By the time he was six, Raymond Blanc was an expert hunter-gatherer. With
knowledge and local maps passed down from his father, he knew when and where
to harvest berries, wild asparagus, mushrooms, frogs and snails, and had a
deep understanding of his region.
That passion for local, seasonal produce has become one of his trademarks as
the two-Michelin-starred master chef and owner of Le Manoir aux Quat’
Saisons. The kitchen gardens of Britain’s foremost restaurant with rooms
alone produce 90 types of vegetables and more than 70 varieties of herbs.
We asked him to tell us about his favourite “local” restaurants; from here to
Thailand, these are the places that, he believes, exemplify their own
regional specialities.
LOUIS XV, Monaco
This is a posh one, I know, but everyone should save up their money and eat
here once. Inside, it is like a palace, full of gilt mirrors, ornate gold,
huge flower displays and high ceilings. The service is immaculate and the
staff’s knowledge of the local Provençal food is impeccable. You feel like a
king, yet the atmosphere isn’t stuffy. You can relax and enjoy the opulence.
I am a huge fan of Alain Ducasse, and I loved every minute of my meal there,
which included simple and locally sourced delicacies such as flash-fried
ceps, and a salad with walnuts and raw vegetables, served with a tapenade.
Such simplicity is an art. For me, those ingredients show that the essence
of good food is reconnecting to the soil around you and finding the best
varieties and flavours that will grow there. It shouldn’t just be about the
fastest- and biggest-growing carrots or apples, as it has become in the
supermarkets.
Details: Place du Casino; 00 377-98 06 88 64, www.alain-ducasse.com;
gastronomic menu £157, without wine.
Sleep over: the Louis XV is part of the five-star Hôtel de Paris (98 06 30 16, www.montecarloresort.com),
which has standard rooms from £278, though you’ll pay significantly more if
you want a nice view.
CAN FABES, near Barcelona
A fabulous Relais Gourmand restaurant. The dishes are quite rustic here. They
use seasonal foods to the letter: tomatoes, peppers, walnuts and the
wonderful charcuterie of the Catalan region. The one I really remember was
the tripe, from a pig – it was delicious, just like my mother would have
made.
Santi Santamaria is a wonderful man who has a deep love of what he does and is
involved in the food he serves.
Details: Sant Joan 6, Sant Celoni; 00 34-93 867 2851, www.racocanfabes.com;
about £95 a head.
Sleep over: Santi’s gourmet retreat now has five guestrooms; doubles £170,
room-only. Book on 00800 2000 0002.
LE VIN ET L’ASSIETTE, Besançon
This wonderful restaurant is in my home town, Besançon, in a 15th-century
building on a very old street. I love the name, the idea of the wine and the
plate, because it is honest and simple. It is run by Bernard Leroy and his
whole family – his son is in the kitchen and his wife is in the front of
house. The wine cellars are amazing, deep and vaulted, well stocked with
wines from the famous surrounding regions of Burgundy and Arbois, as well as
fantastic local wines you will never have heard of. You can go down into the
cellar, choose your wine and take it back to your table up in the
restaurant. The food is out of this world, and always changing according to
what is available at that time of year. When you sit there with the pâté
de campagne, a big chunk of crusty bread and a glass of wine, you feel that
life is really good.
Details: 97 Rue Battant; 00 33-3 81 81 48 18, www.levin-et-lassiette.com;
mains from £10.
Sleep over: try the charming 18th-century Hôtel Charles Quint (03 81 82 05 49, www.hotel-charlesquint.com;
doubles from £59, room-only), in the historic district, near the cathedral.
QUARTIER VERT, Bristol
Barny Haughton is a purist. He has strong links with the Soil Association and
the Slow Food movement, and he has for a long time been pushing producers to
grow organic food. His restaurant is bistro-style, and the food is all
organic. I had a divine roasted onion with bacon when I was there – the
flavours were sweet and melting. The atmosphere is friendly and simple, and
the food is rustic and wholesome. It’s a really good example of how the best
ingredients make the best food.
Details: 85 Whiteladies Road, Clifton; 0117 973 4482, www.quartiervert.co.uk;
mains from about £10.
Sleep over: Bristol is blessed with a Hotel du Vin (0117 925 5577, www.hotelduvin.com;
doubles from £145), knocked out of a string of 18th-century sugar warehouses
down on the waterfront.
GIDLEIGH PARK, Devon
The problem in this country’s 1½ climate zones (France has 12) is, what do you
do in the winter? Choice is limited. But Gidleigh Park’s young chef, Michael
Caines, has done a lot to overcome these problems. The setting of his hotel
is idyllic, like pixieland. You have to go down A-roads, then Broads, then
miles down a single-track lane until you cross the North Teign River and
arrive at this elegant, 24-bedroom country-house hotel. It’s worth the
drive. Michael serves fish from the southwest coast, such as slow-poached
Cornish sea bass, and his mussels and scallops have been diver-caught in the
River Exe, which means huge nets weren’t used to kill other sea life, and
the smaller scallops are left so that they can reproduce.
Details: 01647 432367, www.gidleigh.com;
the tasting menu costs £85pp.
Sleep over: in one of those 24 rooms, of course. Doubles start at £440,
half-board.
PIERRE GAGNAIRE, Paris
Pierre takes seasonality and local food so seriously that he has a large
network of master gardeners and butchers, surrounding Paris, who supply his
kitchen with the best produce available. He is a friend of mine, and he is
always an excellent host. I once went there for dinner and, 24 courses
later, I left at 1.30am. I had to get up at 4.30am, but I felt fine when I
woke up, because the food is fresh and clean. This is how a good gastronomic
experience should leave you feeling – not bloated and heavy.
Details: 6 Rue Balzac; 00 33-1 58 36 12 50; evening tasting menu from £160,
without wine.
Sleep over: the restaurant belongs to the Hôtel Balzac (01 44 35 18 00, www.hotelbalzac.com),
which has ornate rooms at ornate prices – from £328, room-only.
CHIVA-SOM, Thailand
My one truly exotic recommendation. The setting for this restaurant is a
luxury health spa, so it goes without saying that the head chef, Paisarn
Cheewinsiriwat, has an understanding of ayurvedic medicine as well as
nutrition and healthy eating. He also loves and understands locality and
seasonality. The restaurant has its own organic gardens, where mangoes and
other fruits and vegetables are grown, and sources the best-quality local
meat and fish. I last went there in July, and the food blew me away. I
particularly remember a lo-mein soup, with shrimps and seafood, and a beef
salad with ginger. I was so impressed with Paisarn’s food that I have
invited him to the Manoir to recreate some of his dishes using our own
Southeast Asian garden. Yes, believe it or not, it is possible to grow lemon
grass and ginger in Oxfordshire.
Sleep over: three-day retreats with meals start at £770pp. ITC Classics (01244
355527, www.itcclassics.co.uk)
has seven nights, full-board, for £2,485pp, based on two sharing an
ocean-view room.
— Raymond Blanc talked to Harriet Perry
Besancon is a gorgeous town but we've no idea whether it's affordable as the parking there is atrocious! We drove round for an hour and a half on a quiet Thursday night last summer trying to find somewhere to park and failed miserably. Had to content ourselves with a walk near the river and a roadside restaurant on the 40-mile trek back to where we were staying!
Donna C, Leeds,
Besancon sounds nice - and affordable!
Mike Richards, Pedreguer, Spain