Le Mazet

The story

Le Mazet – Michelin Recommended Mediterranean Dining in Le Lavandou

Chef Patrice Hardy brings his Paris-honed craft to the Provençal coast

After a long career in Paris, Patrice Hardy opened Le Mazet in Le Lavandou, a restaurant that immediately earned a Michelin recommendation. The chef’s cooking is precisely what you hope for from a Mediterranean address: rooted in the best local ingredients, seasonal and direct.

A kitchen built on local partnerships

Hardy works with a carefully chosen network of nearby producers. Daniel Vuillon at Les Olivades in Ollioules supplies fruits, herbs and vegetables; Lucette in Saint-Clair provides more produce; Cindy Bonavia’s Les Poules de l’Angueiroun delivers organic eggs; Cantini in Le Lavandou is the butcher; and Gilbert Huigou supplies truffles. Every element of the menu reflects these relationships – the restaurant sums it up simply: “Tous nos producteurs sont locaux.”

The food: seasonal, precise, generous

The menu changes with the market. A typical evening might begin with a perfect egg and beetroot velouté, followed by risotto with squid tagliatelle or line-caught fish with duo of cauliflower. The house specialty is the Menu Homard Bleu, which features blue lobster paired with fresh Tuber melanosporum truffle. A vegetarian menu is also available. Dishes are cleanly presented, the flavours concentrated and deliberate.

Michelin-recognized, yet approachable

Le Mazet holds a Michelin recommendation, a distinction the chef received alongside peers at the 2023 plaque ceremony in Saint-Tropez. Yet the atmosphere remains welcoming – dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday, with lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant also offers a chef’s table experience, catering and takeaway. For anyone seeking truffle-focused Mediterranean cooking on the Côte d’Azur, Le Mazet is a genuine find.