A la Colthard/ touristy restaurants
The description of a restaurant as ‘touristy’ is often used by locals to mean expensive or poor food and certainly a place they would not visit. I do not always think this fair nor conversely that local restaurants are always the best either. 3 restaurants I am reviewing today might be called touristy but only one would I never revisit.
The African Queen/Beaulieu
The delight of the Côte d’Azur is no better seen than in the contracts of two towns next to one another on the land side Of Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu and Villefranche. Beaulieu is best defined by its premier hotel La Reserve. It is elegant and reserved. Villefranche by contrast is a deep sea port which was once the home of the US sixth fleet and by reputation a bawdier sailor’s town.
Both however have delightful restaurants overlooking the sea. On Easter Sunday we went to The African Queen. To say it was packed would be an understatement – they could not have got another table in the place and how the waiters managed to operate is beyond me as there was precious little space between tables to deliver food and serve. The food itself, a shared Cote de Boeuf, was delicious and the bill with my gazpacho and dessert, a disappointing tiramisu, 80 euros per head. It was touristy but I noted several big French families including a dashing young priest in designer shades. I would go to confession to him every Sunday!!!
Le Cap, Cap d’Antibes beach hotel
The famous hotel on Cap D’Antibes is the Eden Roc with its pool in the rocks. We felt like something less formal after visiting the Picasso Museum. Originally I tried to reserve Tetou, famous for its Bouillabaise.
This was closed so I opted for Le Cap as it had its own private beach. I ate simply with an entrecôte steak and chips. There is that famous joke of useful French words to know: “the waiter appears to have abandoned us”. After sitting us down this happened – they had also no knowledge of our reservation – but the food and ambience by the sea were both first class …as were the prices. Yes a hotel that is “touristy’ but the chef did appear at one table with a young Frenchman who looked frightfully famous.
The Magenta Brasserie
Yesterday Bob’s actress friend wanted to treat us to lunch. It was a tad too windy for the beach restaurants so I advised Boccaccio, the best for fish. They close at 14-30 a silly protocol in today’s gastro world where diners will eat a very late lunch and you may as well maximise space and hours. So after drink and running late we chose a brasserie in one of the man streets Rue Massena which allowed us ladies to window shop too. The first course a salad of calamari and octopus was light and tasty, my daube (beef stew) stodgy and the crepes so bad we could not eat them.
We expected a Crepe Suzette sizzling in Grand Marnier, lemon juice and Demerara sugar flambed at table. Instead a pancake with the taste and consistency of dried out cardboard arrived, the waiter passed a light over it which produced a token and short flame. I did not see the bill but I explained to our disbelieving friend that service is included though not specifically identified and it’s customary to leave a few Euros on top. Some restaurants however will say service is not included. Tipping is a custom that varies from country to country. In the States a 30% tip is customary but the French system is unclear but to their advantage. This restaurant undoubtedly was touristy. Situated where tourists go with a menu they might appeal it served up mediocre food. I am not a TripAdvisor fan but a little research in it in advance might have confirmed this.
