og on to
www.angloinfo.com
and you will have hit the information jackpot for
the Riviera. The site carries information on
literally everything – in English! Try this from
home before you leave.
Cigars and cigarettes are bought at a Tabac
(pronounced Tabah), as are phone cards. Cuban cigars
can be bought at most of the larger Tabacs in or
around tourist areas. Two places that I frequent are
the Tabac inside the Carrefour complex in Antibes
(follow sign for Super Antibes right near the
Antibes exit off of A-8), and a smaller Tabac on the
back-side of the main place (square) in Cannes by
the old port/marina. Both have good selections and
good prices. Most hotels also have humidors in their
bar/restaurant/lounge areas. A bit more expensive
than in a Tabac, but not as big of a mark-up as we’re
used to in the U.S.
For
dining out, click here for a list of my
"personal favorites" - restaurant
recommendations, organized by city.
One of the culinary treasures of France is Poulet
Roti – rotisserie chicken in English. Supermarkets
sometimes have it, but the best is from roadside
stands or specialized vendors. A good vendor is on
the road between Cabris and Grasse – on the left,
just as you enter Grasse itself. There is also a
roadside stand near the vegetable stand on the road
to the villa, just before the Peymeinade roundabout.
Try it with bread, or roasted potatoes.
Try the pizza (individual sized) from the white
step-van truck parked in the roundabout that takes
you to Peymeinade. They actually have a wood burning
oven inside and make 20 kinds of pizza within 5
minutes. A great pick-up as you return to the villa
from a day of sight-seeing.
Shopping:
If
you are looking for art or gifts, the guidebooks in
the villa will give you some pointers and ideas, but
my recommendations are as follows:
-
Mougins (Vieux/Old Ville) – great place
for paintings: not as big as St. Paul de
Vence, but less expensive
-
St. Paul de Vence – great tourist stop;
many galleries, both paintings and
sculpture; bigger than Mougins, but more
expensive (higher overhead area). Also a
good place for provencal handiwork, crafts,
and antiques (limited). My favorite place
for provencal linens and gifts is La
Boutique de L’ea, which is in St. Paul,
right at the entrance to the parking garage.
The owner’s name is Bridgitte. She is very
friendly, knows a little English, and will
treat you well if you mention my name.
-
Vallauris – provencal pottery
-
Biot – blown glass
-
Grasse – perfume, try the tours at
Fragonard or Molinard – both are close to
the villa and have good tours and gift
shops. There is also a great provencal
specialty ship, Espace Terroir, just at the
beginning of Grasse as you exit N-85 going
towards the villa. Watch for the sign at the
right before the first roundabout. The owner’s
name is Nicholas. He is very friendly and
speaks good English. The shop has many local
specialties, such as honey, tapenade, olive
oil, digestifs and aperitifs (booze!), some
crafts, and a little local wine. The olive
oil from La Bastide Saint-Antoine – the
best!
-
Antibes – the old city
(Vieux Ville) has a
great outdoor market (Cours Massena) by the
old fort in the Port Vauban area. Adjoining
Cours Massena, are many streets full of
boutiques, galleries and specialty shops –
plus a myriad of great restaurants. You can
park by the marina (port area) or by the
Post Office parking garage. Worth an
afternoon’s visit.
-
Nice – biggest city in the area and has
everything you might expect in a city that
size – their specialty is probably traffic
(just kidding). A must see, however, is the
outdoor market called Cours Saleya in the
old part of the city. This is the largest
“marche” in Provence and worth seeing
– known for it’s “eye candy.” Try
lunch at Le Safari.
-
St. Tropez – hard to get in and out of in
the summer because of traffic, but worth one
trip. Home to Bridgitte Bardot, famous
Pampellone Beach, movie stars and jet
setters, St. Tropez is the quintessential
French Riviera. The side streets off the
harbor have some great shops – all
expensive, but very unique.
Beaches – the guidebooks discuss most of the
beaches throughout the Cote d’Azur, however, I
will give you my recommendations:
Mandelieu/La Napoule – Plage du Chateau
My
favorite. Less touristy than Cannes. Parking
lot fairly close. Great restaurant – Le
Sweet. Water is shallow (good for kids) and
the beach has a full array of water sport
equipment rentals.
Cannes – Croisette beaches
This
is the Riviera. Chic, topless beaches,
mostly owned by the big Croisette hotels.
