I HAD not realised that, while spending a week recently
in Cannes, it would be my good fortune to eat lunch cooked by France's 'Chef of the Year'. Just before I arrived, the Gault Millau Guide to France for 1997 had appeared and chosen as its Cuisinier de ?Annie Jacques Chibois, former- ly chef at a hotel in Cannes, who in May had opened his own venture, La Bastide Saint- Antoine (tel: 00 33 493 09 16 48), in the hills outside Grasse. Gault Millau also disclosed that Chibois was offering a spectacular set lunch for a mere 210 francs. A visit was clearly imperative, and my host in Cannes, a retired British ambassador, and I headed for the hills.
What an experience it was! The Bastide is a beautiful yellow-ochre Provencal manor in abundant gardens with a swimming-pool. M. Chibois clearly has the support of his bankers. The restaurant is in three rooms, and, after efforts by a less than charming head waiter to shove us into the back one had been thwarted, we found ourselves in a sunny double chamber looking out onto the gardens. Everything is of the best — fine fur- niture, top-quality silver and glass, and Limo- ges china with a `JC motif on every plate.
The lunch menu offers a choice of seven starters, eight fish and meat dishes, and five desserts. There is a shorter evening menu at 380 francs, an eight-course gastronomic epic at 550 francs, plus the cane. For starters the ambassador chose croustillant de feuilletage au homard, monies et crevettes, and I, pain perdu de apes aux aubergines sauce mousseuse. The croustillant, a clearly flavoured assembly of lobster, mussels and prawns in light pastry, was delicious, and my bread buried in apes and soaked in their juice, surrounded by an exquisite aubergine sauce, was unforgettable. Next I ate a salmis of succulent pigeon, surrounded by a glori- ously intense fondue of red cabbage and figs, and the ambassador enjoyed his gigue of venison, accompanied by tagliatelle de celeri and olive polenta. This was cooking at the highest level, both in concept and execution, and it did not fall off with the desserts. I had an excellent tarte fine of figs and apples, with a memorable chestnut sorbet, and the ambas- sador a gloriously gooey, rich moelleux de chocolat, crème pailletee. With coffee and petits fours, plus aperitifs and a first-class bot- tle of Château Les Ormes de Pez 1991 at a modest 205 francs, our bill came to 770 francs, a minor miracle. If Michelin do not award Jacques Chibois at least two stars in the new year I shall have to go on a hunger strike.
The other rural restaurant I tried on the Cote, Les Terraillers at Blot (tel: 00 33 4 93 65 01 59), was more expensive for dinner, and less brilliant than Chibois. Its beautiful 17th-century former pottery setting and Chantal's warm welcome make one feel at home, and the Saveur Provencale menu at 310 francs was good, though the ambas- sador was a little dubious about the 'agneau de lait' that had found its way onto his plate in November. By contrast, my whole sea bass cooked in a salt crust and served with a fennel sauce was terrific. With four courses, coffee, aperitifs and a rather overpriced Bandol rosé at 190 francs, our bill came to 928 francs; still not bad when compared to the Thames Valley.
There was top-class cooking in the rather garish room that is La Belle Otero restaurant (tel: 00 33 4 93 68 00 33) at the top of the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. This gastronomic monument to the Grande Horizontale whose bosom inspired the Carlton's cupola belongs to the company which owns the adja- cent casino. No gamble needs to be taken with Francois Chauveau's cooking. We took his no-choice, four-course, 390 francs `Saveurs d'Automne' dinner menu, and it should be noted that at lunch there is a sev- eral-choice prix fixe which includes wine and coffee for 290 francs. Our dinner was mag- nificent. First, an impeccably textured risotto of pumpkin, flavoured with citrus and sur- mounted by succulent langoustines. Then skate in balsamic vinegar, served with squid and olives, followed by superlative roast veal, accompanied by truflied gnocchi with parmesan and vegetables, and ending with a creation in bitter chocolate with a praline sauce, coffee and petits fours. This marvel- lous meal, with halves of Meursault 1993 and Mercurey 1988, came to 1,230 francs (£149) — expensive but still fair value.
If you fly home from Nice, try the Ciel d'Azur airport restaurant (tel: 00 33 4 93 21 36 36). Staffed entirely by young women, open at lunchtime only, it offers a decent three-course lunch for 240 francs. Mine ended with a splendid soufflé au Grand Marnier which sent me home happy. On returning to London it was heartening to discover, two nights later, that with Aubergine's £45 dinner menu we are not outclassed.
David Fingleton
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