Eating Out

he restaurants in our region offer courses that smell of sun and the "garrigue" : the Languedoc bouillabaisse, "supion"-, cuttle-fish- or squid-based Palavas "rouille", bull "gardianne", Sète "tielle" ( a small pie stuffed with octopuses in a tomato sauce), salmi of coots (a local aquatic bird), stuffed mussels, "lou cagaraoulat" (snail and ham stew)... but also local wines, among which excellent "Côteaux du Languedoc" (registered designation of origin) from selected vine varieties on a sandstone land. To have lunch on the river Lez banks, in one of Antigone or Historic downtown little squares, to spend a gastronomic moment in the best restaurants in Montpellier, or to taste the Mediterranean best shells on Palavas harbour, download : Philippe Chapon, one of the top dessert chefs of France (Double Champion of France) has opened his own restaurant - the Tamarillos - in Montpelliier. The restaurant is very different from others as Phlippe has based many of the dishes on a fruit and flower theme, taking great care to ensure that the fruit complements the dishes he produces. The result is beautiful as is the restaurant itself which is a stunning combination of colour and light. Coloured lights shine up through glass tables and then through the plates and glasses. Philippe is a professional and acknowledges that his years working for Guy Savoy in Paris as Dessert Chef and Patissier has were most formative and he is greatful to Guy Savoy for teaching him humility as well as pride in his work and to constantly strive for perfection. The restaurant website has many photographs taken by Rossista Israel whose work has appeared in Elle magazine. Tamarillos Restaurant is situated at the place du marché aux fleurs in the historic centre of Montpellier