Students of all ages

Students' Restaurant Reviews
from Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur and the rest of France, and from around the world


​Restaurants, Cafés and Brasseries are included in the reviews (critiques)
​PROVENCE ALPES CÔTE d'AZUR - twelve reviews
ÎLE-DE-FRANCE - one review
HAUTS-DE-FRANCE - one review
​
​CANARY ISLANDS - one review
ZIMBABWE - one review

​Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur 

MARCH and APRIL 2016
TWELVE REVIEWS
AIX EN PROVENCE - three reviews
BOUC BEL AIR - one review
BEAURECUEIL - one review
CUCURAN - one review
LA CADIERE D'AZUR - one review
ISLE-SUR-LA-SORGUE - one review
MARSEILLE-  two reviews
LAURIS (Luberon) - one review
MOUGINS (Var) - one review
​Name of restaurant: La Table de Beaurecueil
Address: 66 allée des muriers, 13100 Beaurecueil.
Telephone: 04 42 66 94 98
Website: www.latabledebeaurecueil.com
Review by Nicole Galland
​La Table de Beaurecueil is a nicely renovated old shephard’s house not far from Aix en Provence, near the Sainte Victoire mountain. Recently we went there for dinner to celebrate my husband's birthday.
 
The style of the dining room is contemporary in the use of colours, with wooden tables (without tablecloths), and the kitchen is open on the dining room. There is a nice atmosphere, and the food is refined and very inventive, with seasonal products on the menu.
 
To start we had cocktail snacks/appetisers - olives, and charcuterie (cooked meats) made by the chef. Then we had a
choice of two dishes on the fixed price menu. We chose
​"Confit d'Agneau" (lamb) with vegetables and a variation of "Gratin Dauphinois" (mashed potatoes with provençal  herbs, and a little leeks. This was followed by cheese with salad. 

​For dessert we had Glace Maison à la Pistachio (homemade ice cream with pistachio nuts), and Sorbets (lemon with fennel, and other fruits with rosemary), and meringues. For wine we ordered a bottle of Bordeaux.
 
The price was €40 per person (not including the wine). The service was friendly, and we thought the food was really very good – everything was homemade. I recommend this restaurant.
Name of restaurant: l'Amandier de Mougins
Address: 48 Avenue Jean-Charles Mallet, 06250 Mougins.
Telephone: 04 93 90 00 91
Website: www.amandier.fr
Review by Martine Isnard
Last summer my family and I went to visit Mougins – a village of character with many art galleries and much loved by Picasso. It’s about fifteen kilometers from Cannes going inland.

We had lunch at the famous "l’Amandier” Restaurant, a wonderful converted windmill in the centre of the village, renovated in 2011. It has a panoramic view over the “Gorges du Cian”. 

​The restaurant dining room is on a lovely big sunny terrace with lots of flowers, and serves typical Provençale cuisine.  
The staff are efficient and stylish.  ​
To start, we had Artichaut à la Barigoule (stuffed artichoke) and Carpacio de Daurade (thin slices of raw sea bream). For the main course we had Rascasse en Croûte Feuilletée with sauce (rascasse in a pasty case) with Beignets de fleur de Courgette (courgette flower fritters), and Aioli (cod with vegetables and garlic mayonnaise). Finally for dessert we had Tarte au Citron, and then coffee.

The bill came to about €70 per person (not including wine).  If you wish to spend a delicious moment,  I recommend that you discover this place.
Name of the restaurant : La Brasserie Les Fenêtres Hôtel Intercontinental
Address : 1 Place Daviel, 13002 Marseille.
Telephone: 04 13 42 42 40                                 
Website: http://marseille.intercontinental.com
Review by Denise Claisse
I recommend the restaurant Les Fenêtres which is the Brassery of the Intercontinental Hotel in Marseille, not especially for the quality of the food, but to have the opportunity to visit the building where it is, and its exceptional location. Even though this is a five-star hotel, and its main restaurant is expensive, the brassery is very affordable at midday - about €35 per person.
 
