GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ THE PYRENEES
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT IN THE PYRENEES Our choice of great restaurants and accommodation
HOTELS La Casa Païral, Collioure Built in 1870, this four-star hotel has plenty of Spanish infl uence in its architecture, with a patio and central fountain, arches and lots of Moorish earthenware and tiles. Each item of furniture has been personally chosen by Alix, the owner, who says: “La Casa Païral is a challenge to time, almost an anomaly in a fast-paced world, a reassuring and sustainable island in a sea of programmed obsolescence.”
www.hotel-casa-pairal.com/en
Clos Mirabel, Jurançon Bright white and surrounded by 15 acres of grounds, this 19th-century manor house near Pau will lift your spirits as you approach it. Relax in the swimming pool and enjoy amazing views of the Pyrenees.
clos-mirabel.com
Hotel Txoko, Saint-Jean-de-Luz This three-star hotel near the Spanish border, right in the heart of Saint- Jean-de-Luz, will get you in the Basque mood with its stripy curtains and awnings. Plus the beach is just 50 sun- kissed metres away.
www.hotel-txoko.com
HOTEL-RESTAURANTS Le Régina Biarritz Hôtel & Spa On a clifftop overlooking the bay, this Belle-Époque beauty is widely regarded as one of Biarritz’s fi nest hotels, and when you discover the gym, spa, outdoor pool and excellent restaurant, you’ll understand why. Check out the glorious lounge bar with its “vast patio housed under a glass roof inspired by the Eiffel Tower”.
mgallery.accor.com/mgallery/biarritz
La Casa Païral in Collioure offers four-star luxury and Moorish style
prices commensurately elevated as a result. There’s also a swimming pool.
www.aubergeduvieuxpuits.fr
Auberge Léo Lagrange de Foix There’s a restaurant, a hostel and a social club at this centre close to Foix’s château. It’s all great value: rooms start at €30 per person, while the cheapest menu is less than €12 for two courses.
www.leodefoix.com/
index.php/en
RESTAURANTS Le Bastion, Lagrasse Cheffi ng duo Fabien de Bruyn and Valentin Renaud, who run this new restaurant in the former ramparts of the lovely medieval town of Lagrasse, describe their food as “avant-garde rural”. We describe it as delicious.
www.restaurant-bastion-lagrasse.fr
La Galinette, Perpignan Michelin has awarded this restaurant one star. They say the chef, Christophe Comes, has two weapons of choice. “His talent of course, but also his love of fi ne ingredients. The fi sh is sourced locally and the vegetables come from the garden (three hectares!), which is tended by his father. The result is a cuisine that is bold, fi ne and fresh.” Three-course set lunch menu €28.
www.restaurant-galinette.com
Enjoy top-notch regional cuisine and mountain views at Le Viscos
Le Viscos In the lovely Pyrenean village of Saint-Savin, a short drive south of Lourdes, former TV chef Jean-Pierre Saint-Martin and his son Alexis run a four-star hotel-restaurant, offering a glorious mixture of Pyrenean, Basque and even Breton cuisine, plus stunning mountain views.
www.hotel-leviscos.com
Auberge du Vieux Puits serves up Michelin-starred cuisine in a hilltop village
Auberge du Vieux Puits Gilles Goujon is the chef at this gorgeous auberge in the hilltop village of Fontjoncouse in the Aude department. His local “network of enthusiastic suppliers” have helped him win three Michelin stars, with menu
122 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Aug/Sep 2022
MOUNTAIN CHALETS Huttopia’s new chalet village in the mountain resort of Font-Romeu- Odeillo-Via combines nature and comfort with eco-friendly accommodation in the heart of the Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées catalanes.
europe.huttopia.com/site/ camping-font-romeu
Le Phoebus, Foix
Didier Lamotte is the chef at this excellent restaurant with views of the castle – lit up at night – and the Ariège river valley. House specialities include foie gras, duck tournedos, and chocolate fondant.
www.ariege.com/le-phoebus
Basque food in Bayonne Bayonne is home to many Basque dissidents – and their descendants – who fl ed Franco’s regime in Spain. They brought with them their delicious cuisine. Two traditional restaurants worth checking out are La Txunga (fi nd it on Facebook) on the banks of the Adour, with its own cider; and Le Bistrot Itsaski, near the main food market.
lebistrotitsaski.fr
Blue Cargo If you fancy getting into the surfi ng vibe, head to Blue Cargo, just down the coast from Biarritz in Bidart. Perched above the beach, it’s perfect for après-surf sundowner cocktails followed by a wonderful fi sh supper. There’s also a tapas bar and nightclub.
www.bluecargo.fr/club-bidart.html
For more hotels and restaurants, visit
www.francetoday. com/food-and- drink-france
Blue Cargo is the place to go for cocktails and seafood after a day’s surfi ng
PYRENEES ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE BY AIR There’s a great choice of Pyrenean airports served by UK airlines, including Perpignan-Rivesaltes, Carcassonne, Tarbes-Lourdes- Pyrenees, Pau Pyrenees, and Biarritz Pays Basque.
BY TRAIN The fastest TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon takes just over fi ve hours to Perpignan. From Paris Montparnasse to Biarritz is an hour quicker.
TOURIST OFFICES
www.tourism-
mediterraneanpyrenees.com
www.audetourisme.com/en/
Bayonne Collioure
www.ariege.com/en/
www.hautegaronnetourism.com
www.tourisme-hautes-pyrenees. com
www.tourisme64.com
IMAGES © AUBERGE DU VIEUX PUITS; LE VISCOS; LA CASA PAIRAL; BLUE CARGO
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