L’Echo des Saisons is the type of venue that brings utter joy to my foodie’s heart. The young couple Anaïs and Fabien have created an authentic restaurant in a 19th century winery in the heart of La Palme. Fabien only allows the best ingredients from local cultivators and short supply chains in his kitchen. And Anaïs manages the front of the restaurant with grace and a happy note.
Sunday lunch
After a tip from our holiday home host in La Palme, I suggested to the family that we have our Sunday lunch at L’Echo des Saisons. We had stood in front of the- closed- artistically designed cast iron gate when exploring the village earlier during our stay. And now it was open to welcome us to the former family-run wine cave. The kids were a bit disappointed to see they didn’t have burgers on the menu, but that’s precisely why I wanted to go. It won’t harm our brood to eat in a proper restaurant once in a while. Although Chéri looked a bit worried too, as he knows my penchant for high-end restaurants. However, once we were seated at the little, but pleasant, courtyard and looked at the menu (and the prices), everybody was reassured.
Reflecting the seasons
Looking at the rough stone walls, you can see that the building has stood the test of time. However, the interior has been updated to the present day with a modern concrete floor and ceiling-high wooden panels. Art was on the menu too, including a statue on every table. The food menu offered three to four choices per course and changes every month, reflecting the seasons. You can also order a four-course (plus a granita) tasting menu for 49 euros. Our meal started with a beautiful and delicate ceviche for everybody. I hoped to snag an extra portion, but unfortunately the kids liked it too… Chéri and I wanted to try a starter each, which we shared with the children, of course. Chéri had a combination of raw and cooked artichoke and a duck egg. And I shared my plate of asparagus and other green spring vegetables accompanied by a refreshing lemon sorbet.
Gastronomique experience
Both Chéri and my main courses included fish: turbot fillet for Chéri and monkfish skewers with a crab bisque for me. Anaïs suggested two wonderful wines to pair with them: La Butinière from Anne de Joyeuse and the Cuvée 60 & XV from Domaine de la Rochelierre. Our brood of three all ordered a generous roasted piece of lamb. All mains came with the same garnishing of two colourful mashes and spring vegetables. No fries nor salad, but all was gobbled up like sweet pie. As the first strawberries of the year had just arrived, Chéri and the children couldn’t resist the dessert with various preparations of this queen of berries. I looked with a skewed eye but was delighted with my chocolate mousse on a coffee-flavoured shortbread as well. Maybe the kids still prefer a burger… However, this flawless gastronomic experience made them try something new to discover creative flavours they loved. Lesson learned.
