Allez, zou! Head to Aude Locatelli’s place! She had the brilliant idea to leave financial consulting behind in order to open this thoughtfully decorated café (a long wooden bench, Baumann chairs, a mural by the painter/surfer Babapt), where chef Eva Köpping (ex-Beach House in Anglet) serves her Mediterranean fare without overdoing it. Take the day we went for lunch as an example: leeks vinaigrette vivified by homemade dukkah, with mustard shoots and seeds; incredibly fresh grilled mackerel fillets atop a bed of hummus, topped with sauce vierge made with green onions, parsley, lime, chili pepper and olive oil; before some delicious honey-roasted apricots atop moist almond cake. At night, we share plates like labneh with Kalamata olives, orange and cilantro; slow-roasted lamb served with pita bread, Greek yogurt, fresh herbs and fennel; or even lamb saddle slow roasted in a Dutch oven, served with falafel and grilled zucchini… // Gérard Roubeix
FEELING THIRSTY? There’s something for every mood, from conventional wines to low-intervention naturals: an Alsatian white from Albert Mann (€8 a glass), a Saumur red from Arnaud Lambert (€32 a bottle), a Chablis from the Domaine de l’Enclos (€54)…
PRICE: Menu €25 (weekday lunch), plates €9-24, Dutch oven meals for two €40-50.
