René Bérard, Hostellerie Bérard in Cadière d'Azur

Cookery and poetry

In the village of Cadière d'Azur, in the Var region, perched upon a hill a stone's throw away from the sea, René Bérard cobcocts meals that resemble small, delicate poems spoken in a clearly southern accent, in an old eleventh-century couvent. And serves them in an atmosphere of warm radiance and discreet elegance.

The simple facade of a Provençal village house hides a bright dining room for 70 covers with an impregnable view over the vineyards of Bandol with their surrounding wooded hills and the mountain ridge that towers above them.  All along the picture windows boxes overflow with green plants, carnations in bloom, and even some vegetables. Yellow table cloths, pastel green chairs, a refined environment, red brick ceilings with wooden beams... Warm radiance and discreet elegance go hand in hand here. They match the delicate beauty of Danièle Bérard, who supervises the dining room; the almost shy smile of her husband René, the chef (Master cook of France), who comes in to find out how his guests are enjoying their meal; and the more exuberant cheerfulness of their daughter Sandra  has been the kingdom of Danièle and René, bothnatives of 

refinement and elegance to the tastes and flavors of the land. So much that with the very first mouthful, you are compelled to slow down and allow them to settle slowly and sensually on your taste buds in order to discover each and every nuance. He stuffs Zucchini flowers, picked that very morning , with a fine, steamed ratatouille. The same ratatouille may be served cold with basil-flavored oil and tomato sauce, or warm with his Bass mouse and favouilles (tiny crabs) sauce. He is also fond of red mullet Pistou; Haut-Var Pigeons cooked "en papillote" with acacia honey, or roasted with herbs and foie gras under the skin; Roast kid in a pistachio crust with green garlic, John Dory roasted in its skin with a light rabbit sauce; fennel preserve, and star anise. And he loves desserts so much, be it his Queen of Sheba or his cinnamon Mendiant, that he did a short course on them with Lenôtre.
the village and who met as teenagers. Over the years, they have transformed this former prefecture boarding-house into an increasingly comfortable, charming house. A house that comprises... several houses. Indeed, they regularly bought up other lots in the street, which used to make up the covent. They planted a hanging garden, and installed a swimming pool and beautiful rooms, suites and meeting rooms, all the while preserving the "just like home" atmosphere that their guest love so much. In the kitchen, apart from suckling veal from Aveyron and poultry from Bresse, René only uses fresh regional products : fish from Sanary, olive oil from local mills, Sisteron lamb, vegetables farms. He also uses home-grown herbs, early vegetables, and zucchini flowersfrom their garden at the Bastide des Saveurs (House of Flavors), a short distance away, in the country. But he adds a touch of 
Lisa Casagrande

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