Discover Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

At the age of 19, Sébastien Sanjou decided to force the hand of destiny after hearing Philippe Ibarboure talk about cooking through the serving hatch of his gourmet restaurant in Bidart…

Sébastien convinced his parents to help him make his dream come true and the adventure began in a 16th century former sheepfold set on four acres of land deep in the Vars countryside. For the man who believes that “it takes 10 years to learn, 10 years to forge an identity and 10 years to break free of this identity”, he immediately knew he had found the right place. The decision to work with the cream of local producers was self-evident: “I aim to work solely with produce from Vars or southwest France,” claims the chef for whom locavorism is just common sense. As well as being a militant advocate of local produce, he also implements a social policy that naturally reduces staff turnover and favours transmission. For Sébastien, the challenge is regularity as he constantly calls his work into question, pushing his boundaries ever further. “It is vital to travel, to see new horizons and to taste the cooking of others. This quest is part of a chef’s culture, providing you don’t get lost on the way and that you remain who you are.” This desire to break fresh ground has led him to offer an experience in which each detail is pondered and puzzled over, from the front-of-house service to the powerful flavors, variety of textures and unorthodox approach to familiar ingredients. To this end, the chef views the concept of the future of fine dining as a global experience. At present, his establishment only has a dozen tables, a number he plans to cut to six in the coming years. The idea is to offer guests an ultimate, truly memorable experience.