La Côte Bleue, Bouzigues

Restaurant terrace beside Le Bassin de Thau

There can be few more stunning or agreeable places to have lunch on a hot, cloudless August day than on the terrace of La Côte Bleue at Bouzigues. We sat under the shady canopy looking out over the Bassin de Thau with its mass of oyster and mussel pens with the hill of Séte in the background.

Fishing boat flashing past the restaurant

The three of us started by sharing a dozen local oysters as a mise en bouche accompanied by a delicious bottle of Charles Hours' 2008 Cuvée Marie, Jurançon Sec. I'm aware that a Picpoul de Pinet from the nearby vineyards would have been a more classic choice but Cuvée Marie has been one of my long term favourites, so it was no contest when I saw it on the wine list. 

Following on from our succulent oysters we chose the 29€ menu, the cheapest option. Two of us opted for the mussels gratinéed with cream of garlic – a generous platter –  and one the very good brandade de morue. Main course was a duo of dorade (sea bream) and rouget (red mullet) with a chanterelle risotto. The fish was perfectly cooked, while the risooto although flavoursome was a fraction over cooked.

Hill of Séte in the background

For dessert two went for the petit pot de crème with seasonal red fruits, while I had the lightly roasted apricots. Both were delicious. 

Last Friday when we arrived in Cap d'Agde we had an OK 25€ meal in L'Ami Louis in the centre of the resort. La Côte Bleue was four euros more but way better in an amazing setting. 

 

La Côte Bleue

Avenue Louis Tudesq
34140 Bouzigues env. Mèze, France
04 67 78 31 42