pizza.) My far better half and I shared a portion at lunchtime. It truly was filling, so I can understand socca’s popularity.
My only complaint was that it did not have enough salt. I asked for some, and the lady said the batter had enough salt in it already. Uh huh. I declined the offer of additional black pepper.
Each portion was €2.50.
Socca’nnes is at Marché Forville from Tuesday through Sunday all year round. They also have an at-home service available on Mondays and after 4 p.m. on market days. Find out more here.
Socca Chips
Our experience with socca actually started with Socca Chips, which are sold in Cannes supermarkets.
A restaurateur by the name of Luc Salsedo invented Socca Chips. Not wishing for any leftover batter to go to waste, he began experimenting by making wafer-thin chips. He tested various flavour combinations with his customers.
He began making them commercially in 2014 in Saint André de la Roche, just outside of Nice. The three varieties — plain, garlic and rosemary — have been so successful that he closed his restaurant the following year to devote his time to Socca Chips.
Socca Chips has a short video demonstrating how real socca is made. At the end, you can see the comparison between the socca on the plate and the chips in the bowl:
This next video features a 2017 clip from France 3 Côte d’Azur’s popular programme, Enquêtes de région. It shows Luc Salsedo making Socca Chips deliveries to specialist food shops in Nice and ends with his manufacturing plant. The shopkeepers say that everyone loves Socca Chips. One man says that he no longer eats potato crisps because Socca Chips are much better in every way:
We agree. In fact, we also prefer them to tortilla chips.
One small complaint: not enough salt!
We prefer the garlic ones to the plain, although the former could use a touch more garlic. We did not try the rosemary ones.
A 120g bag serves four people as a snack. Prices range from €3.89 to €4.17 a bag, depending on the supermarket. They were cheapest at Carrefour.
In closing, this short video features specialities from Nice. Socca appears at the beginning and at 4:28 Luc Salsedo grants the film crew a tour of parts of his factory. You won’t see how the chips are made, though, which is probably a closely guarded secret:
I wish we had had room in our luggage to bring back more Socca Chips! Unfortunately, they are not yet sold in the UK!
When we are in Cannes, one of the highlights of strolling down Rue Meynadier — the city’s second main shopping street — is seeing what Boucherie Brugère at No. 38 has on offer.
Also known as Au Roi du Charolais, this butcher’s shop has the best fresh meat in Cannes. L’Académie du Goût (Taste Academy) wrote a short article about Au Roi du Charolais, which Georges Brugères opened in 1996. It is currently run by Jean-Luc Olivari, who is from Nice and is the son of a livestock farmer. The meat comes from the most famous regions in France and is top quality:
Charolais beef, Limousin veal, Sisteron lamb, Bresse chicken — every item is one of tradition. The ribs of beef, specialities of the house, go to the “people” in the news, served on the yachts in the Bay of Cannes and in chic villas. Yet, every morning, the customer is king in Mr Olivari’s little shop.
One chill cabinet has whole volaille (chicken) de Bresse, complete with heads and feet. The one opposite has whatever is on offer that day. When we went there was a lot of lamb and veal, but also whole rabbit. How I wished that we were staying in rented accommodation so that I could prepare rabbit!
My wish came true once we got home. Last week, we bought a whole French rabbit for £8.99 from our own butcher! Gressingham Duck from Norfolk has been buying them and selling them to butchers in Britain.
You can get whole French rabbit online in the UK, but not at that incredibly low price. One place has it at £21.95 and another at £13.99.
I boned and sectioned the creature myself, which isn’t too difficult. When you buy the entire animal uncut, you get the offal, too!
This video from Scotland shows the various parts of the rabbit and how to butcher them:
After cutting the legs off, I cut my saddle (loin) slightly differently to the man in the video. I cut down the whole length of the back to get two lovely rabbit loins. Let the rabbit’s spine be your guide and make sure your knife is against the bone. That way, you’ll get all the delicious meat rather than leaving it behind.
Cut off the thin flaps of cartilage at each end of the loin and save for stock. Cut the backbone into four or five equal pieces.
To remove bones from the legs, slice down each one lengthwise and carefully cut the bone away from the flesh. A boning knife is particularly useful for this.
As one never knows how tender rabbit will be — and this is one of the major complaints from people who dislike eating it — it’s a good idea to marinate it.
Marinade for rabbit
1/2 cup port or white vermouth
3 cloves crushed garlic
3 to 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tbsp each of thyme, marjoram and oregano
1/2 tsp salt
two to three twists of cracked black pepper
I placed all the rabbit joints and the offal in the marinade and let set for 48 hours in the refrigerator. It probably takes less time, but I had another dinner planned for the intervening evening.
Stock
I made a delicious stock out of the bones and loin cartilage by sautéeing them in butter — you can also use lard or beef dripping — then filling the pot with water. Bring to a boil, skim and let simmer for an hour or two to reduce. Season to taste and remove from heat. Cool, then strain. The stock will become somewhat gelatinous, which is good.
