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| blog | about us | privacy | sitemap | home | © Bacchus and Comus, and Croque-en-Bouche Site problem? Tell us please |
We have a new section for ‘baddies’, called ‘Malessere’, which has this piece, but it’s here too, just to make us feel better!
Over the last 45 years (yes!) we have enjoyed some amazing meals all over the world. It has been fascinating to observe the attitude of those restaurants scintillating with two and three stars: those whose love of food overrides the snobbery of their Michelin stars, and those who do succumb to their ego and let snobbery override the essence of the food. Girardet, Gordon Ramsey, Guerard; are three belonging to the first category. Usually the food is excellent, and you willingly let yourself pay the earth, as the case may be, for fear of being perceived as a mean Philistine!
We somehow never managed to go to L'Oustau de Baumanière or to Les Baux de Provence. Such beautiful romantic names, full of warmth and the perfumes of the garrigue! We were surely missing something!
So on 26th of December last year we left Bordeaux and decided to fulfil our dream and stop overnight at L'Oustau on the way to Genoa. Overlooked by the village of Baux de Provence which is perched dangerously on a high rock which dominates the valley, l'Oustau epitomises "le charme discret de la bourgeoisie" with its rambling terraces, buildings and huge bedrooms furnished a la Provençale. At €220 (without petit déjeuner) a night, we would have preferred not to have to share a bath robe or to drink water out of plastic glasses. We would have also appreciated a little welcoming something in the room like fruit, or a few chocolates at bedtime wishing us "bonne nuit" and happy dreams!
But come 9.00pm., we marched into the dining room full of expectation and sat at a beautiful table. We ordered our food: Neville, a menu for €170 and Sonia two dishes, Rouget Barbet Basilic at €45 and Pigeonneau Jus Perlé €58. The wine was Cuvée de la Stèle, Mas de la Dame les Baux €45, and two bottles of San Pellegrino €15.
Our first disappointment came with the "amuse-bouche", a few limp and stale grissini in a glass! Patience! There are surely going to bring some other tit bits to titillate our appetite and help us pass the time whilst they are slaving over a hot stove…illusions remaining from our many visits to other restaurants. After over half an hour, the first course arrived, followed by the bread. Then we went from disappointment to disappointment. Neville's bouillon de santé huitre "Prat Ar Coum" (what does it mean?) was nondescript.
Over the last 45 years (yes!) we have enjoyed some amazing meals all over the world. It has been fascinating to observe the attitude of those restaurants scintillating with two and three stars: those whose love of food overrides the snobbery of their Michelin stars, and those who do succumb to their ego and let snobbery override the essence of the food. Girardet, Gordon Ramsey, Guerard; are three belonging to the first category. Usually the food is excellent, and you willingly let yourself pay the earth, as the case may be, for fear of being perceived as a mean Philistine!
We somehow never managed to go to L'Oustau de Baumanière or to Les Baux de Provence. Such beautiful romantic names, full of warmth and the perfumes of the garrigue! We were surely missing something!
So on 26th of December last year we left Bordeaux and decided to fulfil our dream and stop overnight at L'Oustau on the way to Genoa. Overlooked by the village of Baux de Provence which is perched dangerously on a high rock which dominates the valley, l'Oustau epitomises "le charme discret de la bourgeoisie" with its rambling terraces, buildings and huge bedrooms furnished a la Provençale. At €220 (without petit déjeuner) a night, we would have preferred not to have to share a bath robe or to drink water out of plastic glasses. We would have also appreciated a little welcoming something in the room like fruit, or a few chocolates at bedtime wishing us "bonne nuit" and happy dreams!
But come 9.00pm., we marched into the dining room full of expectation and sat at a beautiful table. We ordered our food: Neville, a menu for €170 and Sonia two dishes, Rouget Barbet Basilic at €45 and Pigeonneau Jus Perlé €58. The wine was Cuvée de la Stèle, Mas de la Dame les Baux €45, and two bottles of San Pellegrino €15.
Our first disappointment came with the "amuse-bouche", a few limp and stale grissini in a glass! Patience! There are surely going to bring some other tit bits to titillate our appetite and help us pass the time whilst they are slaving over a hot stove…illusions remaining from our many visits to other restaurants. After over half an hour, the first course arrived, followed by the bread. Then we went from disappointment to disappointment. Neville's bouillon de santé huitre "Prat Ar Coum" (what does it mean?) was nondescript.
