Right near the Palais des Festivals and its famous red-carpeted staircase, there’s a modest spot with an intimate feel inside (a long blue bench, blonde wood tables, exposed light bulbs) and a tiny terrace. Resistant to the charms of stars and starlets, Le Pompon does everything to give Bruno Baccati’s cuisine a leg up, who’s been getting the plates all dolled up since opening in 2018. On the chalkboard menu the day we went for lunch: a lemony artichoke carpaccio sprinkled with toasted pine nuts; tender lamb chops in an herb crust with mashed potatoes and jus de viande; an incredible risotto made using buckwheat crozet pasta and summer truffles… Before the cherry on top: a red berry pavlova with a creamy lemon center and homemade strawberry sorbet! // A.H.
FEELING THIRSTY? There’s a selection of sparkle-free wines, like the light Côtes-Catalanes white (€5 a glass), and the Muscat-de-Rivesaltes (€29 a bottle) from the Château des Hospices, or even a red from Provence from the Château Les Crostes (€29).
PRICE: Mains €10-14, desserts €8.
