Jacques Maximin and other restaurants in Vence

[Zingano]

<work in progress>

Vence

Old town

Les Béatilles

Good and possibly getting better. A mid priced venue that (in winter at least) can deliver the goods. Menu seems a bit more pedestrian (aimed at the tourists?) in summer. Very small, but in summer has a nice terrasse in the square outside the Mairie.

L'Armoise

Concentrates on fish. Usually pretty good. Chef worked at la Gavroche in London. Friendly service.

La Litotes

Fairly modern, inventive take on locally sourced provençal cuisine. Has a honey menu. Not very busy in winter - one December night we were the only people there.

La Farigoule

Local food, of high standard. Again menu seems to have improved once summer was over, with a particularly good game menu in autumn.

[cigalechanta]

We stayed at St-Paul-de-Vence and loved the food at our place, The Colombe D'Or and also the nearby auberge de Tourette

Edited January 25, 2004 by cigalechanta (log)

[Jeanne Geraci]

This summer, my husband and I recently had a horrific dining experience at Jacques Maximin, in Vence, France – an establishment with two Michelin stars – that deserves none. We are serious about food and plan our trips to France around your many wonderful recommendations. Therefore, we do not speak carelessly or lightly about the evening of August 19, 2005.

We made this reservation (which was an important date– our 26th wedding anniversary as well as the final night of our two-week trip to France) in part because two years ago, also on our final evening of a holiday in France, we ate in Vence at Jacques Maximin and had the most wonderful dinner (there were 5 of us that evening). We wanted to share the experience with our good friends and traveling companions and faxed the restaurant from New York to secure a table, explaining the special evening and that we had enjoyed a most memorable feast two years prior.

When I didn’t receive a confirming fax back, I should have been alerted to management problems at the restaurant. I called several days later and was told, yes, they received my request, but there was a problem and my machine wasn’t answering back. (I had received confirmations from every other restaurant I had faxed for reservations). No problem, I thought, we have confirmed on the phone. (Once we arrived in France, the restaurant called us several times to reconfirm. There was an air of suspicion, if not hostility, in their inquiries about the size of our party (eight persons).

When we arrived for our reservation the table in the outdoor dining area was ready but we were barely greeted. Our waiter, who did come in a timely fashion to take drink orders, informed us it was his first night on the job. Again, not a problem– this was to be a lovely, leisurely, last meal before returning home. When our drinks arrived, they were accompanied by two very sorry plates of cherry tomatoes, radishes, and lukewarm toast points. It was an unappetizing invitation to dine and hardly compared to the types of amuses one would expect at even a one-star or lesser fine dining establishment. Menus were handed around, but with no explanation of the choices in what was a radically redesigned and poorly planned menu. What a disappointing change in menus from two years ago when there were four or five tasting menus to choose from, each more tantalizing then the next. Now, you could order a 100euro lobster menu, choices a la carte, or a 50euro menu. That menu, while offering a reasonable selection of appetizers, gave but two poor choices for the main course, veal kidneys or cod. Then, nothing happened–an hour went by before we were able to order our food. When Madame finally did come to the table, I asked a few questions. When I said I wasn’t ready to order, please start with one of our seven other dining companions, she promptly left and went to another table to take their order!

During the long wait, our friend went inside and ordered a bottle of champagne in celebration of our anniversary. After the first pour, the bottle disappeared and the waiter said it was empty. We realized it could not have been, and after asking, it suddenly reappeared. At one point, another drink was ordered that was never delivered.

Bread finally arrived, also delivered by an inexperienced server, who fumbled and dropped one piece, then picked it back up and served it. He later dropped a fork behind one of our party. (Normally, inexperience never troubles us–people have to learn, but this was all magnified due to the non-attention given to our table). Oddly, throughout the meal, he would come and remove unfinished pieces of bread with tongs and replace them with full pieces. Disconcerting to say the least.

It was truly impossible to get anyone to look at us so we could order. The staff was excellent at not paying attention and looking everywhere but at us. Finally we ordered–four had the 100 euro lobster menu and four had the 50euro menu which came with two glasses of wine. The waiter had no idea that the 50euro menu came with wine pairings, and it was embarrassing having to ask. Also, when I asked what he recommended for my fish, he said, but of course the white, Madame, yet couldn’t remember who to deliver it to when he brought it. Tea or coffee was also included, yet never offered, and by the end of this meal that any experienced home cook could have produced, we didn’t want to fight for it - we just wanted to leave.

At one point, another drink was ordered that was never delivered.

In the last confirmation phone call, one of our friends mentioned again that it was a special anniversary and could they do something to make it memorable. Other restaurants have produced a candle in a cake or given a special dessert– and while it is always nice to be acknowledged, we were not expecting anything. We were therefore surprised when, after the deserts that came with our menus, we were brought an entire cake that was placed before me with wishes for a happy birthday. We know the word anniversaire means both birthday and anniversary, but, really, this is in no way two star treatment. Whatever delight that surprise might have created was immediately obliviated. First, the cake was really inedible. And then, when we received our check, we saw that we had been charged the stunning sum of 80euro for it.

