Michel Roux serves up tasty tips for eating on holiday in France…

Michel Roux’s French Country Cooking Available For Streaming

Alicia Miller - 28 August 2023

The TV chef and head of two-Michelin-starred Le Gavroche delves into the flavours of the Gallic countryside in his new series – and serves up plenty of holiday inspiration along the way. Here he shares his top tips for eating in France, from markets to mussels…

IT’S GOOD TO BE TOURISTY

Visiting a café on a grand boulevard in Paris or Marseille is a bit touristy. But sipping an espresso or pastis, watching the world go by, is really nice, so who cares? Same goes for those big Parisian brasseries that were famous in the 1930s and 40s, like La Coupole (lacoupole-paris.com) or Lipp (brasserielipp.fr); they’re just so French.

SNOOTY WAITERS? GIVE ’EM LIP!

In some of the cafés they love winding people up. But what they like most is when you answer back, so give them hell! Some waiters make me laugh: I think, “They get away with that?” My favourite grill in Paris is Restaurant Clover (clover-paris.com; temporarily closed): I’ve been a few times with my family. It was opened by a chef who used to work in a Michelin-star restaurant and decided to swap it for a simple bistro. Most of the menu is grilled, from whole fish to big steaks for sharing. To finish there’s a lovely selection of cheeses, and some proper classic desserts, like profiteroles.

MARVELS OF THE MARKET

One of my all-time favourite markets is Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse (halles-de-lyonpaulbocuse.com), and when I was a young chef living in Lyon I used to go all the time. The first stalls would open up around 4.30 in the morning, and on my day off, if I’d been out for a few drinks and maybe gone to the local nightclub, it would be the last port of call for the night. I’d have half a dozen oysters and a final glass of wine – then go to bed. When I visit now, I buy charcuterie at a stand called Bobosse that makes the most unbelievable saucisson de Lyon, the kind you poach slowly and serve with boiled potatoes and a glass of beaujolais. They also sell the best andouillette (tripe sausage) in France, though its strong flavour isn’t to everyone’s taste.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Simple local ingredients, not messed around with: that’s what France does best. Our holiday home is just outside Saint-Rémy, in Provence, and when filming this series I discovered a new, incredible-value restaurant in nearby Arles, Le Galoubet (+33 4 90 93 18 11; it doesn’t have a website). It serves proper bistro food as it should be. I had a huge bowl of tellines (wedge clams), rare in the UK but found all over France – I used to collect them as a child on the beach so they brought back memories. They were tossed in a pan with chopped olives, garlic, parsley and a splash of pastis. Delicious.

THE BEST WINES WITH FOOD…

It sounds weird, as all wine should go with food. But New World ones can sometimes be too in-your-face, with that great big taste sensation – while French wines are more subtle and always work with the food of their region. And I just love the Rhône Valley. People think it’s really expensive because of Hermitage, but that’s just one tiny hill. There are so many lovely wineries and restaurants here that are very affordable. Go to Tain-l’Hermitage to sip wine at Maison M Chapoutier (chapoutier.com), then head round the corner to Valrhona (valrhonachocolate.com/la-cite/du-chocolat) to taste chocolate.

IGNORE THE CONCIERGE...

They’ll send you to restaurants where they get a commission. Instead, everywhere I go in the world, I ask taxi drivers where they eat. I’ve yet to meet a taxi driver who’s not a foodie. Not only do they seem to love eating, they take people to and from restaurants – so they hear all the conversations and know where the good stuff is served. Around 30 years ago in the south of France I got talking to a taxi driver about football, and then food. I asked him where to go for bouillabaisse, a classic fish stew, and he gave me an address for a tiny place down a back street, far from the tourists. It was sensational.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO RAW

Brittany is famed for its seafood, but many Brits are surprised to find almost everything is served raw – even the mussels and clams. But it’s all perfectly safe, from clean waters and very fresh. And delicious with a glass of local muscadet white wine or a very dry cider. Of course, Brittany is great for lots of other reasons: crêpes, onions from Roscoff, the pretty ports. And you must try the local pastry, kouign-amann, which is absolutely full of butter! You wouldn’t want to eat it every day, but as a treat, it’s really worth it. Especially with a nice strong cup of coffee.

ALICIA MILLER