Nice: Saison

After the excellent Millésime 82 and L'Aromate, two terrific modern French bistros, Saison is the latest sign of a new gastronomic season in Nice. As is true of many first-time-at-bat restaurants run by young chefs, this place has little decor beyond its white-painted walls and two chandeliers made from clustered architects' lamps, but for anyone who appreciates the subtle and often delicious food that results from the current yen of young chefs for crossing the French and Japanese kitchens, Saison is an address very much worth discovering. It's owned by Keisuke Matsushima, the first Japanese chef to make a name for himself in Nice, at Kei's Passion. Matsushima has delegated his former second, Kenichi Iguchi, as his chef at Saison, where Iguchi is clearly demonstrating his own terrific culinary imagination, as can be seen in a superb sea bream carpaccio with soy-sauce spiked aioli (garlic mayonnaise), or donburi (rice bowl) with foie gras, duck breast and purple shiso (Japanese basil).

17 rue Gubernatis, Nice, 04.93.85.69.04. Lunch menu €16; à la carte €35. Prices are per person without wine.

Alexander Lobrano’s book Hungry for Paris is published by Random House. Find Hungry for Paris and more in our bookstore.

Originally published in the April 2010 issue of France Today.

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