Bernard Mathys

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Le Chene, Provence, France

(04) 9004-8464

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Bernard Mathys

by food&fun

Truckee, California

November 2, 2000

Best of IgoUgo Based on good reviews, we took a side trip from Forcalquier for lunch. (Forcalquier is an hour's drive.) The restaurant is located in the village of La Chene, just outside Apt. Bernard Mathys is a beautiful mansion-house. There is a grand ...Read more Based on good reviews, we took a side trip from Forcalquier for lunch. (Forcalquier is an hour's drive.) The restaurant is located in the village of La Chene, just outside Apt.

Bernard Mathys is a beautiful mansion-house. There is a grand stairway in the entrance hall, but a velvet rope cordons it off from diners. I suspect the owners live upstairs. We were the first to arrive -- at noon -- and the staff was looking out the windows as we walked up. Then they hustled to their stations. The dining room is the dining room of the house. The restaurant specializes in fish, and there were several fixed price menus plus a carte presented. I started with a delicate fennel ravioli; it was made of fresh fennel bulb and tasted only mildly of the herb. It was delicious. My main course of sandre (a white fish) was well-prepared, with little flavor enhancement other than the fish itself. An excellent selection of cheeses was presented; I chose a nice runny one, a fresh goat cheese flavored with garlic (which was absolutely delicious), and a Brebis (semi-hard and nutty flavored). Dessert was a very creamy champagne sabayon with fresh raspberries. My husband ordered off the menu (carte): a very mild foie gras terrine, a perfectly prepared squab with barley risotto (which he's still talking about) and a very decorative apricot St. Honore (cream) cake 'tied' with a candy ribbon. Providing unintended entertainment were two local women, one very large and flamboyant who kept chiding her two small dogs who were playing with each other under the table. I'd recommend going on a day other than Monday, which is traditionally not the best day of the week for fish in France, due to commercial and marketing habits.

Our lunch -- one fixed price menu, 4 courses from the carte (the expensive way to go -- the pigeon alone was $25), a flute of champagne, a nice bottle of wine came to $165. It was certainly filling enough that we did not eat dinner that night. Close

From journal The Small Towns of Haute Provence

Bernard Mathys

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Bernard Mathys