Right near Le Saint-Eutrope, his campagne headquarters, chef Harry Lester wins over crowds of Clermont insiders with precious bottles of natural wine. In his vintage second location (yellow school chairs, a 50s-era bar, vanilla-strawberry walls and a gallery of super graphic wine labels), we pop them open faster than a speeding bullet while an armada of atomic recipes prepared in Le Saint-Eutrope’s kitchen bombards our taste buds. The day we went for lunch: toasted almonds; slices of homemade cured meat – guanciale, finocchiona, etc.; flavorful pork rillettes with plenty of pink radishes and cornichons; an incredible pizzetta fritta topped with marinated anchovies; before an iced fig-blueberry vacherin sprinkled with hyssop meringue. Very impressive! // N.B.
FEELING THIRSTY? Drink it there or take it to go: Lady Chasselas, a Languedoc white from Mylène Bru (€5.70 a glass); L’Adret, a Rhone white from Les Deux Terres (€25 a bottle); or Les Petites Fleurs, an Auvergne red from Vincent and Marie Tricot (€29).
PRICE: À la carte €28-50.
