Repas du Siècle
Service pouvant être compose de: Ail des Ours. Algues. Anchois de Getaria. Anguille. Asperges de la Ferme Henri. Bourgeons de Pin des Landes. Blé. Caviar d’Aquitaine Impérial Petrossian. Céleri. Champignons. Chiperons de St Jean de Luz. Chocolat. Choux. Clémentine. Cochon Kintoa de Pierre Oteiza. Coriandre. Framboise. Fromages. Fruit à Coque. Fruit de la Passion. Fruits de Mer et Crustacés. Groseille. Gin Drouin. Litchi. Moutards. Noix de Coco. Oeuf et Lait de Ferme. Olives. Petit Pois. Piment d’Espelette. Piquillos. Pomme. Poissons selon la criée. Rose. Safran. Sésame. Shiso. Soja. Tequila. Tournesol. Truffe.
We get around the pneumatic galaxy. Paris, London, Barcelona: L’Ambroisie, Core, Lasarte. Three restaurants with three stars. Biarritz. Après Demain. One star, but how it glows. Never has the nod of approval from France’s finest vulcanised rubber factory been more deserved. Such vitality, energy, brightness, floating on daylight until twilight purples the evening. We glide up the steps from stylish Avenue Louis Barthou and sail across the jasmine scented terrace before landing at our table. The décor is reductivist rustic. It’s all about exposure: stone walls, timber suspended ceiling, linen free tables, raw talent. A wealth of artisanal flair contributed to the interior: cabinetmakers Quentin Delion and Adrien Mantel-Brotherwood; floral designer Estelle Ducasse; ceramicist Isabelle Lamourelle; florist Claire Perrin; and knifemaker Christophe Lauduique.
Dinner is everything a meal should be: inventive, ingenious, original, unpredictable, zany, crepuscular. The last adjective is possibly venue specific. Our wonderfully well informed waitress explains, “The name of the restaurant is a pun, un jeu de mots. The first restaurant was called Demain so this is literally Après Demain. It also refers to a hand – le main – theme. The name also suggests the next better thing to come – après.” Hands down, the best triple entendre ever! So even the name of this three year old restaurant is avantgarde, a French portmanteau that somehow sneaked into English parlance.
Chef Patron Matthias Leuliette tells us, “Today’s dreams will be tomorrow’s realities. We are the day after tomorrow. We want the name of our project to be a promise to support positivity and protective agriculture. More than just organic, we work collaboratively with our suppliers, respecting the land of our children and taking responsibility for their animals. In the spirit of a guesthouse, we want each guest to feel unique, and so we carefully craft your personalised experience in the moment with what nature has provided.” At Après Demain style goes hand in hand with substance.
The sommelier pops €92 Pessac Léognan Château La Louvière 2019 (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon). Experiénce en Nine Temps €105 is a culinary celebration – is that the right word? – of the Seven Deadly Sins. Matthias suggests, “The Seven Deadly Sins are the roots of our desires. Tame them, and you’ll discover not your flaws but your humanity. Each sin, is part of you and all of humanity. But it’s not the sins that define who you are: it’s the choices you make in the face of them.” A stack of cards illustrated by local artist Katang, placed on a petite easel on our table, is an aide memoire.
Our waitress arrives holding a glowing full moon. What sin could this be? A flick of a card reveals: “Greed, avaritae. Greed is the art of keeping everything to yourself. But tonight, who among you will be the greediest? Since, by definition, not everything is meant to be shared, you’ll need to choose or fight for it. It’s up to you and your negotiation skills.” She confirms, “The whole of the moon represents greed!” French band Air plays in the background. Aha! The album Moon Safari.
Matthias elaborates, “For millennia, the moon has guided humanity, lighting up the night and setting the rhythm of our cycles. But did you know it also influences the earth, plants and even wine? Used by winemakers and farmers practising biodynamics, the lunar calendar divides days into four elements: leaf, root, fruit and flower. Each element corresponds to the optimal time to cultivate, harvest or taste in harmony with natural cycles. It’s a balance between earth and sky, a subtle dance orchestrated by the moon. But mankind, in its pride, sometimes seeks to rise above these cycles, dreaming or mastering nature and perhaps even reaching for the moon itself. Tonight, we invite you to explore these lunar influences through a gastronomic experience that connects your plate to the earth and the stars.” Now that we’ve seen it, we’re ready to eat the whole of the moon.
Another course, another card: “Anger, ira. The oceans are exhausted. Fish stocks are disappearing. Political silence echoes louder than the waves. Here, anger becomes a dish. Cuttlefish, a sustainable resource, takes centre stage. A scorching marine broth is poured over lava stone. It shivers, cracks, evaporates, like a boiling sea. This hotpot is an echo of warming waters, pollution, depletion of life. Anger does not ask for forgiveness: it compels.” A wildly imaginative consommé bubbles in front of us.
The sommelier pops €45 Bergerac Barouillet 2024 (Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon, Chenin, Muscadelle). Perhaps it was the Louvière or perhaps it is the Bergerac but the sins are sliding into a blur. We all get a different plate for the next course. Focus; card time: “Envy, invidia. Here, every plate is different. You have yours, but the other one catches your eye. Is it better? Prettier? Envy creeps in without warning – subtle, sharp, irresistible. One glance, and doubt is born. Envy is a game. And here, we play it with every service, that silent game between curiosity and frustration.” Earphones accompany this course: Johnny Halliday is singing his 1986 hit song l’Envie, “Qu’on me donne l’obscurité puis la lumière …”
Bread stick trees with beetroot leaves, sorrel ice cream, caviar pudding, lacto fermented white asparagus, samphire and almond, seaweed brioche, watercress cream of garlic chives, lime and gin foam, a Sonia Rykiel inspired duck sorbet … Such pride in the presentation: the kitchen clearly doesn’t suffer fools or slothfulness. One other sin springs to mind during our ninth course. Card time: “Gluttony, gula. That moment when reason fades, giving way to the pleasure of tasting everything. Often seen as excess, it is above all a tribute to the joy of savouring life. Inspired by abundance and the dreams of a child before a table overflowing with sweets and comforting dishes, it invites exploration and sharing. Whether it’s a generous seafood platter or a delicate cascade of bite sized treats, gluttony celebrates both indulgence and comfort – and the irresistible urge to try it all.”
Après Après Demain, where will compare?
