Les Arcades, Biot

[Jonathan Day]

We were looking for a nearby place to eat, nothing too fancy. After a week that encompassed two 3-star restaurants, Ledoyen in Paris and El Bulli in Roses, Spain, I was looking for the other extreme of Robert Brown's "dining in extremis" (click here). But we wanted a place we hadn't tried before, and the restaurant in Mougins that fit our criteria was closed on Wednesday.

I flipped through neighbouring town descriptions in the Gault-Millau 2002 guide. Something in Biot caught my eye: "It's easy to see why Jacques Maximin brings his friends to this bar-tabac; this isn't the cuisine of a restaurateur, but yesterday's dishes taste good here, and they care about the freshness of the ingredients." I called for a reservation. "Allo!" barked a voice. "Is that the Restaurant Les Arcades?" "Of course it is," said the voice, "What do you want?" "Could you reserve us a table for tomorrow evening, two people at eight?" "Sure, no problem…let's see, is there a pen here? Why isn't there a pen near the phone? What did you say your name was? When are you coming? See you tomorrow!"

We arrived almost half an hour late to find a queue at the bar, and wondering whether our table would be there. But it was, and we were quickly ushered through the spotless kitchen to a quieter room and a pleasant table that gave me a view into the kitchen.

The menu is short and simple: beignets de fleurs de courgettes farcies, marinated herrings, aubergines farcies, fish of the day steamed, ravioli "tout nu" (naked, i.e. the fillings served without the pasta), gigot d'agneau, and so on. The dish of the day was a daube de boeuf served over pasta. A starter, main dish, salad or cheese and dessert are offered for €30.

A waiter, a tall, theatrical character dressed in black jeans and a black T-shirt, dramatically recited each of the dishes, in French, then left the table. And as we were deciding what to order, a small, older man sidled up to our table; he had seen us pondering the menu and had an idea for us. They had some lovely lingue (ling cod) just in, and he could do us a bouillabaisse. He spoke quietly and rapidly, as though telling us a secret. Bouillabaisse for two, plus salad or cheese and dessert, €30 apiece. How would that be? And how about a nice bottle of rosé? Sure, we said, why not? He scribbled on the paper table covering, said, "You won't be disappointed", and scuttled away.

A tureen of fish broth arrived, with croutons, garlic cloves, parmesan and rouille, the spicy garlic-saffron mayonnaise traditionally served with bouillabaisse. It was amazingly good: fresh-tasting, with just the right balance of saffron, and a pleasant kick to the rouille. Even the parmesan was of an unexpected freshness and quality. The rosé was young (2002), full of fruit and flowery aromas, nothing serious but just right given the amount of garlic we were eating.

I looked up from my first bowl of broth to the kitchen. The chef was over 2 metres tall and almost as broad; he towered over the other staff in the kitchen, shuffling pots and spinning from stove to oven. And then he reached into a pot and gently extracted two enormous pieces of fish, holding them at eye level and delicately removing the last of the bones with his fingertips. Perhaps one of those was for us, I said to my wife.

Both of them were. They came on an oval platter, with perfectly cooked potatoes just moistened with a lighter version of the fish broth in our tureen. And they were very good. This bouillabaisse was not quite at the level of Restaurant Bacon, in Antibes, when the kitchen is working at its very best; the fish were not as perfect as some we have had at Loulou in Cros-de-Cagnes. But all in all, it was very good, far better than the bouillabaisse we had at Tetou, a place where this is really the only dish worth ordering. The fish were firm and fresh, properly cooked.

We were then offered a choice of goat cheese marinated in olive oil and herbs, or a mesclun salad; after the bouillabaisse, the latter seemed right. It was pleasantly bitter, but the greens were extremely fresh and nicely chosen. Then tarte au citron and tarte aux pommes -- "we make them all," said a waiter. And they were both good.

By this time, things were slowing down: the chef had supervised several cleanings of the kitchen, had taken care of a few last dishes, put on a jacket and departed. Different waiters brought different dishes to our table; this seemed to be a family affair, but it worked. At one point a young man came into the kitchen and grazed on what was left on the stove, reaching a hand into different pots to extract bits of food. The man who had whispered the availability of the bouillabaisse to us had retired behind the bar. It was calm and restful, and we really didn't want to leave.

Eventually I asked the tall waiter for the bill. "It won't be much," he said, and with a flourish totalled the scribblings on the tablecloth. He was right: aperitif, Badoit, wine, dinner, salad and dessert for two came to €91. It seemed such a pleasant place, such good value, that we immediately booked lunch a few days hence, this time bringing along family and guests.