Try the beach across from the Carlton
International or the Martinez. The hotels
have beach restaurants, restrooms, waiter
service, chaise and umbrella rental, water
sports equipment, and wide beaches. They do
charge ($15-$35) and it can be pricey if you
bring kids. The charges vary by hotel and
what “chaise row” you want –
waterfront is the most expensive. This isn’t
something that you want to do everyday, but
the cost is worth at least one visit. The
food and service is excellent, the views
spectacular, and the ambiance is
quintessential Riviera. Try the Carlton’s
beachside restaurant buffet – mounds of
seafood, salads, cheeses, and desserts –
yum! (04.93.06.40.06)
Antibes/Juan Les Pins
48
separate beaches spanning 25 km of
coastline, including Cap d’Antibes. Many
restaurants along the beach road,
particularly in Juan Les Pins. Some of the
more famous beaches are La Salis, La Garoupe,
and Plage du Ponteil.
St. Tropez – home of the famous “St.
Tropez tan.”
Beaches here are dominated by
beach clubs that charge and have restaurants
and facilities similar to those along the
Croisette in Cannes. This is a movie star
and jet set hang-out and many of the beach
clubs are private, or at least hard to just
“walk in.” The guide books have names
and phone numbers – call ahead for
reservations. A long drive for a beach, but
this is “beautiful people, topless heaven,”
if you’re in to that.
Food Shopping – the closest is the
Intermarche in Peymeinade and the best is
Carrefour in Antibes
Peymeinade, Intermarche – average sized
supermarket close to villa. Good for staples
and has an OK bakery. The Intermarche is a
¼ mile past the Peymeinade roundabout that
you go through enroute to the villa (Speracedes)
– the last of the roundabouts coming from
Cannes, or A-8.
Antibes, Carrefour – huge foodstore with a
kind of a Wal-mart attached. The place sells
CDs, DVDs, housewares, lawn and garden, you
name it. On the food side, what an awesome
selection of everything. Florent says it is
the best place to buy fish on the Riviera.
The Tabac in the associated mall has an
excellent selection of Cuban cigars. To
locate, exit the autoroute (A-8) at Antibes
and follow the signs – there are signs for
Carrefour everywhere.
St. Laurent du Var, Galleries Lafayette –
the prettiest supermarket I’ve ever seen.
Lots of gourmet stuff and a good selection
of American type brands. Definitely worth a
visit. The bonus is that it is inside CAP
3000, the major shopping mall in the area.
To locate, take A-8 towards Nice and exit at
St. Laurent du Var, which is one exit before
the Nice airport – then follow the CAP
3000 signs.
Casino Stores – found
everywhere. They
vary in size from large 7-11s to full sized
supermarkets.
Golf
– Check my Riviera magazines for comprehensive golf
course info, but one course, Le Claux Amic (Club
Grasse), is only 5 minutes from Cabris. It is located
along the D-4 route, which connects Cabris to Grasse.
Leaving Cabris, the golf course is a left turn up the
mountain about 1 mile from Cabris – watch the signs.
The phone number is 04.93.60.55.44. They charge around
50 euros for the 18 holes and 20 euros for the club
rental. Carts are 35 euros additional. The pro shop
personnel speak pretty good English, so that is not a
problem. The course is in a mountain forest and
appears to be very scenic.
estaurant
Recommendations:
There
are no bad restaurants in France, only better ones, so
I don’t view this list as the final word. These are
just places that I have been to, or heard about from
friends. More restaurant information , including maps
and website locations, can be found at www.angloinfo.com.
Cannes
La
Chunga – serves late (midnite?); good food, but
over priced; small place with excellent late night
(after 10pm) entertainment (music) – a hang-out
for the trendy locals. Good walk-in place if you
forget to get reservations at Baouli.
Baouli
– very chic restaurant and dance club. Food is
good, but go for the ambiance and dancing. Has a
large outdoor “living room” type lounge – very
cool place. Good wine list. Dancing starts at
midnite, when the roof is opened up.
Harem
– great eastern food (06.18.09.70.28)
Palm
Court – a relatively new restaurant, but
recommended by my house manager, Florent
Vence
Le Chateau du Domaine St. Martin – beautiful view
and fantastic setting. Great hotel with a first
class restaurant. Expensive, but worth the trip.
(04.93.58.02.02) See the brochure in the villa, or
visit their website (www.chateau-st-martin.com)
St.
Paul de Vence
La
Colombe d’Or – great place for lunch under the
fig trees; wonderful provencal menu with great views
of the cypress-dotted hillsides; very well known
restaurant (04.93.32.80.02)
Mandelieu/La
Napoule
Le
Sweet – beach restaurant with great seafood. Very
casual. Open late in the summer (10 pm), and serves
lunch until 3 pm (unusual in France). One of my
favorites (04.93.49.87.33)
L’Oasis
– 2-star Michelin fine dining. Stunning ambiance,
great food and service – just what a Michelin
2-star should be. One of the top 10 restaurants on
the Riviera. (04.93.49.95.52)
Antibes
Michelangeo’s – vieux (old) Antibes. My favorite
Italian restaurant. Dine in or out in the summer.
