This document summarizes three renowned restaurants in Sète, France. La Coquerie offers spectacular views of the sea and creative seasonal dishes designed daily by chef Anne Majourel. Terre et Mer serves dishes that blend flavors of the mountains and sea, using high-quality local ingredients. Chez François is located on the quayside and specializes in simply prepared, fresh seafood from the local area.

1. 1 La Coquerie
La Coquerie is the place to go if you’re looking for a special
gastronomic experience. Perched along the road that leads to
the top of Mont Saint Clair, the restaurant benefits from
spectacular views of the salty étang and sea beyond. It’s
a light, contemporary space with large windows so guests
can enjoy the setting wherever they’re sitting. The kitchen is
located in the middle of the restaurant and, behind the
counter, Anne Majourel with her trademark straw hat
creates dishes with her team. There are even stools at the
counter for those who like to watch the chefs design their
seasonally inspired dishes.
Anne is a self-taught chef who grew up in nearby
Corbières and refined her craft in restaurant Le Ranquet in
the Cévennes. Her passion for cooking led her to become
one of the few female chefs to gain a Michelin star, an award
given to La Coquerie in 2012.
Each day Anne and her staff design their signature Menu
Les Yeux Fermés (eyes closed) after a morning visit to the
indoor food halls and the fish market at the Corniche, as
well as noting what their select group of suppliers have on
offer. The result is a constantly changing menu of wonderful
creations, such as courgette flower stuffed with crab and
basil on a red mullet millefeuille and mussels from the Étang
de Thau, or smoked bonito fillet (a type of tuna) with
hazelnut oil and tomato paste, garnished with borage
flowers, peas, mint and arugula from the garden. The wine
menu, too, is high quality, each addition rigorously chosen
by Anne’s partner Jean-Luc and predominantly sourced from
the nearby vineyards of the Languedoc.
La Coquerie, 1 Chemin du Cimetière Marin, 34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 6 47 06 71 38, annemajourel.fr/horizon.html
photographS:BertrandRieger/HEMIS.FR;DREAMSTIME
Sète
eating out in...
The sea and lagoons around this
Mediterranean harbour town
provide a bountiful harvest of fish
and seafood, says Amanda Pollard
2 Terre et Mer
If you’re not a lover of seafood, or you simply fancy something
different, a great option is Terre et Mer. This cosy restaurant is
located away from the busy canal at the west harbour and
comprises a wine shop and fine-foods épicerie. Owner Tony
Vives (pictured right) grew up in Aveyron and ran restaurants
there and in Toulouse before coming to Sète. His idea was to
work in partnership with the producers of Sète and Aveyron to
marry the meaty flavours of the mountains with the salty tastes
of the Mediterranean. Head chef Cyrille Guiliani and his team
use high-quality ingredients to create quite traditional yet
delicious dishes. Try sautéed ceps, or saddle of rabbit and breast
of smoked pig with puy lentils and herbes de Provence, or
alternatively choose noix de Saint Jacques with chorizo.
With only 16 tables, there’s an intimate atmosphere in the
restaurant and the service is friendly and attentive. If the sun is
shining the terrace is a nice spot to enjoy a meal. When you’re
dining inside, the kitchen is in full view, so you can see the chefs
at work. Prices are reasonable: a starter, main course and dessert
costs €40, which might leave you with enough cash to browse
the local products and wine that are available in the shop.
Terre et Mer, 28 Promenade Jean-Baptiste-Marty, 34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 4 67 74 49 43, www.restaurant-terreetmer.com
82 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com

