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Celebrate 40 years of the African Queen
2011-08-01 16:15
What:
The African Queen
Where:
Port de Plaisance, 06310 Beaulieu sur Mer
When: daily, 12 noon to 12 midnight
Web: www.africanqueen.fr
Contact: Tel: +33 4 93 01 10 85
What name do you give to a restaurant situated beside the yachts in the harbour at Beaulieu-sur-Mer? Well, if you're a film-lover, 'The African Queen' might spring to mind - the name of the boat captained by Humphrey Bogart in John Huston's film of that name, which won Bogart his only Oscar in 1951. And that's exactly what Pierre Brizio, the restaurant's founder and self-confessed cinephile, did, forty years ago.
With
David Niven living close by, and
Lauren Bacall a regular visitor, it seemed an obvious choice for his new restaurant; and now, four decades on, The African Queen has become - in every sense - a gourmet's paradise for film stars and their fans from all over the world. Recent visitors have included
Jack Nicholson and, only a month or two ago,
Leonardo de Caprio.
Throughout the year, Mediterranean cuisine takes centre stage at the African Queen. The restaurant has developed a real reputation for its dishes - replete with the specialities of Nice and the region and made with the freshest seasonal ingredients - such as the famous pizza with truffles or Vissian's delicious salad nicoise. For fish lovers there is sea-bass, bream and sole (try them with a glass of Château d’Esclans or Château Lacoste, or a shimmering Alaya champagne) and the desserts include a superb Panna Cotta and Tarte Tatin.
Chef
Gilbert Vissian is a Mediterranean chef like no other. Born and bred in the locality (his grandparents were farmers near Nice, and it was from his grandmother that he learnt to make his unique salad dressing), he was steeped in the traditions and flavours of southern French cuisine from an early age.
Now, after years of dedicated service at the African Queen, he is to be inducted into France's Hall of Fame with the award, this autumn, of the rank of Knight of the Order of Merit, the equivalent of an MBE; and Marc Brunoy, author of 'Un Chef, un Legume' and other bestsellers, is putting together a new book to celebrate the occasion, containing sixty of Vissian's recipes.
But it's not just the food. Vissian and his team have worked hard to produce the perfect atmosphere for wining and dining. The colonial look and feel, with bronze statuettes, exotic woods and elegant lamplight, make the entire experience of
The African Queen a truly memorable one.
Relishing the thought? Why not visit The African Queen during the Violins de Legende festival this September, or come along to the next fashion event on 6 August and make an evening of it?