My Riviera Wedding

After having been recommended the Mas Provencal in Eze by a foodie client in Monaco, visiting it, meeting the owner and then booking it for a rehearsal dinner for 30 people wedding in April (the Bride said is was the best restaurant she had ever been to), I thought that it was about time to try the restaurant’s famous cuisine. Mr Heinz, the wonderful owner of the restaurant kindly invited Gregory my BF and I for dinner a few weeks ago and I have been itching to blog about it ever since.

The Mas Provencal is not only a gastronomic experience, it is a feast for all the senses. Starting with sight, the most immediately impressive thing visually about the restaurant is not the exterior of the building which looks quite ordinary, is not the view (of which Eze has an abundance but the Mas Provencal has none), but is the interior of the restaurant. The Mas Provencal is covered from wall to wall with floral compositions, plants and vegetables, waterfalls, colourful vintage furniture and intriguing looking home-made contraptions some decorative some functional used for serving food. Moving onto hearing; the hat-clad silver fox keyboard / clarinet player was entertaining in an extremely old school, utterly wonderful way. Now for taste; the cuisine is not refined or gastronomic but it is simply amazing. Staring with a basket of raw vegetables that you can cut yourself or bite off in chunks rustic style and dip in the most delicious Tapenade and Anchoiade, moving on to the tasty bits of marinated small fish and squid with heaps of delicious herbs and seasonings, Charcuterie meats and freshly baked bread… that’s just the appetizer! Next up comes a choice of several dishes for an entrée from which I was prior advised to go for the risotto which is cooked then served in a giant parmesan wheel so when it’s scooped out and served in front of you onto your plate is gooey, creamy, cheesy and oh so tasty – I definitely had seconds. For the Plat Principal a choice of a selection of meats and fish from which I chose the veal fillet and Gregory the beef Entrecote which were both served with amazing mash potato and tasty mixed vegetables. And as if we had any room left, dessert was followed by Petit Fours served from spoons and flowers hanging from a tree and nice strong Italian espresso coffee. The Mas Provencal was all we could talk about on the drive home and I haven’t stopped recommending it since and I am already looking forward to my next gastronomic adventure at the Mas Provencal. Thank you Mr Heinz!