This time, we were seated on the terrace overlooking the arcades for which the restaurant is named. It was Friday, and the dish of the day was an aioli. Once again, a generous portion of the same ling cod, perfectly cooked hardboiled eggs, beans, and some of the most delicious carrots I have ever tasted: sweet, rich-tasting, almost meaty. The aioli, garlic mayonnaise, was surprisingly subtle. We both agreed that we could have enjoyed a meal of those carrots on their own, with a bit of the aioli.

The restaurant was pleasantly accomodating to the children and to an Australian guest who wanted her lamb "cooked until it was really dead". All in all, a delightful experience, and a new place on our list of favourite locals. If the true religion of France is gastronomy, and if the 3-star restaurants are its great cathedrals or temples, then a place like Les Arcades is a little country meeting hall, modest but completely true to what it is. As we left, I found myself humming the old evangelical hymn, "Give me that old-time religion", with a slightly adapted last line: "It's good enough for Maximin and it's good enough for me."

Les Arcades

16, place des Arcades

06410 Biot

Tel. (33) 4 93 65 01 04

Closed Sunday for dinner and Monday all day.

Edited April 21, 2003 by Jonathan Day (log)

[CyN]

What about El Bulli?Give us your report on that one.

And what about Ledoyen? I am trying to decide whether to lay out the big bucks for that one on my trip next month. I s it worth it?

[Jonathan Day]

Check TDG tomorrow for Robert's and my take on El Bulli.

I enjoyed Ledoyen enormously, both the atmosphere and the food. It is very expensive (dinner for two with champagne, a decent bottle of wine and calvados totalled €500) but still felt like good value. I wrote a review in the Ledoyen thread, as have others: click here.

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

Jonathan -- I very much enjoyed your post and will look for Les Arcades when I am in the neighborhood. I don't know if all readers appreciate how a true bouillebaisse is a very celebratory and luxurious dish if done right. The finest I ever had was in 1993 at Domaine Tempier when Lulu was still supervising the kitchen. I was very honored that they saw fit to serve me a bouillebaisse.

Best regards,

Claude Kolm

The Fine Wine Review

[vmilor]

Can true appreciation of certain dishes relate to "season"? I have never had Lulu's cooking and envy those who had but I have had bouillabaisse in places such as Bacon and Bijou, always in summer. Somehow I just can not see the nirvana. Maybe it should not be ordered in summer??? It is more on the baisse side then.

Jonathan, have you ever tried Terraillers at Biot? 10 years ago or so it was wonderful. I was planning to go to Tetou for "grilled langouste", not bbaisse. My complaint is that there are so few fresh rock langouste left on the Riviera, except the Porquerolles. Where would you go for one in your vicinity? I do not want the animal in ravioli or pate or mousse but the whole one kg. thing beautifully grilled and served whole.

[Jonathan Day]

Les Terraillers is on my list, as is L'Auberge du Jarrier, the latter in particular because people have told me that the (female) chef did interesting work.

I omitted Les Terraillers (1 Michelin star) from my search because it was fancier than we were looking for; and unfortunately the telephone number for the Auberge du Jarrier simply didn't work. I had hoped that this was because I was calling on a Tuesday, the day the restaurant is closed, but as we passed it on the Wednesday the lights were out. Perhaps they are on annual holiday; or, worse, have closed their doors permanently.

For me bouillabaisse is something to have once in awhile. It's not all that elegant or delicate a dish because of the heavy doses of garlic and pepper, but it can be a lot of fun. I think Vedat is right about its seasonality: in the last few years I haven't had it later than early June. It just feels too hot in August to drive down to Bacon and eat bouillabaisse.

We had small rock langoustines (cigales) at El Bulli, and I have had Tetou's treatment of them (nothing to write home about) with bouillabaisse -- a case of gilding the lily, and a mistake I won't make again in ordering. I regularly order cigales from my fishmonger, and cook them on a grill or the plancha. I haven't had the big rock langoustes though; next time there I will see whether the fishmonger can get them.

Claude, what a privilege to have dined at Lulu Peyraud's table. The Domaine Tempier wines seemed relatively hard to find until recently -- I have ordered several cases online at www.vcommevin.com and now spot them in a few more specialised retailers in France. I almost never see them in London. A friend said that Kermit Lynch imported virtually their entire production to California -- is this true?

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

Jonathan -- Richards, Walford is the British importer since 1999 (I introduced Roy Richards to the Peyraud at Tempier). You can call Richards, Walford in Stamford (01780 460 451) and ask which London shops carry Tempier. My guess is that Bibendum sells them.

I think The Wine Society also may offer Tempier.

Kermit Lynch imports a lot of Tempier, but by no means the whole amount. The figure I had heard was 1/3 of the production.

Best regards,

Claude Kolm

The Fine Wine Review

Edited April 21, 2003 by Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review (log)

[RandyB]

How about recommendations a little to the west, i.e., Marseille?

[vmilor]

I think The Wine Society also may offer Tempier.

