Page 296 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

Eating & Sleeping

place du Château; mains €12-20, menus €20-25;
Île Rousse 1 hnoon-2.30pm & 7-10.30pm Apr-Sep) comes
equally recommended for its sunny, reliable
5 A Casa Corsa Corsican € Mediterranean cuisine.
(%04 95 60 23 63; 6 place Paoli; sandwiches &
salads €5-10; h8am-11pm Tue-Sun mid-Mar–
Oct; v) With a prime location on the gorgeous Calvi 4
place Paoli, this wine bar makes a brisk trade Corsican €€
in salads, cheese and charcuterie platters and 5 A Candella
other stalwart Corsican fare. As expected, (%04 95 65 42 13; 9 rue St-Antoine; mains
the wine selection, including by the glass, and €16-25; hnoon-2pm & 7-10pm mid-May–Sep)
advice is excellent and all Corsican. One of a handful of addresses at which to eat
within the citadel, A Candella stands out for its
4 L’Escale Côté Sud Hotel €€ romantic, golden-hued terrace of stone strung
(%04 95 63 01 70; www.hotel-ilerousse.com/ with pretty flowers in pots and olive trees. The
escale-cote-sud; 22 rue Notre-Dame; r €95-195) food is Corsican hearty, and the sea view is the
Open year-round, this centrally located, recently most marvellous you could hope for.
remodelled three-star with attached restaurant Corsican €€
is an excellent midrange option, especially if you 5 U Casanu
can snag one of the four sea-facing rooms with (%04 95 65 00 10; 18 bd Wilson; mains €15-22;
dreamy views of limpid turquoise waters lapping hnoon-1.30pm & 8-10pm Mon-Sat Jan-Oct) For
the beach across the street. an unforgettable lunch, grab a booth at this cosy
hole-in-the-wall, decorated in cheery yellow and
green, and hung with watercolours painted by
Algajola 2 septuagenarian artist-owner Monique Luciani.
Tuck into home-cooked fish couscous, roast
5 Le Padula Seafood, Pizza €€ lamb, codfish aioli or octopus salad, and don’t
(%04 95 60 75 22; Plage d’Aregno; pizza from miss the exquisite fiadone, a classic Corsican
€10, mains €15-24; h8am-11pm Easter-Oct) cheesecake made with lemon-scented brocciu
PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 26 CORSICAN COAST CRuISER
Spectacular views and tasty, unpretentious food cheese soaked in eau de vie (brandy).
are the twin drawcards at this informal beach 4 Hôtel Le Magnolia Hotel €€
terrace restaurant on Plage d’Aregno, just east
of Algajola. The menu ranges from pizza (served (%04 95 65 19 16; www.hotel-le-magnolia.com;
day and night) to the daily plat du jour (€14.90) rue Alsace Lorraine; d €110-155; hApr-Oct;
to classic seafood snacks like moules marinière aW) An oasis from the harbourside fizz, this
(mussels cooked with garlic, shallots and white attractive mansion sits behind a beautiful high-
wine) and friture de calamars (fried squid). walled courtyard garden pierced by a handsome
magnolia tree. Pretty much every room has a
4 U Castellu B&B €€ lovely outlook – Calvi rooftops, garden or sea –
(%04 95 36 26 13; www. and connecting doubles make it an instant hit
ucastelluchambresdhotes.com; 8 place du with families.
Château; d €90-166; hApr-Oct; aW) U
Castellu will win you over with its location
on the village’s square in the shade of the Porto 7
ancient castle. Set in an old village home, the Corsican €€
five rooms are a wonderful blend of old and 5 Le Maquis
new. Maud’s welcome is another drawcard, (%04 95 26 12 19; cnr D124 & D81; mains €19-24,
as is the panoramic rooftop terrace where menus €23-25; hnoon-2pm & 7-10pm, closed
the copious buffet breakfast is served. The Dec) This character-filled eatery in a granite
adjoining restaurant (%04 95 60 78 75; 10 house high above the harbour is much loved by

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