The piece de resistance, however, was the bill, which contained two more bellinies than had been served. One had been ordered and not delivered. Any other establishment would have immediately removed them from the bill, with apologies. Well, not our dear Madame, who insisted we ordered them and that “we are honorable people, monsieur”. Her attitude and belief that we were trying to not pay for two drinks was so unsettling. Finally, the bartender admitted to having made one, but not served it. No apology was offered for the offensive, accusatory behavior.

The whole experience was so distasteful that we truly feel cheated and are very disappointed in Michelin’s continued two star rating of this restaurant. Nothing at all about the evening, other than the lovely setting, merited the two-star ranking.

[Jonathan Day]

Jeanne, why don't you write to the Michelin people and report this experience? They claim that they reinspect restaurants when they receive negative comments.

The red guide contains a comment form. Or you can go to viamichelin.com, register (it's free), look up the restaurant, click for detailed information, then click on the "Your Comments" link. This brings up a form identical to the printed form in the red guide.

Last year I registered a negative comment on a place in the Pas de Calais -- a horrid hotel that had gone for massive volume and rubbish service. They quickly wrote back to me, saying that they would follow up. This year, it disappeared from the guide. Who knows whether my note triggered a re-inspection?

Sadly, our experience at Maximin, some 5 years ago, was not much better than yours. Some of the dishes were good -- I think we had the lobster menu -- but the service was cold, cold, cold from the time we arrived until we paid the cheque and left. The welcome and the food had a sort of clinical quality to them. Prices were significantly less than those you report, but of course this was before the general price hike that came with the switch to the Euro.

Quite a few eGullet comments on Maximin have been lukewarm or negative...you'll see similar thoughts from Robert Brown, who has years of experience dining in the region (and lots of other places); his view is that Maximin has a "self destructive" quality.

I hope this bad experience won't put you off the area. There are many pleasant places to dine there, as you'll see from searching the forums.

[Jeanne Geraci]

Dear Jonathan,

Thanks for your posting. I did actually send a letter by snail mail to the Michelin office in Paris some weeks ago. I haven't heard back; I didn't think they replied to letters, but I do hope they send a new inspector. It is encouraging to know that you heard back from them regarding your experience.

The "Table d"horreur" event certainly will not affect my love for that area - we have vacationed there several times and have many favorite places in the region. Just a couple: Le Cagnard, Domaine St. Martin, Don Camillo.

If I could have another home anywhere in the world, it would be in the south of France. It just steams me to have had and paid for such a crummy meal.

I plan to look up Robert Brown's comments.

Thanks again for the info.

[robert brown]

Jeanne, I'm sorry, but hardly surprised, to read about your meal. Buried somewhere http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...5984&hl=Maximin is a dinner my wife and I had with two very experienced eaters. Our experience was not quite as mightmarish as yours, but close to it. I wrote to Michelin as well and received a note back from the then-editor Derek Brown.

Apparently earlier this year, Maximin scaled down the restaurant and renamed it slightly. That, however, doesn't seem at all to be the source of your problems. I would first think of anti-Americanism as a possible cause, but to have that attitude in the south of France is suicidal. But that may be exactly what Maximin is. His talent is enormous and his mind is possibly irrational.

[robert brown]

Just so no one feels slighted, I now recall that the reason I received a reply from Michelin's Derek Brown (and he's no relation) is that I brought his attention to eGullet, for which he thanked me.

[degusto]

I had what shall be the last meal at Maximin a few years ago. It was dreadful. Food was disastrous with uninspiring dishes made with poor ingredients, poor execution and reckless platings, service was snotty and as if that was not enough a loud and wine drinking Maximan dining with friends at the nearby table made sure to completely ruin the evening. I forwarded my observations to Michelin and did receive a note back. I know of others who have sent negative notes to Michelin. People in the restaurant trade keep saying that he is a genius but they tend to duck any questions relating to whether they have been there recently. I am surprised that Michelin so stubbornly keeps the 2-star rating of this place.

[Jeanne Geraci]

Just so no one feels slighted, I now recall that the reason I received a reply from Michelin's Derek Brown (and he's no relation) is that I brought his attention to eGullet, for which he thanked me.

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I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Remy Pascal's "An Inspector Sits Down to Eat" - I can't quite remember the french title. Any leads? I think it was published right around the time Derek Brown left Michelin?

Thanks,

Jeanne

[John Talbott]

I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Remy Pascal's "An Inspector Sits Down to Eat" - I can't quite remember the french title.  Any leads?  I think it was published right around the time Derek Brown left Michelin?

Thanks,

Jeanne

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It's Pascal Remy’s “L’inspecteur se met à table,” Éditions des Équateurs, 2004, and the thread discussing it is here.

[John Talbott]

Yesterday, Francois Simon wrote that Maximin was closed and listed all the fine chefs he (at 60) has trained and where they now are.

[Jeanne Geraci]

Yesterday, Francois Simon wrote that Maximin was closed and listed all the fine chefs he (at 60) has trained and where they now are.

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Thank you, John, for that update.