Kermit Lynch imports a lot of Tempier, but by no means the whole amount. 

Best regards,

Claude Kolm

The Fine Wine Review

They may not taste the same. I had some disappointing Tempiers(red) in France. They are (over)filtered. They are not filtering for Kermit and he may be selecting the best lots because he is the man who put them on the map. This wine is like Chez Panisse's symbol too so I should not mention the brett problem they may have had.

Jonathan, their roses are even better and should go well with langouste a la plancha or langoustine a la plancha. Please cheers for us too.

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

I think The Wine Society also may offer Tempier.

Kermit Lynch imports a lot of Tempier, but by no means the whole amount. 

Best regards,

Claude Kolm

The Fine Wine Review

They may not taste the same. I had some disappointing Tempiers(red) in France. They are (over)filtered. They are not filtering for Kermit and he may be selecting the best lots because he is the man who put them on the map. This wine is like Chez Panisse's symbol too so I should not mention the brett problem they may have had.

Jonathan, their roses are even better and should go well with langouste a la plancha or langoustine a la plancha. Please cheers for us too.

I can't speak for Wine Society which I believe imports Tempier on its own (although also buys other wines from Richards Walford), but I am virtually certain that Richards Walford takes unfiltered wine.

As for the alleged brett problem, I believe that is just unfamiliarity with young Mourvedre. Beaucastel has also been accused of brett, and when I confronted Francois Perrin with this, he said that it was just the way young Mourvedre smells and that he had done numerous lab tests to see if ther were brett and they all came back negative. He then said that Beaucastel's Mourvedre came from cuttings at Tempier, and everything became clear. If you think that there was a brett problem, I am still drinking my stocks of 1983, 1985, 1988 (barely touched -- one of the greatest years ever at Tempier) and 1990 and they show none of the funkiness that the wines showed young. Admitedly, in the 1990s, the estate did bow to commercial pressure and eliminate the funkiness.

Best regards,

Claude Kolm

The Fine Wine Review

Edited April 24, 2003 by Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review (log)

[vmilor]

Claude,

Thanks for illuminating remarks. It is also soothing because I do owe some old Tempier.

Some old Bandols made mostly from Mourvedres I drank in France(Pebayron? Va--something) also showed very well. Do you think Tempier is the first among equals or is it just so famous here because of the first mover's advantage?

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

Some old Bandols made mostly from Mourvedres I drank in France(Pebayron? Va--something) also showed very well.  Do you think Tempier is the first among equals or is it just so famous here because of the first mover's advantage?

I think Tempier can make great wine. Whether it is the best in Bandol is another question, and one that I am not willing to opine on for the moment. I, too, have had some wonderful old Bandols from other properties (but on a much less frequent basis than Tempiers which have a significant place in my cellar) and there are many excellent properties there, now, too (not necessarily the same as the old properties that made great wines).

Sadly, the future of Tempier is somewhat in doubt. Now that Lucien is dead, there has been squabbling among the various children. It is not clear that the property will avoid the fate that unfortunately has befallen so many other great estates in France as a result of the inheritance laws: sale and division of the proceeds among the family members. In the interim, the new winemaker seems to be doing an excellent job.

Best regards,

Claude Kolm

The Fine Wine Review

[hollywood]

I once got some nice dinnerware at a factory (long since forgotten) in Biot. Good looking and durable. Bit of a hassle shlepping it back on the plane, but worth it.

[Jonathan Day]

A return visit to Les Arcades last week. "The people are coming like flies" (ils viennent comme des mouches) said the proprietor, but he managed to find us a pleasant table in the shade. Within a few moments, the restaurant was full, indoors and out.

The food was just as good as on our previous visits. As a starter, I had marinated herrings. They came in a large glass bowl from which you took as much as you wanted; they were served with a couple of potatoes, steamed just to the right point and covered with chives. The herrings were thick, meaty, and beautifully flavoured; I had to stop myself from taking a fifth. My wife started with a salade niçoise. The anchovies were tasty, but not as good as they could have been. The vegetables were fresh and flavourful and the vinaigrette nicely balanced.

For a main, I ate a dish of rabbit "à la provençale", offered off-menu. It was perfectly prepared: rabbit can easily be overcooked to the point of dryness, but this was tender and juicy. My wife had an omelette "aux violets" (purple artichokes) -- also delicious. Strawberries and tarte au citron (lemon tart) finished the meal. The strawberries were far better than those I had had the night before at L'Amandier de Mougins, and less than half the price.

I asked the proprietor the reason for the sudden rush of custom, at a time when many places were not all that busy. Was it my glowing writeup on eGullet? The positive mention in Gault Millau? "I don't give a fart about Gault Millau", he said; "Or any other guide, for that matter. I don't even respond when they call. As long as the food is good, I am happy."

It was good, so I hope he was happy. We certainly were.