The story
Le Chai in Sainte Maxime brings a refined approach to French cuisine to the Côte d’Azur. Valentine Costuna leads the kitchen after her tenure at Astrid y Gastón in Lima. She structures each service around seasonal produce and precise technique. Her menu balances structured tasting courses with relaxed sharing plates rooted in French cuisine.
The kitchen builds its identity around carefully layered ingredients and controlled temperatures. Dry-aged tuna tartare arrives alongside smoked eggplant vinaigrette and delicate daikon radish ribbons. Scarlet red prawns carry intense heat through fermented chili accents while half-turbot rests in cumin-spiced butter. Shared proteins like dry-aged prime rib finish with roasted green onions and rich chicken jus.
Desserts follow the same measured approach. Chocolate cream provides a dense base for bright passion fruit coulis. Pastis jelly and vibrant beetroot lounge over smoked cream before the final course. These plate constructions reflect a service style that values both precision and relaxed pacing.
Dining unfolds beneath open skies on a broad terrace overlooking pines and cypresses. Winemakers Stephen Roberts and Laurent Nouvion host the kitchen within their Grenache vineyard rows. The space operates as a festive guinguette where guests drink local wines and watch the coastline shift toward evening. Summer service draws a steady crowd that appreciates the blend of natural viticulture and coastal cooking, a combination recognized by Le Fooding in its 2026 listing.
Recognition
Location