2. RESTAURANTS
3 Chez François
The exterior of Chez François gives you a clue to what’s on
the menu. Beautifully displayed buckets and platters of fresh
local seafood stand outside the front entrance, alongside
a terrace with a few tables. Perched right on the quayside,
the restaurant is fairly small and unassuming, but as far as
food goes it packs a big punch. There are no frills here, just
good-quality, fresh local produce cooked simply.
The family business has produced seafood since the
1950s and the restaurant has been established since the
1980s. In that time Chez François has built up a reputation
for delicious, fresh food, prepared and presented in a simple,
unpretentious way, so it’s no wonder that it’s popular with
locals. The place is small with just 20 or so tables, and
consequently it is almost always busy, so it’s advisable to
book ahead to avoid disappointment.
The restaurant produces its own oysters in the Étang de
Thau nearby, so you could try some of those, as well as
mussels, clams, prawns and sea snails, or alternatively go for
grilled fish, or local speciality bourride de lotte. However, if
you simply can’t decide which to choose, how about opting
for a shared assiette de fruits de mer? The waiter will bring
you a large platter full of ice, with a selection of shellfish
arranged on top. It’s a lovely way to enjoy the tastes of
different seafood and sample things you might not have
tried before. Don’t forget to wash it down with some crisp
white wine or a light rosé, as the wine list is well stocked.
Chez François, 8 Quai Général Durand, 34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 4 67 74 59 69 ➳
The Sète waterfront provides an
atmospheric setting for outdoor dining
Sète’s most famous speciality
is a seafood pie, known as a tielle.
These circular, doughy pastries are
filled with octopus, cuttlefish or
squid in a spicy tomato sauce and
were invented by fishermen in the
Italian port of Gaeta. Eat them hot
or cold as a snack or starter.
must try
www.completefrance.com FRANCE MAGAZINE 83

3. 84 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com
eating in
MARKET
Les Halles de Sète
Rue Gambetta
34200 Sète
Sète’s indoor market is
fabulous, containing 75
stalls of every local
food you could possibly
imagine. Here you can
wander the aisles and
stock up on fruit,
vegetables, olives,
tapenades, charcuterie,
meat and countless
other goodies. And of
course, don’t forget the
seafood stalls where
you’ll find fish and
shellfish fresh from the
morning’s catch.
Bouzigue oysters from
the Étang de Thau are
some of the best in the
world and razor clams,
a regional speciality,
are delicious cooked in
butter, garlic, parsley
and breadcrumbs.
CHEESE
Fromagerie
Lou Pastrou
5 Rue Gambetta
34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 4 67 74 41 28
You can’t really come
to France without
tasting some cheese,
and one of the best
fromageries in Sète
is Lou Pastrou,
a little way from the
waterside, along Rue
Gambetta. The business
originated in Aveyron
and its speciality is
a tangy yet velvety
Roquefort that melts in
the mouth.
BISCUITS AND
CAKES
Biscuiterie Pouget
47 Quai de Bosc
34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 4 67 74 72 38
Sète might be famous
for its seafood, but
there are other
delicacies to try as
well. For something
sweet head to
Biscuiterie Pouget in
the indoor market. In
business since 1931, the
stall moved to the food
halls in 2007. Here you
can buy madeleines,
macarons and cakes as
well as the famous
Zézette de Sète: long,
twisted biscuits
flavoured with dry
white wine and vanilla.
WINES
Caves Notre Dame
278 Avenue du
Maréchal Juin
34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 4 67 80 32 20
www.cavesnotre
dame.com
There are a couple of
must-try wines from
the area surrounding
Sète, one of which is
Muscat de Frontignan.
This white vin doux
naturel is cultivated in
the vineyards around
the Étang de Thau and
is a popular aperitif. A
perfect accompaniment
to seafood is a fresh,
bone-dry glass of
Picpoul de Pinet.
Another good wine
shop is Cave de Thau
along Quai Charles
Lemaresquier.
The indoor market and wine shops of Sète sell a delicious array of fresh
and cured meats, local seafood and vegetables, with wine to match
La Ola
201 Promenade du Lido,
Plage de la Fontaine, 34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 4 67 53 07 14, http://laola.fr
There’s no better way to finish the day
than enjoying a chilled glass of rosé on
the beach at one of the restaurants and
bars that pop up in summer. La Ola has
lovely views and a selection of
40 wines for your early-evening
drink and nibbles.
Apéro
Next
month
enjoying
carcassonne
cuisine
FROM TOP: A meal of
cuttlefish and Provençal
vegetables in the indoor
market; Relaxing with
an apéro on the beach
at La Ola; Café Lulu in
the market square
Café Lulu
7 Rue du 11 Novembre 1918, 34200 Sète
Tel: (Fr) 4 99 02 84 86
Head to the market square, Place Aristide
Briand, to the delightful art deco-style Café
Lulu, which offers quality coffees from
around the world, as well as an array of
teas. If you don’t fancy caffeine, indulge
in one of their delicious smoothies
or milkshakes.
Coffee break