Anema

Run don’t walk, this is THE best chef’s residency of the summer! The courtyard at the Hôtel Saint-Julien with its beach club vibes – a crimson central bar, shady banquette seating, raffia light fixtures, a Top 50 playlist remixed with tropical house music – is hosting the cuisine of Javier Meneses (ex-Fogon in Anglet) all summer long. With his Italian and Argentine roots, he’s now Basque by choice, and the former rugby player prepares plates that rarely miss the mark, backed up by Dorian Merle. The day we went, we had some incredibly supple octopus slow-cooked in olive oil, graced with slightly dehydrated tomato slices, fresh basil and green peppercorns to start things off; bluefin tuna crudo countered by an explosively flavorful garlic purée, with garlic chips and a honeyed Vieux Banyuls vinegar reduction; plump barbecued turbot fillet paired with charred zucchini and a brilliant green curry and Gorria chili sauce; juicy grilled lamb fillet dominated by two fresh anchovies and a delicate jus de viande, in a scrum with some seriously tender peppers that had been tossed on the grill; before a final scrimmage, which unfortunately was out of bounds, a lemon tree oil granita with spicy chili, goat’s milk curds and lemon jam… // Fanta Diallo

FEELING THIRSTY? : Javier called upon Yoenn Pille (Retour Verre Le Futur) to naturalize his wine menu: a chardonnay and ugni blend from the Ardèche winery Les Deux Terres (€7 a glass), a Loire sauvignon from Le Clos Du Tue Boeuf (€34 a bottle), and an Irouleguy from the Domaine Goienetxea (€48). The hotel bar also offers up cocktails: a refreshing Bergamenthe with Basque Anaiak gin, bergamot rosolio, Deuza mint tea syrup and verjus (€10).
PRICE: : Tasting menu €60 (five courses), plates à la carte €16-22, desserts €9.

Hopopup! Because sometimes wiping the slate clean is the best way to fill it back up again, this restaurant hosts a chefs-in-residency program. So it’s possible that when you visit, a new talent might have taken over the kitchen!