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See
below for the latest
Reviews
(15 January 2012)
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SWITZERLAND On the shores of Lake Lucerne is located one of the happiest hotels in Europe. And I certainly needed a dose of happiness by the time I arrived. The Royce had ‘declined to proceed’ in Northern France, and I had been obliged to entrust her to the hands of those who said they would transport the old dear safely back to England. Thus I arrived at Weggis in a hired car and in a state of considerable anxiety. But I had come to the right place. The Park Hotel, with its friendly staff, its admirable location, its renowned food and its splendid accommodation knew how to look after me. As soon as I stopped the Ford outside the Art Nouveau façade and allowed my eyes to travel over the trimmed lawns to the gentle waters of the lake, I knew that all would be well, that the Silver Cloud would reach Blighty without hurt, that she would speedily be restored to health and that my time at the Park Hotel would be happy. |
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FRANCE I made my first visit to La Côte St-Jacques twenty-one years ago. It was a remarkable experience. I knew, of course (who did not?), that the place had the top accolade which can be awarded to any restaurant. But I had eaten in dining rooms with three Michelin stars before, so I thought I knew what to expect. But I did not. I dressed, as I often did in those days when I toured France, in black tie. And I was so glad I made that modest sartorial effort, because it soon became apparent that everyone at this magnificent establishment was straining every sinew in the pursuit of culinary perfection. Everything exceeded my expectations. Little wonder, then, that I have been returning regularly ever since. Indeed, I would have been an idiot not to make these pilgrimages, having been given a glimpse of Heaven. To celebrate the 21st anniversary of that initial gastronomic counter, I again took my dress suit to northern Burgundy, as you may observe in the photograph of me with the Chef Patron. And once again I was shocked – for I encountered what must be, without doubt, one of the finest dishes in the world. |
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FRANCE Not even her best friends would call Pont de l’Isère pretty. As French villages go, she is a plain Jane: just a scattering of low, inoffensive buildings alongside the Route Nationale 7. The place is near Valence and close to exit number 14 of the A8, the motorway to the Côte d’Azur. This means she offers convenience to those of us who require a stopover on our way to and from the Mediterranean. But she possesses something far more important than a convenient location in the Rhone Valley. For at Pont de l’Isère resides Michel Chabran, a chef of staggering brilliance. He is not a man for silly novelty or passing fads. Rather, he is an exponent of the very best of French cuisine – and I mean the best. At his eponymous restaurant I ate a magnificent dinner. |
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