restaurant

L'Ossau

Restaurant L'Ossau (Pau)

© Emilie Massal

  • Date
  • share

In the land of good King Henri, there’s a sleek, wood-clad bistro winning over local appetites thanks to two friends: Tarbes native Benjamin Grandclément (in the kitchen) and Étienne Guinel (front of house), both of whom used to work at the Mandarin Oriental under Thierry Marx. Their thing? Traditional, classic, almost bourgeois cuisine, which was a true delight for €29 the day we went for lunch: tasty Chalosse poulet jaune corn-fed chicken and Duroc pork rillettes (sourced from Maison Biraben and the Ferme du Lasset, respectively) with preserved lemon and parsley, all served on a silver platter; impeccable line-caught hake from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, new potatoes, onions, carrots, thyme and a red wine sauce with fish bone fumet – plus organic bread from Gaston’s for wiping the plate clean; before a classic rice pudding from pastry chef Jonathan Vallenari (ex-Maynats), paired with praline cream and pumpkin seeds. After all that, we were itching to come back to try the duck pâté en croûte with foie gras, dried figs and pistachios, and the poule au pot ballotine, with a superb sauce and a medley of vegetables. // Loulou Pic

FEELING THIRSTY? : A wine list that features both conventional and natural vintages: a red Sancerre from Serge Laloue (€9 a glass), Monnières-Saint Fiacre muscadet from the Domaine Haute Févrie (€22 a bottle), Campredon, a Terrasses-du-Larzac from Alain Chabanon (€44)… unless you’d rather indulge in a Pouilly-Fumé from Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau (€138).
PRICE: : Set menus €22-29 (lunch), à la carte €48-51.

Save this spot in the Fooding app, available on iOS! Download it now in the app store.

Le Fooding’s brand-new France guide is available for pre-order!

In the latest sizzling edition of the Fooding guide, discover 350 new hotspots that will define France in 2025, along with our highly anticipated awards list, a special section featuring articles like “oui oui baguette” that dissect modern French society, plus a family-friendly magazine supplement for cool kids.

Enjoy free shipping until November 20th.

Le Fooding’s brand-new France guide frontcover
I want it!
About

Le Fooding is a print and digital guide to all the restaurants, chefs, bars, stylish hotels and B&Bs that make up the “taste of the times,” plus an annual awards list for new establishments across France and Belgium, a series of gastronomic events, a tool that allows you to make reservations at some fantastic bistros, and an agency specialized in event planning, content production and consulting…

Fooding® is a registered trademark.