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-   -   La Colombe D'Or (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/la-colombe-dor-798977/)

Micheline Aug 2nd, 2009 06:24 PM

La Colombe D'Or
 
Last year in Nice we met some Irish ladies who raved about their meal at La Colombe d"Or. Has anyone on this forum been and did you think it was wonderful? How much should we expect to pay for a meal?

Surfergirl Aug 2nd, 2009 06:33 PM

Been there and am going back in September. It's not cheap -- one of those birthday or anniversary kind of meals. Food was excellent, and loved the atmosphere outdoors when the weather is good. Cost varies wildly depending on what you eat and drink. Good art too!

cigalechanta Aug 2nd, 2009 06:50 PM

I stayed there three times and loved every minute, I wish I could afoord to do it again.

Micheline Aug 3rd, 2009 06:52 AM

Thanks for your replies. I can't find much information on their website.

cocofromdijon Aug 3rd, 2009 07:08 AM

Bonjour Micheline :-) Is it in St Paul de Vence or Nice? I may find something in French for you since you are fluent.

cocofromdijon Aug 3rd, 2009 07:52 AM

From what I read it must be the one in St Paul. Here is what I found (no prices unfortunately)
http://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant..._Provence.html

http://www.routard.com/forum_message...ul_devence.htm

http://fr.nomao.com/363998.html

http://www.fra.cityvox.fr/restaurant...08/Profil-Lieu
Voila!

cigalechanta Aug 3rd, 2009 07:56 AM

It is in St Paul de Vence.
micheline, it is right in the village and a valet parks your car. There is a boule court opposite the hotel in front of a cafe.The pool area has a huge Calder mobile. Art is everywhere.
The outside dining has mosaics and sculptures. The inside dining and the bedrooms have paintings.
there's a beautiful book, A Taste Of Provence, the Colombre D' Or. It has photos of all the many celebrities who stayed there. yves Montand and Simone Signoret married there.
Stop in the post office and go upstairs where the walls are pasted with photos. one darling one of Yves playing boules.

cocofromdijon Aug 3rd, 2009 07:58 AM

The pics are great you're right mimi :-)

cigalechanta Aug 3rd, 2009 08:02 AM

Here's a photo of the pool and some information

http://www.forbestraveler.com/hotel-...lombe-dor.html

cigalechanta Aug 3rd, 2009 08:05 AM

You have the book coco?
We never gave eachother birthday or Christmas presents,
instead we had a pick of a special place to stay a few days
France.

cocofromdijon Aug 3rd, 2009 08:13 AM

I don't have the book, I saw the photos on their website
http://www.la-colombe-dor.com/#
It seems that when I go to your link, I can see the pool and then if I click on "view website" under the telephone number it goes to an American Colombe d'or in Houston http://www.lacolombedor.com

cigalechanta Aug 3rd, 2009 08:30 AM

that quote on the site by Cesar is by sculptor who died several years ago. when you enter the hotel there is a huge
sculpture of his thumb.

Micheline Aug 3rd, 2009 08:38 AM

Hi Coco! Thank you both for the websites. I'll go look at them now. We are two couples going in September. I saw the boules place last year so now I know exactly where it is located.

tower Aug 3rd, 2009 08:42 PM

Micheline:

To answer your question I'm copying a paragraph from my 2006 trip report describing our superb luncheon at L'Colombe d'or as follows:

<i>Our last day in Cote d'azur area...and we have 1:00 reservations for lunch at L'Colombe d'Or in nearby St. Paul. One of the few reservations that we made in advance...having been disappointed by trying too late during past visits.

We decide to get into St. Paul earlier so we can mak a return visit to "The graeght Maeght Foundation". You don't want to miss this if anywhere in the vicinty...outstanding! Thoroughly enjoy our few hours at Maeght, encompassed by Miros, Chagalls, Matisses, etc. Marvelous galleries, inside and outside.

L'Colombe d'Or, world renowned (made our reservation three months in advance just to be sure), has a prime setting in this charming town. The hostess immediately recognized our name without looking at her list...my, oh my..along with our request for a terrace table, and everything goes off with precision...the day is sunny and comfortably warm, ambience and the service impeccable and the food tastefully presented and flavored. What more can one ask?

The featured appetizer was white asparagus, best we've ever tasted anywhere. Roz ordered the fricassee of chicken and I had a delicious sole so artfully stripped at tableside (no, not me, the sole). Dessert began with a sampler cheese dish and ended with a crispy-lidded creme brulee' and chocolate sticks... a carafe of chardonnay. (Total: $110)</i>

Not being voraciously keen foodies, so to speak, this marked a definite splurge for us...something we do a few times during a 3-4 week journey. Worth it? Definitely a highlight. Do it!

Stu Tower

Surfergirl Aug 3rd, 2009 10:28 PM

Good review Stu!

Loved the Thumb, didn't know whose it was, but seriously good photo op!

Micheline Aug 4th, 2009 03:59 AM

Thanks Stu. Just what I was looking for. What Thumb?

EastBayer Aug 4th, 2009 04:56 AM

I had a memorable and not expensive lunch with 2 friends last spring. One of us ordered the house appetizer, an assortment of hot and cold dishes. The others ordered the plat du jour. Both the entree and the plat cost about 25 euros each. The waiter said the entree "is an appetizer but some people order it as a main dish." To serve it, he had to bring a separate table. It consisted of about 12 individual dishes, each of them delicious: meat, seafood, vegetable, etc. Plus a basket full of other vegetables and fruit: 3 hardboiled eggs, 3 whole tomatoes, a bunch of celery, a couple of bananas, and much more. By itself it would have been a meal for 3-4 people. The plat du jour, a delicious French version of chicken å la king, was also copious. We spent the entire meal laughing with surprise and delight. The only down side was that we were too full to have one of the delicious-looking desserts. I have a reservation to go back in September with other friends and hope to have the same meal.

The paintings, many of them payment in kind for meals and lodging, are wonderful.

Surfergirl Aug 4th, 2009 05:47 AM

Artwork, Micheline. See photo bottom left at this link:

http://www.saint-pauldevence.com/pre...ry.php?theme=2

Underhill Aug 4th, 2009 01:58 PM

Just be sure to have a reservation.

tower Aug 4th, 2009 09:18 PM

Underhill....correct..there was no way we could have had lunch without a prior reservation...terrace was full and it was early spring.
stu


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