I had heard about this restaurant, Auberge de la Mole, but have never had the opportunity to dine there… Now I have… Amazing in a word. My friends warned me… no eating after breakfast on the day we were to go… it’s a veritable feast and tests the heartiest of gourmands… Mole is a small village not far from Saint Tropez, about 30 minutes and the drive to and from is spectacular… vineyards mostly… rich, verdant and full of promise.
The restaurant, decor wise, is pretty untouched except for the area outside where we ate… a large terrace, with newish awnings… It is not a particularly pretty location… on the side of the road… but the charm of the inside makes up for that. The first room is a bar/ tabac… and as you can see from my photograph above… the real deal… Old timers come and go to buy their cigarettes or down a pastis or two… and watch the diners tuck into the biggest meal of their lives… Behind the bar is the kitchen.
These chefs turn out the most delicious and high quality fare in cramped quarters… It does go to prove that a big kitchen doesn’t make a great cook… The heat was something else and how they work efficiently in such furnace like temperatures is beyond me. The picture above sets a calm scene… trust me… it wasn’t calm… waiters and waitresses were ducking under, in front of and behind me… I had about two seconds to take this shot before I would have been bowled over or whisked outside.
Now to the menu
The deal here is that you choose an entree and main course and the ‘rest’ is included for a set price… The pre-starters are a selection of terrines and pâtés that come to the table in enormous earthenware bowls, accompanied by huge chunks of sour dough bread and the spiciest baby cornichons I have tasted… The terrines were full of flavour and the pâtés as smooth as smooth could be… a meal in itself… The first courses were classics… escargots, cuisses de grenouilles and crevettes… and I forgot… the fluffiest omelettes filled with cepes mushrooms.
The main course was all about the fresh foie gras… lightly pan fried and served with an apple confit or as an accompaniment to Tournedos Rossini… An alternative choice, for those who could forgo the foie gras, was a duck confit… I ordered this and it was without doubt the most superb I have ever eaten. Now for the best part… with the mains a potato galette was served, cake style. A generous slice was added to our plates… I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this was… it should be classified as a French wonder… and be celebrated as a national day… it was truly sublime… crisp and slightly chewy on the outside, soft and creamy towards the centre… a taste sensation extraordinaire.
And I haven’t even mentioned the desserts… after the cheese platter… which was also extraordinary… but the desserts.
First we were treated to the finest of fine crepes, topped with wafer thin apple and a scoop of delicious ice-cream… sounds simple enough… it was heaven… I can still taste it… That was the teaser… Then to the table comes more earthenware dishes, but this time they were filled with the sweetest of sweets… A creme caramel to die for and a chocolate mouse… it wasn’t your regular chocolate mousse… the texture was different and the chocolate and cream weren’t blended together… I am not sure, all I can tell you is that it was to die for… and in terms of the richness… it probably could induce a palpitation or two… oh… and I forgot to include the pears soaked in red wine and the marinated plums… but I think you get the picture.
We waddled out… but it was worth it… xv
For Your Saint Tropez Address Book
Place de l’Église
83310 La Mole
FRANCE
+33 (0) 4 94 49 57 01
