Overworked, exhausted… You’ve made up your mind, late Friday afternoon you’re going to pick up your irons, woods and putters and set off for the golf-courses on the Côte d’Azur. All to yourself, two days of relaxation, impressive swings and dynamic drives. If nothing on your golfing programme casts the shadow of a doubt, it’s more of a headache coping with the diversity offered by the region’s gastronomic scene. You’ve heard a lot of praise about this colourful, fragrant, regional cuisine, towns that can be festive or serene, tables at the water’s edge and enchanting settings in the countryside. You want to experience it all, but on one condition : that of staying close to base. No question of driving further than Mougins or Cannes. Two hours at most devoted to wining and dining, including the drive.

On Saturday morning, the tension from your working week is still upsetting your concentration. The result : a bunker just got in your way. Need a radical change ? No problem: it’s only six kilometres to the Croisette, the world’s most famous seafront boulevard. On the ground floor of the Hôtel Majestic Barrière, Fouquet’s Cannes plays the ace of a de-luxe “brasserie”. You could, of course, have opted for a more typical setting, but Fouquet’s hasn’t simply reproduced the colours and ambiance of 99 avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris : here, you find yourself facing the Mediterranean and the Palais des Festivals in a decor designed by Jacques Garcia. For the past four years, Le Fouquet’s has proposed its chic but casual style, paying tribute to the seventh art and welcoming guests to its dining-room for 120 people or the poolside terrace with its Murano tiles. Ideal at the cocktail hour, but also perfect for lunch. Simplicity is the key attraction here. Brasserie-type classics are very popular, such as Chateaubriand with Béarnaise sauce and Pont-Neuf potatoes, fish soup, beef tartare, calf’s liver with parsley and seasonal pan-fried mushrooms “Meurette”. The oyster bar also has its enthusiasts, while regional dishes are accompanied by originality in the form of a lamb “tajine” with apricots. Tasty and well-balanced for the food, trendy and conveniently situated for the setting.

The Côte d’Azur also means top-notch chefs. Ducasse, Robuchon, Chibois… And Alain Llorca. After chalking up two stars for the Negresco, he took over the Moulin de Mougins in 2004, an address made famous by Roger Vergé. The hotel bears the “Relais & Châteaux” sign. Within easy reach of the City of Perfumes and the village of Biot renowned for its glass-blowers, this 16th-century mill offers a catering service, cookery school, courses for wine-buffs and over 5,000 bottles in the boutique. Jacqueline Morabito designed the luminous interior decor, all in white, prune and rose, with baroque chandeliers to complement sculptures by César, Arman, Folon and the signatures of Sharon Stone, Liz Taylor and Paul Bocuse.

Alain Llorca concocts a cuisine of the South with Provençal and Spanish accents : “simple, reassuring nourishment”. With imagination and talent he concentrates on three main themes : classic, in respect of legendary traditions ; contemporary, new and occasionally surprising ; light, natural and always well-balanced. Which gives for the first, risotto with Lozère flap mushrooms or a “poupeton” with black truffles and a creamy butter sauce with woodland mushrooms ; for the second, a cube-shaped pizza with octopus, figatelli and anchovies, or a “Tartine Merenda” with flap mushrooms, Iberian ham and fresh figs ; and for the third, turbot with artichokes or a “jambonette” of poultry stuffed with flap mushrooms.

Another option, intended for all the guests at a table, is well worth the detour : “La Ronde des Tapas”, composed of modest portions so that you can taste lots of different dishes.

This culinary experience combining flavours, colours and fragrances offers a unique opportunity to appreciate the world of this former pupil of Ducasse. Jean-Michel Llorca is responsible for pastries, proposing, among other delicacies, an “Ivory Tower” : a compote of limes and passion-fruit cream with a cylinder of orange-flavoured cocoa-butter. Or a melting dessert with chocolate and citrus fruit, vanilla ice-cream with a zest of lemon. A pastry-chef who excels in the art of contrasts, hot and cold, soft and crunchy…
After 24 hours in the countryside, a return to the Deep Blue Sea is in order.

The restaurant at the Miramar Beach Hotel with its picture windows looking out at the Med combines the expertise of Jilali Berrakama with the talent of consultant chef Stéphane Raimbault, renowned for his Relais Gourmand restaurant “L’Oasis”, with a 2-star rating in the Michelin Guide. This duo of virtuosi gives top priority to regional produce such as garlic, olives, courgettes flowers and aniseed, borrowing inspiration from the southern regions of Provence, the Luberon, Tuscany and Spain. Truly delicious, the cappuccino of flap mushrooms and chestnuts with shrimps, and a risotto of “craterelles” and crayfish with parsley “pistou” and a little salad of aromatic herbs. Really excellent, the terrine of pigeon with “foie gras” and pistachios, and roast doe with bilberries, baked pear and chestnuts with celery.

The weekend is drawing to an end, time to pack away irons, woods and putters, and crown this gourmet escapade by heading back to the Croisette, more precisely to the Martinez. The star-rated Palme d’Or with chef Christian Willer and his dauphin Christian Sinicropi is celebrating its 20th birthday. For two decades, the man who expected to spend his life working the soil has led the kitchen brigade at one the most elegant restaurants in the Festival City. From it’s beginnings under Jean Taittinger to the present day, the Martinez has witnessed a good many changes : the sublime suites on the top floor, refurbishment of the hall, lobby and reception, creation of the Givenchy spa and ZPlage, the Martinez’s exotic Zen-like beach.

As part of this go-ahead approach, the Palme d’Or is no exception to the rule. In 2002, Sybille de Margerie was put in charge of its decoration. She kept its Art Deco style while endowing the restaurant with features usually reserved for contemporary settings. She opted for teak, oak and sycomore, introduced gold-leaf, worked on the lighting, blended taupe grey, orange, prune, gold and beige. With gold palms and film used as leitmotivs. Two walls of photos taken during Film Festivals emphasize the allusion to the Seventh Art. The stage is set, now let’s discover what’s on your plate : the two chefs go for transparency and daring combinations. As proof, you just have to order the “timbale” of crabmeat and spider crab with tamarind-flavoured vinaigrette or the “Marguerite” of monkfish and beef tartar with quail eggs.

ADDRESSES
La Palme d’Or : 04 92 98 74 14.
73 La Croisette 06400 Cannes.

Le Fouquet’s : 04 93 38 97 90.
9 La Croisette 06400 Cannes.

Le Moulin de Mougins : 04 93 75 78 24.
Notre-Dame-de-Vie 06250 Mougins.

L’Etoile des Mers : 04 93 75 05 05.
47 avenue Miramar 06590 Théoule-sur-Mer.