Despite the early sunshine, my wife was reluctant to accompany me on a walk along the ramparts of Saint-Paul de Vence, less than half an hour’s drive from Nice airport. But within five minutes from the front door of the Hôtel Le Saint-Paul, it was obvious to us both why this has become the second most visited village in France after Mont St Michel.
In and around the village are all the hallmarks of Provençal life: narrow, cobbled streets, olive trees and terraced vineyards. And, within walking distance, we discovered an extraordinary art gallery and three highly enjoyable places in which to eat and drink.
We began at Fondation Maeght. A stunning gallery built in the 1960s by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght, it houses some extraordinary art on the walls and wonderful sculpture in the gardens under huge pines.
Armed with postcards we walked back and settled down on the sunny terrace of the Café de la Place to write them, fortified by a glass of local dry rosé.
This café provides an excellent vantage point from which to watch French life go by and we finished our wine just in time to stroll the 20 metres to lunch at La Colombe d’Or.
This hotel and restaurant have over the years become synonymous with Saint-Paul de Vence. It was once hugely popular with artists and is equally so today with a host of faithful visitors. The hotel’s other claims to fame are the paintings and sculptures that cover the walls and corridors throughout, and the sun-dappled terrace that is an extension of the restaurant.
It was here that we joined tables whose customers seemed to be speaking every language but French. La Colombe d’Or has become one of those places that everyone wants to visit at least once, with some justification, but a consequence of popularity is often that either the food or the service can be disappointing.
In this case the staff could not have been more friendly, from the moment our booking was taken to the end of the meal when our waiter appeared with two small complimentary glasses of the local mandarin-flavoured eau de vie. But the cooking was somewhat disappointing. While the star of the meal was a vast basket of raw vegetables served with a thick, pungent anchovy sauce, there was something definitely slapdash about how my red mullet had been cooked as well as our other main course of cod served with aioli.
The setting of the Hôtel Le Saint-Paul is simultaneously more rambling and more formal. Five separate houses were drawn together 20 years ago to create a succession of small rooms and terraces with wonderful views.
Its kitchen, overseen by head chef Ludovic Puzenat, boasts a first-class pastry section. Their breads, croissants, pains au chocolat, jams and fruit purées are some of the best I have come across and seemed to taste even better after a walk in the sun.
La Colombe d’Or, Place du General de Gaulle, +33 4 9332 8002, la-colombe-dor.com
Hôtel Le Saint-Paul, 86 Rue Grande, +33 4 9332 6525, lesaintpaul.com
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