The hotel is situated in “l’Ancien Hôpital de La Charité” (The Old Charity Hospital), an XVIIIth century classified building, which has been restored in a contemporary style. It has a splendid view over the old port and the whole city from
its terrace. In summer you can have lunch outdoors on the terrace. Its tastefully decorated interior is all in black and white, and the dining room is very nice and cosy - soft cushions, white fabric tablecloths and napkins.  There are three gastronomic lunch menus available - the food is well prepared by a specialized chef and presented with care.
 
Last month my husband and I went to the brasserie for lunch. As a starter I chose a green salad with seafood, followed by tender veal with vegetables ravioli, and then a fine chocolate pastry. The meal was very tasty. ​
Name of restaurant: La Petite Maison
Address: Place de L'Etang, 84160 Cucuron in the department of the Vaucluse.
Telephone:  04 90 68 21 99
Website:  www.lapetitemaisondecucuron.com
Review by Lucile Blin
Cucuron is a very nice medieval village (1,800 inhabitants) located in the southern part of the Lubéron mountain range in Provence. In the heart of the village there is a square surrounded on three sides by beautiful centuries-old plane trees, and in the middle there is a big rectangular pond.
 
La Petite Maison is a very good Michelin starred restaurant situated in the corner of the square. Its dining room is decorated in a traditional style with wood panelling, old tapestries on the walls and Provençal floor tiles. In the summer you can eat outside in a little courtyard.
 
They have two very creative Gourmet menus - one at €50 and one at €70 per person (excluding wine). It seems a little bit expensive, but the food is very good and my husband and I were there to celebrate  our 45th wedding anniversary.

After an amuse gueule (appetiser) of Soupe de Potiron avec
un Acra de Morue et de la creme (pumpkin soup with little pieces of cod and cream), we had Terrine de Homard et de Ris de Veau avec des Asperges Vertes (terrine of lobster and sweetbreads with green asparagus). It was a peculiar combination of different foods, but was very delicious. For the main course, we had Sot l'y laisse (chicken oysters) accompanied by Nefles (mediteranean medlars). This sweet and savoury combination was very curious, but tasted good. We had a bottle of Condrieu - an excellent fruity Cote du Rhône made from a grape variety called Viognier.
 
For the cheese course we had a Banon - a goat’s cheese and a delicious salad, and the dessert was a cake with strawberries and ice-cream, followed by a biscuit with Pana Cotta cream.
 
The staff were very welcoming and efficient. I recommend this restaurant for a special event such as an anniversary, or if you want to have a good time with friends.
Name of restaurant: l’Hostellerie Bérard
Address: rue Gabriel Péri, 84740 La Cadière d'Azur
Téléphone: 04 94 90 11 43
Website: http://www.hotel-berard.com
Review by Fabien Dumont 
L'hostellerie Bérard is an exceptional hotel, restaurant and spa in the village of La Cadière d'Azur between Le Castelet and Bandol in the department of the Var. It is a quiet, relaxing place with easy access from the A50 autoroute. I like to go there to celebrate special occasions.

The hotel and restaurant has been in operation a long time and the creative owner - René Bérard, who is a Maître Cuisinier (a Master Chef), is passing the business on to his son Jean-François, along with his skills and passion for the Provencal culture.
 
The restaurant dining room is at the top of the main bastide (Provençal house) in the centre of the village, and has a view overlooking the rolling, vineyard covered hills. It is spacious and is decorated in a warm classic style with elegant furniture and soft lighting. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine with a blend of traditional and contemporary flavours, and it has an excellent wine list.

Last month my wife and I went there for dinner to celebrate a
​birthday. For starters we had “Artichauts et calamars” (artichokes and squid) and Paté. For the main course  - “Filet de dorade à la plancha “ (fillet of sea bream) and “Cabillaud riso aux asperges” (cod with asparagus). And for dessert - Pana cotta vanille et miel (cooked cream with vanilla and honey, and fingers miel de romarin et framboises, a pastry with rosemary honey and raspberries. We ordered a bottle of Chateau Lacoste white wine to go with our meal. The food was beautifully presented, and the service was friendly and professional - the waiters took care of everybody and looked happy to do it.
​
We spent the night at the hotel and the next morning we had a nice breakfast before going to the spa to appreciate the art of living in Provence.
 
