Visitors to the south of France are lured to St. Paul-de-Vence, the medieval, walled village perché with its steep, narrow, shop-studded, cobblestone alleyways leading to the ramparts overlooking flower-strewn hillsides down to the Mediterranean. For me, the town’s major claim to fame has always been the restaurant Colombe d’Or, a Riviera icon, where, for more than 30 years, I have loved lunching at the family-owned, art-filled auberge.

In 1990, when I made my first foray to visit museums in and around Nice, the restaurant was as much an art venue as nearby Fondation Maeght, a privately held museum. That first lunch was so memorable Colombe d’Or has remained my go-to Provençal restaurant, where I book a table as soon as my flights to Nice Cote d’Azur are confirmed. My memories include meals with my late husband; my eldest daughter; a good friend; my granddaughter; and Val, my childhood pal. It’s always magical to eat amidst paintings, sculptures, stabiles and ceramic murals and to enjoy culinary pleasures reflecting straightforward, house-made regional dishes that best represent locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients.

On my most recent meal at Colombe d’Or this May, Val and I dined on the outdoor terrace, facing the vibrant, ceramic mosaic mural Fernand Léger created, framed by a vine-covered entry wall that separates the idyllic calm of the restaurant from the street. My 19-year-old granddaughter, Emma, and I sat at a similar table in 2015, when she let me taste her appetizer of grilled, local sweet peppers bathed in olive oil.

As usual, the waiter brought the multicolored, hand-written menu Paul Roux had designed; soft bread with a crisp crust; sweet local butter; and a little bowl filled with perfect, black Niçoise olives. Then, we shared Panier de Crudités, which arrived in a natural basket filled with tiny mushrooms, baby cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, teeny radishes, celery stalks, an artichoke and an endive, accompanied by a garlicky aioli.

© Irvina Lew

As I saw the waiter deliver asparagus to a nearby table, I recalled dining indoors, in 2018, with my daughter and I sitting side-by-side against an outside wall, while noticing the waiter carrying a platter of fat, white asparagus spears topped with a maize-colored Mornay drizzle. Of course, we ordered them. On this day, the asperges were fat and green and served with a light-as-air, creamy golden sauce. Suffice to say, I enjoyed them once again.

More often than not, I share the main dish I love best: the whole grilled fish. Part of that pleasure is watching the server debone it at the table. Using two forks, he precisely carved the herb-topped, olive-oil scented fish; moved the herbs away from the body; removed the head and tail; trimmed the sides; divided it for two; and served it on a plate garnished with a simple, parsley-studded, boiled potato and half lemon. Valerie only eats salmon, but instead of her usual smoked salmon, she ordered the bubbling, garlicky Escargots de Bourgogne. I splurged on a calorically and gastronomically rich foie gras from Landes, and received a plate with two thick slices of juicy seared foie gras on fresh vegetables, sided by a sauce touched with sweetness.

For dessert, we shared the house special, the Tarte de la Mère Roux; an apple-topped, delicately crusted delight named for and dedicated to Babtistine Roux, the “mother” who originally baked the traditional open-faced apple pie. Then, we had the pleasure of meeting Danielle Roux, working in the family business for 40 years.

© Irvina Lew

As usual, I lingered while walking toward the stairs and, en route, glanced into the front dining room to observe and absorb the beauty of the paintings; I admired paintings hung between arched windows with wooden shutters and stepped inside the white, stucco-walled room centered with a sunken cement banquette surrounding the fireplace.

La Colombe d’Or

Place du General de Gaulle
06570 Saint-Paule-de-Vence
France
tel 33 4 93 32 80 02