Unlike most French restaurants, the inside dining
actually has more ambiance. Call for reservations
(dinner) (04.93.34.04.47)
Le
Brulot – vieux (old) Antibes. Best boullabaise
this side of Marseilles. Call ahead if you want it
– preferably the day before.
Grasse
La
Bastide Saint-Antoine – 2-star Michelin restaurant
close to the villa (20 minutes). Great food and
views. Staff is friendly and most speak some
English. Expensive, like all Michelin rated
restaurants, but worth it – the setting and food
are what France is all about. Check the brochures
for this restaurant in the villa.
La
Voute – small café. Simple food, cheap, nice
ambiance. Great pizza! (04.93.36.11.43)
La
Mas du Calme – small, original country French
restaurant. The chef is semi-retired, but has a
stellar resume, including many famous French
restaurants. The chef selects the menu personally,
daily and uses only fresh vegetables and herbs. Call
ahead, because he might only open for you!
(04.92.42.40.50)
Beaulieu
La Reserve de Beaulieu – one of the best hotels on
the Riviera – small, but elegant, and everyone
speaks English. The restaurant is a 2-star Michelin
and is superb. Try lunch, poolside overlooking the
Med. The Salad Nicoise is heavenly. Not for the
kiddies – this place is expensive!
Cabris
Le
Flambeau – open April thru October. My favorite
– cheap, friendly, and good food. The cuisine is
combo of Italian and French dishes. In and outside
dining. Closed Monday and Thursday, except in July
and August (open 7 days per week for lunch and
dinner) (04.93.60.61.00)
Le
Petit Prince – the best French restaurant in
Cabris. Reservations are usually needed, especially
if they aren’t serving outside (the inside is
small). The staff can be a little haughty if you don’t
speak French – but, oh well! (04.93.60.63.14)
Le
Bout Chou – creperie. Very inexpensive, but menu
is limited (but good food). Family owned.
Auberge Le Chevre D’Or – this is the restaurant
on the corner near the main place (square). They
recently changed ownership and their name (?). The
old restaurant was small, charming, and had good,
moderately priced food.
Saint
Cezaire
La
Bonne Fourchette – good food (04.93.60.20.10)
Villa
Valhalla
For a real treat, have an accomplished French chef
cook for you right at the villa. Emmanuel Sofonea
specializes in home gourmet service. He has been a
traditional chef in restaurants in Paris, Geneva,
Munich, Luxembourg and Chicago – including a few
Michelin 2-stars. He speaks pretty good English and
is a pleasure to talk to while he works. The best
deal is to have him come for the whole day to cook
both lunch and dinner – I always prefer a lazy
Sunday – lounging by the pool and playing boules
while my French chef prepares our gastronomic
delights (he also serves you and cleans up!). His
menus vary, but ultimately you select what you want
after he gives you some ideas. You can also see some
sample menus on his website: www.unchefchezvous.com.
All his meals (lunch and dinner) begin with a “starter”
course (try the lobster salad), move to the main
course (try the foie gras stuffed chicken breast
topped with prawns), and end with dessert prepared
at the villa (no store bought cheesecakes!). He will
also offer a traditional cheese course (before
dessert), which you should try at dinner, if you
aren’t already bursting. Top it off with a café (Expresso)
and a cognac, or other digestif (liqueur), and you
are ready for bed.
Emmanuel also serves champagne
and appetizers about an hour before each meal to get
your appetite going. This is the ultimate in
self-pampering! He does all the work, serves you,
and cleans up. He buys only the freshest of foods
and leaves you the left-overs. He will do the wine
shopping for you, as well (champagne, whites, and
reds, depending on the meals). For 8 people the
total cost will be about a $1000 if he buys the wine
– that’s for 2 four course meals – that
includes dishes that contain lobster, shrimp/prawns,
crab, foie gras, and filet. My guests and I have
never been disappointed! The price, with tip, is
much less for fewer people (obviously), simpler
ingredients, and no wine (meaning, you buy your
own). With regard to the wine, he is only more
expensive because he will naturally buy more than
you need – to be safe. He doesn’t mark it up, so
that isn’t all bad, because you can always drink
it later – or put it in my wine cellar! He will
also expose you to some regional wines that you
might never discover. He won’t select a bunch of
pricey bordeaux’s – unless you direct him to!
Emmanuel is very much in demand, so you must book
ahead, either by email or phone – I would suggest
a month, or more, particularly in the summer. You
won’t lock in the menu until a week or so before,
but getting on his calendar is the main thing. His
phone numbers are: 04.93.34.62.55 or 06.73.22.65.44
(cell). Both are France numbers, so to call from the
U.S., dial 011.33 and then the phone number –
dropping the initial zero. If this is all too
intimidating, just tell me, and I’ll set it up for
you, or have Florent do it (they are friends).