The price for dinner (including wine) and the hotel and spa was roughly €150 per person. This could be considered high but I can recommend l'hostellerie Bérard for special occasions. You won’t be disappointed.
Name of restaurant: Domaine de Fontenille, in the Luberon (Vaucluse)
Address: 84360 Lauris
Telephone: 04 13 98 00 00
Website : www.domainedefontenille.com
Review by Geneviève Louis
​This winter, I was invited by one of my sons to dine at a newly-opened restaurant at the "Domaine de Fontenille”, not far from my home in Lauris. It is about 30 minutes’ drive from Aix en Provence.
 
The domain, owned by Frédéric Biousse and Guillaume Foucher, has a large 18th century “bastide” or country house, surrounded by its own 35-hectare vineyard. A restructuring of the vineyard began 2013 and is in the process of being converted to organic methods of production.
 
The interior of the house has been entirely renovated. It has various reception areas, 2 dining rooms, conference facilities, and 17 bedrooms and suites. They also cater for weddings and private parties. The design and colour scheme is very simple and subdued, with whites and greys, and many photographs on the walls. The floors are in different kinds of stone. The furniture is beautifully shaped and made of good quality materials. The dining room is spacious and uncluttered, and there are no tablecloths, nor curtains on the large windows - the design is 
completely zen. From one side of the dining room you have a very nice view of the garden. On the other side, the wall is half glass and you can see inside the kitchen. It is very modern, almost like a laboratory.
 
We were served by young, smartly dressed waiters and waitresses, who were friendly and efficient. Before ordering our meal, they brought us some sweet and savoury appetisers, which were very original.
 
As a starter, I ordered “Noix de Saint Jacques” (Scallops) Then, for the main course -“Loup de la Méditerranée ” (Mediterranean Sea Bass) with “blette” (chard) and “Foie gras confit”. Both were very refined and delicious. After that, as I was not very hungry, I had a choice of some small amounts of different desserts.
 
For me it's really the type of restaurant I like. The bill came to less than 100 euros per person, including wine. I recommend that you try this place.
Name of restaurant: Marasino
Address: 2 bis, avenue Victor Hugo,  Aix en Provence.
Telephone: 04.42.200.200    
Website: www.marasino.fr
Review by Roxane Sabatier
A few weeks ago I had dinner at a new restaurant in Aix called Marasino. It’s located just beside Hotel Saint-Christophe and not far from the Cezanne cinema. As well as being a restaurant, it's also a fine Italian grocery, and a bar and tea rooms. It carries about a thousand different quality Italian products, and about 250 Italian wines selected by Davide - their oenologist and sommelier, who also organises wine-tasting “soirées”.
 
The restaurant seats about 80 people and has a cosy atmosphere. There is a counter area where you can have a quick meal sitting on high chairs. You can also eat outside. The chef Marco offers a large selection of tasty dishes, but his specialities include fresh pasta and dishes such as  
Saltimbocca alla Romana (Veal with prosciutto and sage in a Marsala-butter sauce). 
​We ordered Risotto al Porcini (Risotto with Ceps) - exquisitely cooked, and for dessert their famous Tiramisu, which was as delicious as the main course.
 
The waiter was pleasant and did his job very professionally.
Their prices are affordable - €19,50 (main course, dessert and coffee), and €13,00 for the Day's Special. They also have a children’s menu at €9.50. Our bill came to €45.00 for two, wine and coffee included. I would recommend this restaurant - very trendy and lively, and you'll enjoy a nice moment.
 
Note:  Gluten-free pasta is available on request.
Name of Restaurant: Seito, Sushi & Grill
Address: 14, place Jeanne d'Arc 13100 Aix-en-Provence
Telephone: 04.42.27.11.96
Website : www.seito.fr
Review by Bernadette Foucart
​I love Japanese and Korean cuisine and my favourite restaurant in Aix en Provence is “Seito”, located in the centre near the Allées Provençales and a stone’s throw from the Cours Mirabeau.
 
