Bown's Best - Restaurant 'B', Hotel Byblos, St Tropez, France

FRANCE

ST TROPEZ

RESTAURANT ‘B’
HOTEL BYBLOS

Restaurant 'B', Hotel Byblos, St Tropez, France Those of us who like to make an effort to dress well have our very own place of spiritual pilgrimage. This is the beacon of hope to which we must go, at least every couple of years, to recharge our sartorial batteries, to mingle with our own kind and to strengthen our conviction that smart clothes really do matter. The shrine is, of course, St Tropez. Here we can be reassured that not everyone bends the knee to the great god Sloppiness. Here we can sit by the quayside and marvel at the passing procession of the chic and the beautiful. And there is one name which conjures up the style and glamour of this gorgeous town: Byblos.

Restaurant 'B', Hotel Byblos, St Tropez, France I have not yet stayed at the Hotel Byblos, but on my visits to St Tropez I have been aware of its presence at the heart of things. With the looks of a little Mediterranean village – which has been transported miraculously right into the middle of town – the Byblos for decades has attracted the rich and the famous and yet has managed to remain exclusive and private. On my last Tropezian pilgrimage, I thought I should go for dinner at its poolside eatery – the Restaurant ‘B’.

Now here is a tip for those of you, like myself, for whom climbing is not a favourite past-time. Go to the Byblos by car. Your driver will certainly take you to the hotel entrance on the avenue Paul Signac, from which you will have no difficulty whatever in reaching the restaurant. I arrived on foot at the entrance on the avenue Marshal Foch, near the Place des Lices, and found the climb up the many steps a bit of a struggle. An elderly lady overtook me with ease halfway up. As you know, I am not made of very stern stuff.

Restaurant 'B', Hotel Byblos, St Tropez, France At the top, I was restored at once by the lovely surroundings. The swimming pool shimmered at the centre of what did, indeed, look rather like a gathering of pretty Provençal houses, their vibrant colours reflected in the water. I thought this terrace of terra cotta tiles – onto which the Restaurant ‘B’ spills with elegant insouciance – a lovely spot. I liked, too, the friendly welcome from the Head Bartender, Vincent Bertolotto, as charming and intelligent a young man as you could wish to meet. It turned out that he had worked at that stately hotel in Berkshire. Cliveden’s loss is the Byblos’s gain.

I knew before my arrival that the restaurant had a new ‘concept’ with regard to its food. I will let you into a secret. I am not a ‘concept’ person. The very word makes me shrink back, in the manner of Count Dracula when confronted with a crucifix. True, I do not snarl like the Transylvanian landowner: but I do tut-tut like a conservative Englishman. Still, I like to think that I am big enough to admit when I am wrong. Here I was gloriously and completely wrong. And I was glad, because it meant that I had a very enjoyable evening indeed.

Chef Vincent Maillard, Restuarant 'B', Hotel Byblos, St Tropez, France So what is the ‘concept’? Well, the chef, Vincent Maillard – a gentleman of considerable culinary talent, as my meal was to reveal – calls his dishes “Les Byni’z du B”. Essentially, they are numerous dishes in small portions, built around common themes – tapas for the French Riviera, if you will. Because there are so many dishes, some people leave the selection to the chef and then sit back to see what arrives. I, however, am of a nervous disposition and like to know exactly what is coming. Le menu surprise is not for me, thank you. This, of course, imposed a considerable burden on the memory of my waiter, for the ‘Innovative’ section of the menu changes every day.

Restaurant 'B', Hotel Byblos, St Tropez, France But Antoine Larmaraud – another real charmer (I suppose charm must be the sine qua non of anyone who wishes to work at the Byblos) – rose to the challenge brilliantly, and I was soon familiar with all the intricacies on offer. I devoured nine (at a cost of around 85 euros). Here are the highlights: a hot foie gras sandwich (the gorgeous liver and figs within panini), pipérade of quail’s eggs and bacon, seared tuna (such lovely, meaty flesh) with vegetables and spinach sauce and, to conclude, strawberries on skewers with marshmallows. If these all strike you as self-indulgent, you are right. I loved them.

My wines came from the list used at Spoon (one of Mr Ducasse’s restaurants), which occupies another part of the hotel. The excellent white burgundy was a Santenay – well-balanced, with a delicious, nutty aftertaste (Champs Claude, L.Muzard, 2006 - 60ε). My red was even better – a super Côte Rôtie, with pepper, spice, damson and blackberry in luscious abundance (P.Faury, 2006 - 90ε). These big, bold wines were just right for standing up to all the various flavours and combinations of tastes of my ‘conceptual’ meal.

I left the way I had arrived – the descent being, as descents are wont to be, rather easier than the ascent. As I tripped down the steps, I was grateful to the Byblos and its Restaurant ‘B’ – for adding to the glamour and the style of our beloved St Tropez. I had dressed well, I had eaten well, I had drunk well and I had been served well. What could be more St Tropez than that?

Restaurant 'B', Hotel Byblos, St Tropez, France

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