Sillon : Biarritz, France

I have been exploring Biarritz more than ever this year. I had always sort of held it in less esteem than its quainter neighbors, but a special series of visits and some unforgettable meals are changing my vision of the city. It’s not just a stuffier version of San Sebastián, or a Russian oil magnate’s playground…it’s got a fun, subversive side, but always with a touch of elegance.

That very description brings me to Sillon.

Just off the hustle and bustle of Biarritz’s center, chef Mathieu Rostaing-Tayard runs what is most definitely one of Biarritz’s best restaurants. I mean, where else are you getting served snacks of Grand Roux corn crackers seasoned with Nước Mắm salt, curry and blue sheep cheese cream?

Felt so lovely and French with this pissaladiere with black olive, seaweed and then a little lardo / tocino-style pork belly.

Sillon is made of two spaces, and you can enjoy sharing plates at the lively bar counter or sit in the dining room for the full experience.

These green beans could have been an afterthought; instead they made me question if I had ever really known a green bean. Mathieu’s background includes passing through kitchens like those of Massimo Bottura and Virgilo Martinez, so the exquisiteness sort of checks out.

I love tomato water…even better drizzled over red raw tuna from around the corner in Saint Jean de Luz, half dehydrated tomatoes, fig leaf oil and sea herbs.

This bottarga-topped dish of artichoke, cuttlefish sauce and smoked garlic oil was fantastic. Served with a side of crispy pork feet, as it should be.

And then the show-stopping grilled red mullet, with oregano butter, carrots, fennel and fresh star anise sauce.

I loved Sillon, because dishes like this just kept surprising. I never got that ‘Michelin drag’, where you get to the protein courses and sorta kinda wish it would end. Food was light, delicious, and every dish had a detail that thrilled me.