Page 305 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

Eating & Sleeping

shellfish €8.50-12.50; hnoon-3pm & 5-11pm
Arles 1 Apr-Nov) Seafood is the only thing worth its salt
in Stes-Maries. Part of the excellent Ô Pica
5 Le Comptoir du Calendal Cafe € Pica (mains €17-25; hnoon-3pm & 7-11pm
(%04 90 96 11 89; www.lecalendal.com; 5 rue Mar-Nov) restaurant, this attractive little shack
Porte de Laure; mains €12-18; h8am-8.30pm; specialises in coquillages (shellfish), including
W) Based on the ground floor of Le Calendal oysters, palourdes (clams), coques (cockles),
hotel, this bright and breezy cafe does a nice tellines (a type of local shellfish known
line in lunchtime sandwiches and salads, plus a elsewhere in France as pignons) and fritures
tempting choice of cakes and teas. (deep-fried and battered baby prawns, baby
squid or anchovies).
4 Le Cloître Design Hotel €€
(%04 88 09 10 00; www.hotel-cloitre.com; 4 Lodge Sainte Boutique Hotel €€€
Hélène
18 rue du Cloître; s €105, d €130-185; iW)
Proving you don’t need to spend a fortune for (%04 90 97 83 29; www.lodge-saintehelene.
originality and imagination, the 19 rooms at this com; chemin Bas des Launes; d €150-190;
zingy hotel next to the Cloître Ste-Trophime aiWs) These designer-chic, pearly white PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 27 THE CAMARGuE
combine history and modern design to winning terraced cottages strung along a lake edge are
effect: bold colours, funky patterns and retro prime real estate for birdwatchers and romance
furniture abound, and the rooftop terrace is a seekers. The mood is exclusive, remote and
stunning sundowner spot. The lavish breakfast so quiet you can practically hear the flamingo
spread is (unusually) worth the €14 price tag. wings flapping overhead. Each room comes
with a birdwatchers’ guide and binoculars, and
4 Grand Hôtel dynamic owner Benoît Noel is a font of local
Nord Pinus Heritage Hotel €€€ knowledge. Breakfast €15.
(%04 90 93 44 44; www.nord-pinus.com; place
du Forum; r €170-420) An Arlésian landmark,
this classy hotel has been frequented by Le Sambuc 9
everyone from famous bullfighters to artists
and writers like Picasso, Hemingway, Jean 5 La Chassagnette Gastronomy €€€
Cocteau and Fritz Lang. It’s chock-full of (%04 90 97 26 96; www.chassagnette.fr; rte
heritage: wrought-iron beds, art deco sinks, du Sambuc; 7-course menu €95, 5-course
20th-century furniture and vintage féria menu with wine €125, mains €36-42; hnoon-
posters, as well as black-and-white photographs 1.30pm & 7-9.30pm Thu-Mon Mar-Jun, Sep &
by Peter Beard downstairs. Room 10 is the Oct, daily Jul & Aug, reduced hours Nov-Mar)
grandest, and the bullfighters’ favourite. Surrounded by a vast potager (kitchen garden),
which supplies practically all the restaurant’s
produce, this renowned gourmet table is run by
Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer 3 Armand Amal, a former pupil of Alain Ducasse.
The multi-course menus are full of surprises,
5 La Cabane aux and the bucolic setting is among the loveliest
Coquillages Seafood € anywhere in the Camargue.
(%06 10 30 33 49; www.degustationcoquillages-
lessaintesmariesdelamer.com; 16 av Van Gogh;

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