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"Byblos Spoon" Restaurant in St. Tropez.
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Filled with a clean, modern blend of styles and cuisines of the Mediterranean rim.
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Peter and Linda D'Aprix 2005
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Opened in 2002, "Spoon Byblos", with it's accent on the Mediterranean cuisines, of the Riviera, Italy, Catalonia, Andalusia, Tunisia and Morocco, gives you the option of mixing and combining your own imaginative choices. Located in the hotel complex of "Hotel Byblos" and just off the main market square Place Carnot in the center of St. Tropez, this is one of the many, world wide "Spoon" restaurants of famed chef Alain Ducasse.
The decor is as modern as is the cuisine. Mostly this works well but we found the low hanging blown glass light fixtures located at nose height made for interesting head bumping when taking our seats. The massive, back leaning and comfortable outdoor sofa-chairs provide relaxing comfort, but trying to eat a meal from them served at a low table, while fine for nibbles, must be hell for dinner despite the temptation for al-fresco eating. And the eating, alfresco or not, is excellent.
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The exterior dining patio under the trees.
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Cocotte de Legumes with watercress sauce.
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Ultra modern interior dining room designed by Patrick Jouin.
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Click on the "zoom+" to see larger version.
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© 2005 photos Peter D'Aprix
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At "Spoon Byblos" the culinary philosophy focuses on short cooking times with original combinations of vegetables and cereals with sauces “to eat” and rich, tasty condiments with flavors from Provence and elsewhere…
Ducasse likes to throw off traditional constraints. At "Spoon Byblos" anything is allowed. Everything is oriented towards the guests' freedom. The dishes are adaptable; each guest can make up their meal according to their culinary desires at that very moment, choosing from a vast range of savors and flavors. The combination of cultures and produce from the Mediterranean bring about the birth of a new vision of dining. Each person can create unknown combinations thanks to the choice of condiments and garnishes.
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Pan-Seared Tuna with Satay sauce and wok-sautéed vegetables.
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The bar at Spoon Byblos. © Roméo Balancourt
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The marvelous olive oil and balsamic vinegar at every table.
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Spoons at "Spoon".
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The menu, comprising of several sections (Soups, Salads, Steamed Fare, Spoons, Tajines, Pasta, Cereals and Vegetables, Egg, Fish, Poultry and Meat, Desserts) allows maximum freedom, especially the liberty to choose the order in which you wish to organize your meal.
"Spoon Byblos" offers a menu with influences from all over the Mediterranean; vegetarians will be delighted with some of the dishes. Moreover, some recipes from the Riviera, Italy, Catalonia, Andalusia, Tunisia and Morocco have pride of place: skatefish rub with citrus, chachouka and tomato sirup; Dorad’Ô crevettes and tomatoes chaud-froid; beef tournedos “Stratespoon”, “Devil” marmelade and vegetarian moussaka. The restaurant also offers a selection of two prixfixe menus inspired by the flavors of the Riviera and Africa.
With this in mind, I started with the inventive combination of tastes with the Ceviché. It was an interesting exploration of individual tastes which could be combined anyway I wanted. The plate was divided into 3 serving. One of the Ceviché itself, a glass of tomato and onion sauce, a glass cup of hearts of bamboo with a mildly spice pervading it and a Chinese ceramic spoon with a combined mouth full of all three. I sampled the ingredients individually and all were interesting but all together they were marvelous. Linda tried the Cocotte de Legumes done in a stainless steel pressure cooker, was a delicious mix of garden fresh veggies served with a Loiseau style watercress sauce.
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4 Chocolate on chocolate dessert.
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Rhubarb and raw and cooked strawberry dessert with vanilla ice cream.
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We both had the Pan Seared Tuna was so tender you can eat it with a fork. It was perfectly under cooked and a happy discovery, accompanied by a surprising satay sauce which was an innovative and excellent match. The Wok/Stirred Vegetables were wonderful as a side.
At the end of the feast, the subtlety of the desserts, as unusual as they are tasty, are the brainchild of chef Nicolas Berger: slice of Neapolitan with the taste of strawberry, vanilla and pistachio; tartelette milk/lemon and small pot of black chocolate/thym; canolli of fruits with herbs and spices flavors.
Peter could not resist a chocoholic’s delight (Choco of Chocolat) of four mini desserts starting with one of the best chocolate sorbets ever, dark and rich chocolate mouse, the obligatory but superb chocolate biscuit with liquid chocolate center and the only small flaw was the a coco cone with a crème brulée center that could be better. Linda, loving anything rhubarb, the dessert of raw and cooked rhubarb and strawberries with vanilla ice cream was marvelous.
Photos below courtesy of "Byblos" Hotel, "Spoon" and Alain Ducasse organization. The bottom two are from his cook book.
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Avocado. ©Thomas Duval
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“Spoon Byblos” stays faithful to the philosophy of all the "Spoon" restaurants of Alain Ducasse. The main difference is the focus on the Mediterranean tastes. It is accessible from the street just up a few stairs on the "Hotel Byblos" site. Like the one in Paris, it is a fun and reliable place to dine.
Christophe Fiorino runs the kitchen brigade of the “Spoon Byblos” as well are being Executive Chef for "Hotel Byblos's" own restaurant "Bayader". He worked with Alain Ducasse in Paris.
How To Get There:
Driving:
As you come into town, follow the signs for the Citadel.
It is right opposite the park.
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