Hepworth on Holiday: The French Riviera
The Chantecler restaurant at the world famous Hotel Negresco in Nice is the proud recipient of 2 Michelin Stars, and if it had its very own kitchen then 3 stars would in my opinion be a certainty. Former head chef Dominic Le Stanc left just over a couple of years ago to set up his own very small restaurant, the Merenda, in old Nice. Many people who follow the restaurant scene in France predicted a rough passage for the Chantecler. Their fears were totally unfounded. Chef Alain Llorca took over and is set to take the restaurant to even greater acclaim with his brilliant and innovative style of cooking. With flights to Nice now becoming cheaper all the time, Dine-on-line can only strongly advise without reservations a dining experience to remember fondly.
Alain has just hit thirty, and fondly remembers his days as a student at the Lycee Hotelier de Nice. In those days the young Turk chef Jacques Maximin ruled the roost at the Negresco, and it was he and Alain Ducasse in Monaco who truly inspired the young catering student. Llorca spent time working under both of them at the start of his career. Moving to the Negresco from the medieval atmosphere of the Restaurant des Peintres in Haut-de-Cagnes was a big move for Alain, but he has managed to create a brilliant fusion style of cooking with his eleven course Tapas round menu. He is not afraid to mix up the flavours on this gourmet's paradise of smaller portions, and I was indeed fortunate enough to try out a version of it. I rated it as one of the best two or three meals I have ever eaten.
The Negresco was voted one of the top ten hotels in the world by the American Association of Travel Editors in 1997, placing it in the same company as the Dorchester in London and the Hotel Crillon in Paris. The Chantecler must play a big part in that reckoning, and as you walk in you know immediately that you are about to experience something special. Elegant wood panelling dating back to 1751 surrounds the room which features an Aubusson carpet and a stunning portrait of Louis XV's daughter the Duchess of Orleans.
I was fortunate enough to sit in a corner table giving me a complete view
of the restaurant which was about half full on a quiet Monday night in
Nice. Taped cocktail piano music seemed a strange choice, rather louder
than I would have expected, but fortunately I got used to it quickly. The
sommelier Patrick Millereau handed me the wine list which was huge to say
the least, all of it French. After much thought and discussion I went
for a half bottle of a Valle du Rhone, Condrieu "Les Chaillets" 1996 from
the Yves Guilleron winery. This highly rated wine comes from the Viognier
grape and vines that are well over 50 years old. Yves took over the 40
acre vineyard from his uncle in 1986 and is limited by EU rules from expanding,
thus ensuring its rarity. Condrieu is now one of the greatest white wines
in the world today, and although they are essentially dry, there is a
subtle sweet flavour of summer fruits. Extremely fresh with a finely
balanced bouquet made this an excellent choice for what was to follow.
My first course was an appetizer of four pieces of salmon on lightly toasted bread that set me up nicely for the Duck pie in a prune sorbet served in a glass bowl. A delicious pastry crust enveloped the duck pie which in fact was more of a terrine. Things got even better with the next creation, a Llorca speciality of a green bean salad with light cream topped with caviar. This was a texture so creamy and flavoursome that words fail to describe the magic of this dish. Service at the Chantecler is top notch with both the Maitre'D Frederick Muttel and head waiter Phillipe Bosc speaking fluent English.
The next creation was poached sea bass with Provence vegetables and deep fried squid in a bouillabaisse sauce. Looking back at my scribbled notes I had written "absolutely brilliant" - the squid from this part of the world is fresher than any you could probably find elsewhere and dipped in batter it tasted divine. Alain surpassed himelf with another of his signature dishes, Warm foie gras with a mango sorbet. This was a fine example of his innivative juxtaposition of ingredients, with the foie gras being lightly pan-fried, its richness complemented by the piquant freshness and dashing excitement of the sorbet.
The lamb chop which came stuffed with mozzarella cheese and with potatoes was the only partial let down for me. The lamb was tender but a bit tasteless, and the sauce was perhaps one tangy flavour too many. I found out later from chef that it was made just from lamb stock, bones, water and butter. The combination of lamb and cheese was too different for me, but others would no doubt love the combination. Next time up I will go for the delicious sounding Roast pigeon wing farci.
The cheese board appeared with consummate ease soon after, and I was starting to feel the pace a bit so I selected only three morsels, again after much deliberation; Colombière, Reblochon and La Pigouille. The Reblochon in particular stood out, a succulent farmhouse cheese from the Haute Savoie department. Creamy texture with a pale gold crust, this is a cheese of high quality.
Dessert after all this seemed almost like an afterthought but I struggled through a Tomato tatin with olive ice-cream, another first timer for me, but on a par with the rest of the meal. Patrick Rosa is the Chef Patissier and a valuable member of Alain Llorca's team.
The Tapas menu will cost
you 590 Frs, or you can go for the Chantecler menu at 460 Frs or the
Seafood menu at 550 Frs. The A la Carte menu is also quite varied, and
the Chantecler lunch menu costs 245 Frs per person. Reservations are
absolutely essential, especially in the high season. Right, one of the sumptuous apartments at the Negresco
Restaurant Chantecler, Hotel Negresco
37 Promenade des
Anglais-BP 1379-06007 Nice Cedex 01.
Tel-33.0.493.16.64.00
Fax-33.0.493.88.35.68
email: negresco@nicematin.fr
Michael Hepworth April 1999
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Dear Dine Online,
I came across your site completely by accident and found it very interesting and entertaining.
I read with particular interest the article on the Negresco Hotel at Nice.
I can highly recommend the Hotel Chateau de Germigney which is the Jura, near the Swiss border in France. The head chef is none other than Pierre Basso Moro, the ex-second chef to Dominic Le Stanc when he was chef at the Negresco. He was praised by the restaurant to have kept their Michelin star for the two months between Dominic Le Stanc leaving and the new chef arriving.
Pierre is now doing wonders in his restaurant L'Orangerie at the small Manor, (14 rooms). After having been open for only two and a half years, he received his first Michelin star in March.
A charming restaurant, a beautifully renovated chateau...what more could you ask for. You can also see their website (linked to the Relais&Chateaux website)
Best regards, Nicola Maurice - October 1999
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