Eating and Drinking
Jean Louis’ passion is cooking – there have been chefs in his family for generations – and the menus at the Hotel La Vallière reflect his love affair with the local cuisine and the influences of Nice. Seasonal vegetables, with fresh tomatoes, courgettes and peppers featuring strongly, complement local lamb (gigot d’agneau), rabbit, game and veal. Autumn is mushroom season, and Jean-Louis heads out with a basket to gather the sanguin, which grow only under conifers.
Proximity to the former border with Italy is revealed in a selection of local pasta specialities – the best is pumpkin ravioli in walnut sauce. Marvellous local cheeses, cow, ewe and goat, are sourced direct from nearby farms. There are a number of good restaurants within 20 minutes drive of St Martin. This area of France is of course famous for its rosé wines, light, crisp and endlessly adaptable.