This restaurant is decorated in a modern Asian style, elegant and refined. The dining room is spacious and everything is spotlessly clean. When the weather is fine it is possible to eat outside. The ambiance is pleasant and the personnel are courteous and friendly.
 
Seito offers a large choice of specialities, but when I go there it is essentially for their Tempura Bento Box - that’s  my 
favourite. It is only served at lunchtime, and is excellent and very fresh. In the box you can find a ginger salad, Gyoza (Japanese pan-fried dumplings), Tempura (shrimps and vegetables deep-fried in a light batter) and rice. It is always served accompanied by miso soup. I have green tea with the meal. Then for the desert I have a coffee gourmand, coffee with ice cream and delicious little cakes.
 
Lunch costs about €30 per person. I have never had dinner there, but I expect it is a little more expensive in the evening.
 
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Seito.
Name of restaurant: Côté Jardin in the Bouches du Rhône.
Address: 691 ave du Générale de Gaulle, 13320 Bouc Bel Air.
Téléphone: 04.42.22.38.22
Review by Catherine Mauger
On Easter Sunday my ex-husband and I went to a restaurant near Bouc Bel Air called “Côté Jardin”. The village of Bouc Bel Air is between Aix en Provence and Marseille. The restaurant is located in the countryside next to “Les Jardins d’Albertas” (Albertas Gardens) on the D60, not far from the village. The restaurant is a large single-storey house (une grande maison de plain-pied). We left the car in the car park.

As well as an indoor dining room, there is a terrace with tables outside, but as it was raining a little and a bit cold, we went inside. We were the first to arrive, but soon afterwards the restaurant was crowded. The décor is elegant and warm, with red, white and grey colours, little lights flashing from a red painting and on the walls some paintings of poppies.

We chose the “à la carte” menu. First, with a little rosé de Provence, we had some toast with tapenade, which was fresh and delicious. Then, as I am a vegetarian, I chose “raviolis à la brousse” served in a baking dish (plat à gratin), nicely cooked and delicious too. My ex-husband chose lamb chops with fried
potatoes and a mixed green salad served on a large plate, quite copious and freshly prepared. For dessert, we had lemon meringue pie and a floating island with sweet custard, then coffee with chocolates.

There were two waiters and a waitress, who were very cordial and attentive. Each took care of every body and served all the tables according to their needs. In spite of the large number of people, the service ran smoothly and without any delays.
 
The cost was €54 for the two of us (wine included) - not too expensive considering the meal and the area too.
 
After lunch, as the restaurant is in the country, we went for a walk nearby on a path in the forest of pines trees and kermes oaks, which was quite pleasant and very quiet. From there we had a good view over the Jardins d’Albertas.
 
We enjoyed our outing very much and I can recommend this restaurant. It is better to book in advance.
Name of restaurant: l’Aparté in the Vaucluse.
Address: 1 avenue des quatre Orages, 84800 l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
Telephone: 04.90.95.34.40     
Review by Christian Baujault
 A very pleasant restaurant …
Isle sur la Sorgue near Cavaillon is famous for its antique shops and markets. Last Sunday I found a very pleasant restaurant there called l’Aparté. It is situated next to antique shops along a nice canal, forming part of the Sorgue river.
 
The restaurant has a large covered heated terrace, but there is a dining room inside if you prefer. The place is well decorated but not overdone, with a view over the canal and its many wild ducks swimming by.
 
The €25 menu, which includes starter, main course and dessert, offers different dishes. To start, I had a delicious “croustillant de boudin aux pommes” (crispy blood sausage
with apples), followed by “Pastilla de pintade marocain"
(Moroccan guinea fowl pie with honey and almonds), which had a very subtle flavour. For dessert, I chose a “Mousse ivoire” (an ivory mousse with nuts and nougat). It was great !
We accompanied the meal with a glass of good Ventoux locally produced red wine.
 
The staff were all friendly, welcoming and efficient. The restaurant was full but we did not have to wait. The lady owner, who is also the cook, spent some time with us asking if everything was okay. We appreciated that. 
 