Sautéed rabbit with sauce
Ingredients
Meat:
boned rabbit pieces
rabbit offal
1/2 cup seasoned flour (salt, black pepper, cayenne, with a scant teaspoon of mustard powder)
2 – 3 tbsp butter (I also use lard or beef dripping)
Sauce:
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup rabbit stock
Salt, black pepper, cayenne to taste
2 tbsp heavy cream
Method
1/ Heat the fat in a large skillet until sizzling.
2/ While the fat is coming up to temperature, prepare the seasoned flour, place the rabbit pieces — though not the offal — in a large plastic bag for food use and shake well to coat them evenly.
3/ Place half the rabbit pieces in the hot pan. Cook for approximately four minutes on each side until golden brown. Place on an oven proof plate or in a similar dish. Repeat the process with the other half of the rabbit pieces. If you want to see what they should look like when done, here’s our Scotsman again to explain:
4/ Quickly sauté the offal for two minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan to the plate or dish with your rabbit meat.
5/ Make the sauce in the skillet used to cook the rabbit. Melt the butter and flour together and cook until flour is bubbling and has a golden colour. You will have made a roux!
6/ Add crushed garlic and, little by little, add in the rabbit stock to make a sauce. Stir well. The roux will remain somewhat solid until you stir in enough liquid. Adding the liquid gradually and stirring thoroughly will prevent lumps!
7/ Once the sauce is smooth, add cream, stir well, allow to cook for a couple of minutes and season to taste.
8/ When the sauce is finished, remove the skillet from the heat. You can reheat it later before serving.
9/ To reheat the rabbit, place the oven proof dish in the oven at 170° C / 350° F for ten minutes.
10/ To serve, place half the sauce on the dinner plate and put half the rabbit pieces on top of the sauce. As for the offal, cut the liver — huge! — in half, serve one kidney per person and cut the tiny heart in half.
The meat will be very tender.
The offal is fantastic. I was surprised to see how large a rabbit’s liver is. It’s about the same size as a goose liver. It has a slightly sweet flavour — delicious! The kidneys and hearts are also very tender and tasty.
One part of the rabbit we did not eat were the lungs.
I’m sorry now, because there’s a chef in Chicago who sautés the lungs and serves them in his restaurant. They sound like a real treat. Here is Jeffrey Hedin from Leopold to tell us all about it:
In closing, I would encourage everyone to try rabbit, whether whole or already jointed, fresh or frozen. It is out of this world and won’t cost the earth!
One Cannes restaurant we did not return to in 2019 was Chez Astoux, 41-43 Rue Felix Faure.
When we visited Cannes in 2015, we ate there twice. It was fabulous.
We eagerly made reservations in 2017, only to find that Chez Astoux was a shadow of its former self.
Chez Astoux is part of the Astoux et Brun establishments: two restaurants and a fishmongers.
There is an Astoux et Brun restaurant a few doors down from Chez Astoux (corner location), where there is always a buzz. If TripAdvisor is anything to go by, they do not take reservations. We ate there several years ago, and the seafood was very good, indeed. That said, it can be noisy when one wants a quiet dinner.
Hence, our more frequent visits to Chez Astoux.
2017
This was the year of our last visit.
We had looked forward to ordering off the slate (ardoise). Unfortunately, there was none. The waiter told us it was no longer economically viable to have a list of daily catch of the day specials.
Bummer.
Starters
My far better half (FBH) ordered tartare of sea bream (daurade) but said it was bland.
I had much better luck with my squid (seiche) beignets, which were great: unctuous on the outside and tender in the middle.
Mains
FBH stayed with sea bream and had a fillet of it with meat sauce. Surprising, yes, but meat sauce with fish is an amazing taste contrast which has been trending in France for several years, especially among younger chefs. I have since tried it at home — cod with beef sauce — and it is spectacular.
I had large prawns (camerones) with rice. They were exceptionally good.
Wine
We enjoyed a bottle of white Bandol, Château Barthès 2015 from Var (83330 Le Beausset), which complemented our dishes perfectly.
Additional notes
There were not many people dining on the Sunday evening when we went, but those who were there were French.
There was also a quiet ‘domestic’ incident going on at a table near us which troubled the waiters, who chatted about it amongst themselves. They wondered if they should politely intervene. There was a threesome: a couple and a little girl. The woman kept checking her phone and responding to texts. The man kept asking her quietly what was so urgent and who was texting her. I couldn’t ‘earwig’ the whole conversation, but it seemed as if it had to do with her work. I did not catch who was texting her. Was it only work or did she have a certain someone at work? In any event, after they had finished their starters, she said to the man, ‘I don’t have to listen to you’, picked up her handbag — along with the phone — and stormed off. The little girl started sobbing and she was left with the man, with whom she seemed comfortable, by the way. I don’t know what the family relationship was among the three of them. We were ready to pay the bill by then, so I don’t know what happened after that. I thought about it for days, wondering what happened next.
On a lighter note, TripAdvisor has rave reviews of Chez Astoux.
Conclusion
With regard to value for money, Chez Astoux is expensive. The value for money question looms even larger with the continuing absence of the daily catch slate.
We decided there were more creative seafood preparations elsewhere in Cannes at lower prices, so it is unlikely we will return anytime soon, unfortunately.
Churchmouse Campanologist 