Lily of the Valley

83420 LA CROIX-VALMER

13/20
Chef's Restaurant

3 PHOTOS

Chef Vincent Maillard

Cooking French

Services Accomodation | Disabled access | Private Parking | Valet parking

Gault&Millau's review

13/20

Chef's Restaurant Launched five years ago, the Lilly of the valley hotel is still a sensation, with its jet-setter style, location and view. Away from the hustle and bustle, decorated by Philippe Starck, it offers a very West Coast atmosphere. It feels as much like Sausalito as Gigaro... but it's a highly successful exercise in style. Beyond the decor, photographed and Instagrammed everywhere, the gastronomic table run by chef Vincent Maillard caters to all tastes, in a mainstream seaside style that generally works well. Amberjack crudo, beef tartare (€62 all the same!) or royal sea bream, Caesar salad, the "vista burger" or club sandwich, it's all there. Fortunately, the chef manages to slip in a few more interesting ideas here and there, like this springtime spelt risotto accompanied by a delicate brousse, or this farmhouse poultry supreme roasted with lemon confit and chickpeas, or this lovely grilled veal sirloin with a marjoram condiment jus. We'll probably forget the chicken tentacle, and above all its aioli, which didn't taste of garlic... The desserts are gourmet: an XXL peanut éclair to share, a very large banana soufflé, and an aesthetically pleasing Madagascar vanilla mille-feuille, the pastry as fine as the canisses on the Ramatuelle beach. The wine list needs fine-tuning, and the cocktails and mocktails are all ingenious. There are even collagen-based iced lattes. At the start of the season, service was well below sea level, but it had two months to get up to speed.