I would recommend this restaurant as we spent a very pleasant time there and wouldn’t hesitate to go back. 
Name of restaurant: Mickaël Féval
Address: 11 petite rue Saint Jean, 13100 Aix en Provence.
Téléphone: 04.42.93.29.60
Review by Jean-Pierre Jeanne
We recently had dinner with a couple of friends at the newly-opened Restaurant Mickaël Féval in Aix en Provence. The restaurant was formerly owned by the well-known chef Pierre Reboul, who moved to the Château de la Pioline in Les Milles in October 2015.
 
Despite the change of ownership, the decor has been kept the same. The restaurant, located in a small pedestrian street just off la Place de Verdun and parallel with rue Thiers is very comfortable, has a modern style, and is spacious and well lit.
 
The menu was special that evening, as it was prepared by two chefs working together - the owner Mickaël Féval and a guest chef - Georgiana Viou. The main theme was Black and White.
 
The meal was small portioned with several courses, and was very varied, creative and tasty. The theme was fully respected with black and white colours in every course. It started with a “mise en bouche” (appetiser) - small focaccia and goat cheese “Brousse” – interesting. This was followed by two fish courses, Parrot Fish carpaccio style in coco milk and black radish -
served with almond spuma and caviar, which was fantastic. We accompanied the fish with a white Cote du Rhone “Les Claux” 2014, full flavoured, fruity and well matched.

To follow we had a Guinea fowl fillet in olive crust - delicious and tender, with a full bodied and red-fruit flavoured Saint Joseph 2011.
 
Compliant with the colour code, the dessert was white Panna Cotta and black vanilla sorbet, which was surprisingly sweet, refreshing and delicious.
 
The service was welcoming, polite and attentive, and at the end of the meal we had a friendly discussion with the chefs in the dining room.
 
The meal came to €90 per person including wine - rather high, but really good value for money, considering what we had.

No need to explain, we were all very satisfied. I can really recommend this restaurant.
Name of restaurant: Le Rhul
Address: 269, Corniche Kennedy, 13007 Marseille.
Telephone: 04.91.52.01.77
Review by Michel Sellier
About three kilometres from the Old Port of Marseille,
Le Rhul, which is a hotel and seafood restaurant, is very well situated, with a beautiful view over the sea and out towards the Frioul Islands. My wife and I recently went there to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

The dining room is not very large and is simple but well
decorated. We found the service efficient and rather friendly.
The food was particularly good - the Bouillabaisse, which they are famous for, was excellent,  and also the pastry desserts.

The meal was quite expensive, around €65 per person for the Bouillabaisse and a pastry dessert (wine not included).

I would recommend this restaurant. I think it is worth the price for special occasions.

Île-de-France

MARCH 2016 - one review
Name of restaurant: La Route du Kashmir
Address: 4 route d'Auvers, 95300 Pontoise.
Telephone: 01.30.38.64.69
Review by Béatrice Micaelli
On Easter Monday we were in Pontoise, which is a town 30 km northwest of Paris. We decided to go to an Indian restaurant called La Route du Kashmir,  located on the banks of the river Oise.

The restaurant has two spacious dining rooms with stone walls and deep pile fitted carpets. The furniture and decorations are Indian and there is soft background Indian music. It's very cosy and relaxing. You don't hear people walking, thanks to the carpeting, and everybody speaks in a low voice. It's a very peaceful place and through the large windows you can see the river. When the weather is fine, you can eat outside on the terrace.
 
While we were deciding what to order from the à la carte menu, the waiter brought us “poppadums” as an appetiser. These are very thin and crispy cumin pancakes. They were served with different spicy sauces and diced vegetables.
 
As a starter I had vegetable samosas and "baïgan pakora" (aubergine slices, dipped in a spicy chickpea flour batter and deep fried. Both were served with a selection of fried vegetables.
For the main course, I chose the “rogan josh". This is a kind of lamb stew (very different from the Irish one!) It’s made with tomatoes, yoghurt, onions and several spices such as paprika, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander and cumin. It was tasty and quite spicy, but the meat could have been a little more tender. As an accompaniment we had saffron rice, and delicious puffy "cheesy naan bread".

