We’ve just spent a glorious few days with some friends in Le Lavendou and were lucky enough to visit the iconic Hôtel Les Roches which has been recently revived and it is truly magnifique. Steeped in history, it opened originally in the 1930’s as a refined summer retreat for high society. It was the legendary rendez-vous for the likes of Winston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Jean Cocteau and Christian Dior and you can certainly see why they all loved it.
The views of the glorious Côte d’Azur are breathtaking. Les Roches is nestled into the cliff edge of the coastline in the serene Aiguebelle bay and feels like the upper deck of a ship, a graceful vessel moored to the sea. All 39 rooms offer a panoramic sea view and many open onto a private balcony overlooking the sea.
The hotel’s architecture marries refined elegance with contemporary artful touches and has been restored and reimagined under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Pietri.
First, we had cocktails on the incredible terrace, where we drank a frothy Whisky Sour or a sparkling glass of Billiecart Salmon champagne whilst watching the sun set and the moon rise – who could want for a more perfect cocktail quaffing location?
The fluffiest Whisky Sour ever:-
What a view – and we were lucky enough to have the full moon:-
We had an exquisite meal in their gourmet restaurant, L’Oursin, with refined cuisine created by Michelin-starred chef Antoine Gras. They offer seasonal cuisine with local ingredients – the terroir of Provence. Par exemple, their delicious cheese platter offers only sheep and goats cheese. The attention to detail was extraordinary, with the sauces being elavated to an art form – all of the food was delicious and the staff were extremely attentive.
This view has the restaurant to the left and the kitchen to the right:-
The kitchen:-
Blue hour at the restaurant:-
We were welcomed with a creative amuse bouche of three different morsels – an octopus creation, an anchovy steeped in orange sauce and a stuffed onion – all delicious:-
The menu is small, but perfectly formed and mainly seafood – you can choose from three separate dishes for a starter, main course and pudding or go for the sharing menu and rely on the chef’s choices. We opted to choose our own.
For a starter I had the lobster – I think it was the last one of the season:-
For my main course I chose Sea Bass – my favourite and it was truly delicious:-
Others chose the Red Mullet (Rouget in French I learnt!). Look at the attention to detail:-
I chose the peach and rose pudding – it was both beautiful and delicate:-
They also have a carefully curated wine list by Head Sommelier, Magali Delalex – which featured a wine we all loved, Terrebrune Bandol 2024, from a local vineyard and it certainly was not a disappointment to find we had to order a magnum of it because the single bottles had sold out. Simply more hearty quaffing to be done! My favourite activity:-
The chef’s making their exquisite desserts:-
The view of the pool at night:-
They also have a fabulous spa which I’m looking forward to going back to experience – the L’Oiseau Bleu spa which has an indoor pool, jacuzzi, wellness lounge, fitness studio, and spa treatments.
We haven’t stayed there yet, but this is a picture my friend took of the view out to sea from their room:-
The beach is a mere 200 m stroll away and here you can see the overall look of the hotel from the sea:-
It’s very luxurious, so not a cheap option, but certainly a real treat and I would love to stay there. It’s already been highly recommended by friends, so I would suggest you get there before everyone else finds out about this wonderful gem.
