Mosquito Coast is my kind of place. It has all the ingredients to while away a couple of hours on the beach in a laid-back setting. As it’s the only beach restaurant for miles around, I felt like I was one with the elements. Here, you’ll only hear the sound of the blowing wind and the gentle murmuring of fellow guests. It’s time to unwind and relax with your feet in the sand and relish the simple and pure dishes.
Uncomplicated
The wide and spacious beach of the Plage de Mateille in Gruissan is one of our favourites. After a warm day in the city, I took the twins for an end-of-day dip. With the sand in our hair and the salt on our skin, we were in for an uncomplicated meal. And that’s another reason why we love to go to Plage de Mateille, as it’s the home of Mosquito Coast. From mid-June to Mid-September, this paillote-style restaurant is built up with reused wood. Pallets show up in the construction as well as the furniture. A mix of chairs, yellow canvas and jute cloths conclude the seemingly effortless decoration. The restaurant has such a natural vibe and blends in with the beach almost organically.
Ecological
Mosquito Coast’s crew wants to avoid leaving too big a footprint while they are there. That’s why they respect the environment by trying to work as ecologically as possible. You can tell by the look and feel of the beach restaurant and, of course, by their modest private solar park. The menu is lean and clean, proposing a selection of tapas, main courses and desserts. The twins and I started by sharing a couple of shrimp and a manchego/padron peppers patty melt. Both went down in a blink with a little discussion about who could have the last shrimp.
What to pick
For our main courses, the twins hesitated about what to pick. Was it going to be the mussels, the veal tataki, or one of the tacos? They both went for the pulled pork tacos, which also included a bowl of roasted potatoes. No discussions here, they finished their plates without any complaints. My dish of two perfectly grilled octopus tentacles on some roughly mashed potatoes was a delight too. Middlest couldn’t resist the beach and skipped the dessert. Daughter-dear stayed with me to get a ‘coup du Chef’: a giant milk flower ice cream coupe with Nutella and whipped cream. I had to try the banoffee, which came with bananas, speculoos crumbs and a generous layer of mascarpone. After a last stroll on the beach, we watched the sun set behind the hills of the small La Clape mountain range. And we drove back to the city with the sun in our hearts.