For dessert I had “mango lassi” - a mango purée with yoghurt, a little milk and ice cubes blended together until smooth. It's creamy and perfumed and not too sweet - a very light and refreshing dessert, quite pleasant at the end of the meal.
 
The waiters, all of Indian origin, were very polite, discreet, welcoming and helpful. The price of the meal was quite reasonable - we paid  €30 per person (wine and coffee included).
 
I would recommend this restaurant. It's a nice place with a beautiful view over the river. The food is really good - tasty and spicy but not overly so. The fairly exotic and peaceful atmosphere makes you feel relaxed and happy.

Hauts-de-France

MAY 2016 - one review
​Name of restaurant: Le Verbois
Address: 6 La grande folie, 60740 Saint Maximin, Oise.
Telephone: 03 44 24 06 22
Website:  http://www.leverbois.com
Review by Nicole Philibert
​My husband and I went to Le Verbois restaurant in Chantilly for dinner. This restaurant is cosy with a very original décor. The dining room is a spacious veranda that opens onto a beautifully lit park.
 
The tables are decorated with flowers, candlesticks and candy jars on impeccably white tablecloths. The chairs are very comfortable, and there is a good warm atmosphere.
 
To start, we had various appetisers with Champagne. Then my husband had Foie Gras accompanied by cherries in syrup. I had smoked salmon with dill on toast - both were delicious. 
For the main course, we had Loup en croûte (sea bass in a pastry case) on a bed of fennel with crunchy vegetables, cooked to perfection. To accompany this, we had a bottle of good white wine - Pouilly Fumé.  For dessert we both had pineapple sorbet, and finally coffee with chocolates, and mignardises (miniature desserts) which were on the house.
 
The staff were friendly, welcoming and efficient. The bill came to about €200 (for two people) which is expensive,  but definitely worth the money for exceptional occasions. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Le Verbois if you are in the area.

Canary Islands - Spain

APRIL 2016 - one review
​​Name of restaurant:  Restaurante Cofete.
Address:   Playa de Cofete, Pajara, Parque Natural Jandia,  Fuerteventura, Canary Islands.
Review by Jean Michel Ceurty 
My wife and I discovered this restaurant during a trip to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands last month. It's the only restaurant in Cofete, a small village in the south of the island.

​To get there we have to drive for about 20 kilometres from the town of Morro Jable. After about 2 kilometres,  the tarmacked road turns into a track. You drive for about 10 km and there is a fork in the road where you go right. You 
​​ 
​continue straight on a difficult track that winds across the hillside. You can admire the  beautiful scenery just before descending towards the sea. There is a viewing platform there.

At Restaurante Cofete you’ll find everything you need. It is very simple and decorated in a vintage style.

​On the menu there is a choice of  
Plancha​​ Mussels, Grilled Squid and Octopus, Goat Stew, very good Paëlla, and Fish  of the Day (locally caught).

​But you come here for the beautiful seascape - you feel you’re at the end of the earth, between the desert and the ocean.

​​I recommend this restaurant - it’s very exotic, a complete change of scene and well worth taking the time to get there.

Zimbabwe, East Africa

March 2016 - one review
Name and location of restaurant : The Lookout Café, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Review by B. Dunevon
An address for travellers in East Africa

This is an outdoor restaurant with an outstanding panoramic view over the gorges of the Zambezi river canyon, just after the falls.

You can order international style food, but I recommend the local dishes. For example, for the starter I chose a salad with fried caterpillars, and for the main course I had crocodile kebabs with peppers and sauce - see photo. Crocodile is a white meat that looks
Picture
Crocodile Kebabs served at The Lookout Café, Victoria Falls.
and tastes a bit like chicken or pork.
To drink, I chose a white Sauvignon from the Cape area of South Africa, and
for dessert, I ordered ice cream. The
service was diligent and friendly.

I enjoyed my meal very much. The bill came to around US$20 per person - inexpensive for Europeans, but expensive for the local people.

Sure, I would recommend The Lookout Café. There is just one disadvantage - you may be disturbed by wild baboons ... so be careful. They aren't really dangerous, but they're not friendly either. The staff usually push them away!

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