Only a small stroll from Béziers’ centre- and next to French resistance hero Jean Moulin’s birth house- is a restaurant that makes my heart sing. La Cave Chez Max marries love and fresh farm ingredients into honest dishes. Add biodynamic wines from their cellar and craft beers to this, and you will have an authentic experience. Served with good humour and enthusiasm, you’re in good hands with owner Jacques Pons and his cheerful team!
Max
This time, it was Chéri who found the restaurant on his way to French class. Knowing his love for ‘entrecôte-frites’, I was a bit sceptical. However, when we entered La Cave Chez Max, all doubts fell away. Although the walls are entirely black, colourful touches like the cobalt blue tables and green plants give the whole a young energy. The bar and open kitchen are prominently present in the back; after all, this is where the magic happens. Max doesn’t work here, by the way; it was Jean Moulin’s codename during the Second World War. And the cave- wine cellar- in the restaurant’s name comes from La Cave Saint-Martin in Roquebrun, Jacques’ father’s first restaurant, where he worked as well.
Blackboard
We started our evening with a locally brewed liqueur called Coc Ô Rico while making up our minds about what to order. The menu comes on a blackboard, with four to six options for every course. Starters are around 12/14 euros, mains range from 22 to 24 euros, and desserts are 8 euros (with some outliers for more costly ingredients). It shows that the chefs like to change dishes, following the seasons and working with the available goods from local producers. To highlight the ingredients, instead of over-styling them, and our starters perfectly demonstrated this. Chéri loved his beautifully dressed trout tartare, while I was surprised by the chef’s suggestion of a turnip carpaccio. Simple, tasteful, and both made the main ingredient the star.
Blindly trust
Chéri was happy to find a steak with fries on the menu, and he didn’t look much further. I- on the other hand- did and settled for an Eikorn risotto. I had never heard of this type of grain, which is called ‘engrain’ in French, but it was light and heavenly and brightened up with scallops and a hearty parmesan sauce. We both ordered a glass of wine with it, and you can blindly trust Jacques to make a suggestion. The desserts- chocolate mousse for Chéri and a cheese platter for me- concluded our meal deliciously. Even though Chéri had his ‘entrecôte-frites’, La Cave de Max adds quality and originality to its cuisine. And definitely merits a spot on my blog.
