Chez Rosette

Leaving behind the Parisian nightlife scene for the ramparts of Lussan, Katia Madelbaum (ex-Silencio, Wanderlust and Les Bains) now hosts countryside parties alongside Cevennes producers, atop the rocky hillside village of Lussan. Under the watchful eyes of her grandmothers, the neo-innkeeper has revitalized the village auberge (wicker armchairs, oilcloth gingham tablecloths, an equally shady and sunny terrace) and entrusted the kitchens to Jake Parker, a former hotel concierge who used to work at Le Pré Galoffre in Nîmes. The other night, he proved that he knows a thing or two about flavor: cheeky salt cod accras paired with fried sage, tzatziki, pickled cucumbers and sea beans; formidable farm-raised beef from Lozère, shaken up by a broccoli and zucchini sauce vierge with toasted peanuts; cod steak with kale chips, plus mushrooms sautéed with wild garlic in a perfect miso beurre blanc sauce; a local pélardon cheese topped with some lovely stewed fennel and orange; before a pavlova-inspired dessert of Carpentras strawberries, cherries, arugula, peas and crushed meringue in sweet hibiscus syrup. One last piece of advice: if you want to guarantee yourself an early spot at brunch on Sundays (pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, asparagus in chimichurri, scrambled eggs and baked beans, etc.), the building also boasts eight bedrooms decked out with the utmost care. // Scotty Lard

FEELING THIRSTY? : A wine list that features locally-made, artsy soft drinks (lemonades from Les Brasseurs de la Jonte at €4) and low-intervention wines: The Notorious BIB, a red blend produced by Julie Le Breton and Christophe Vial (€5.50 a glass), Page Blanche, a clairette-bourboulenc from the Domaine Sans Terre (€34 a bottle), or À La Source, a grenache-carignan from Marcel Richaud (€32).
PRICE: : À la carte €36-44, brunch plates €7-18 (Sunday).