Think of the Côte d’Azur and what may first come to mind is in-your-face opulence. Colette Doyle takes a detour and discovers a more tasteful interpretation of the delights that Provence has to offer
It’s amazing how a scent can so potently evoke an image of a certain place. In Seville, it’s the azahar, or orange blossom, and in Provence it’s the richly purple lavender plant. At the chic resort of Le Mas Candille, its distinctive, heady perfume pervades the air as you wander through the eight acres of gorgeously landscaped grounds.
This is low-key luxury at its best: Daniel Craig and Penélope Cruz are both rumoured to have stayed here during the film festival and it’s not hard to understand why. Just seven kilometres from Cannes, but a world away from the paparazzi clamour of La Croisette, this five-star property has a resort feel to it, thanks to its warren of hidden pathways and extensive gardens, which offer the kind of privacy that every Hollywood A-lister craves.
Accommodation is provided in three separate living areas: converted farmhouse La Mas, which offers classic French decor; the more contemporary style of La Bastide; and La Villa Candille, which opened in 2009 and features six brand new suites. My room at La Mas is generously proportioned and decorated in warm tones of red and amber, while outside the huge terrace offers a tranquil spot to admire the views of the estate.
The hotel’s two restaurants each encapsulate an entirely different dining experience: there’s casual elegance at poolside outlet La Pergola, where my companion and I tuck into an expertly seasoned veal tartare on arrival, accompanied by a glass of the local Côtes de Provence rosé. The Michelin-starred Le Candille, meanwhile, was voted the Best Hotel Restaurant in Europe at the Condé Nast Johansens 2014 Awards and the accolade is rightly deserved.
Every detail is perfect, right down to the pink salt from the Himalayas, served with a tiny silver spoon. The amuse-bouches are a treat for the taste buds, with olive macaroons, quail egg on toast and carrot and cumin purée. The menu is not extensive, offering a choice of just two starters, four mains and two desserts, but each dish is put together with exquisite care. The only ingredients in my starter are tomato and buffalo mozzarella dressed with basil oil, but it simply wouldn’t do it justice to call it a Caprese salad; it is somehow so much more than the sum of its parts.
The expertise of the staff really comes into its own when I order the main course of beef tournedos and ask the waiter’s opinion on how best to have the meat cooked. Without missing a beat, he recommends it should be saignant but not bleu, so that it’s still warm inside until the very end.
Dessert is the classic cheese trolley, groaning under the weight of dozens of varieties, and once again the server’s knowledge of the many different types on display – their provenance and taste – is simply impeccable.
If you can bear to tear yourself away from the hotel with its three pools, the beautifully appointed Shiseido spa and such pleasant pastimes as a game of pétanque, then take a stroll up to the delightful little village of Mougins, whose proximity perfectly epitomises that time-worn travel brochure expression “a stone’s throw”. Having been home in its time to such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and Édith Piaf, this culinary centre offers an impressive array of gastronomic choices that belies its small size.
For a classic taste of Provençal hospitality in utterly charming surroundings, Le Mas Candille effortlessly puts in a star turn.
Le Mas Candille, Boulevard Clément Rebuffel, 06250 Mougins, France; +33 4 92 28 43 43; lemascandille.co.uk. Room rates start from €315 a night; a half-board seminar package starts at €260 per person and the day delegate rate is €90
Colette Doyle flew to Nice with Easyjet. The airline flies there from eight UK airports (Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Liverpool, Luton, Newcastle and Stansted), with prices starting from £23.74 per person for a one-way ticket, including taxes and based on two people on the same booking. All flights can be booked at easyjet.com
