We wanted to go to le Vauban restaurant which offers some of the best value for money in Antibes, but unfortunately it was fully booked so we had to find another place. A restaurant I used to go often when I worked in Mougins is le Brûlot, famous for their magrets de canard cooked in a woodfire oven, but it was also closed today at lunch time. Considering Antibes is quite a popular tourist destination, having the largest marina in Europe, its old town and fortress, there are quite a few tourist trap restaurants so we were a little worried. We decided to go to this one, nicely located at the place nationale between many other restaurants.
Their main promotion was a moules frites formula at 12.50 euros (marinière, oriental, with cream, with safran). They also had roasted chicken with fries (9 euros), lasagne with salad (10 euros) and as meal of the day they had a sirloin with mushrooms and cream (12 euros), gambas à la provençale (shrimps cooked with tomatos, onions and garlic – 14.50 euros) and a couscous maison (home made couscous – 15.50 euros). They have woodfire-baked pizzas too.
We ordered a sole meunière (butter fried sole – 23 euros) and a magret de canard au poivre (duck breast with pepper sauce – 18 euros). As drinks we have a bottle of sparkling water Badoit (5.70 euros) and a 25 cl carafe of red wine (5 euros). The wine was very average.
The sole meunière (butter fried sole) was very good. It was nicely seasoned and the fish perfectly cooked – firm, and easy to slide off the bones. With a touch of lemon juice, was really a perfect lunch. It was served with some new potatoes, and a small salad and green beans. I wouldn’t hesitate to take this dish again.
The magret de canard (duck) was a little strange. It looked they removed the fat from the top of it… Well usually people like the fat when it is well cooked so it becomes crispy. The meat itself was not bad but the pepper sauce was on the too salty side, a little like at French restaurant Gastro in Clapham Common (London) by the way. The fries could have been warmer.
Cost and conclusion: it was 51.70 euros. The lunch was ok, but nothing special. Same with the service. There are better restaurants around offering much better value for money like le Vauban, le Brûlot Pasta or la Gravette within 2 minutes walk.
A good way to digest lunch is to walk around the marina!