The story
Perched on Mont St Clair, La Coquerie looks out over the Mediterranean. The view is the first thing you notice – the blue of the sea as decoration, as the restaurant puts it. Inside, large bay windows let the light pour in, and the open kitchen sits at the centre, both physically and gustatively. The terrace is a privileged spot, just a step from the water. With limited seats, the place feels intimate without being intimidating. "No fuss, we want to be welcoming," they say.
At the stove is Guilhem. A Sète native, he started at L'Épicerie, then trained in the kitchens of the French Senate and at Dilia in Paris with Michele Farnesi. He brings that experience back home, translating it simply, with a local accent. Guilhem works on instinct, according to the day's catch and the season. Every afternoon, it's at the fish auction that the menu takes shape – sea bass, sea bream, squid, cigales de mer. The result is a six-course menu (80€) that changes constantly, built on local, terroir products that still manage to take you far. This is modern cuisine that prioritises taste – for both the palate and the eyes.
Arnaud is the co-équipier, in charge of the liquid side. With experience from Café de La Panacée in Montpellier to Les Bars Populaires and L'International in Paris, he has built an exacting wine selection. No regionalism for its own sake, but a commitment to working with artisans who practice respectful cultivation – organic, biodynamic, additive-free. Special attention goes to white wines, naturally.
The dining room can be privatised for up to twenty guests, offering a personalised and privileged experience. La Coquerie is part of a small family of restaurants that also includes Midi La Haut at the Musée Paul Valery, both aiming for singular moments through carefully crafted details. The Michelin Recommended recognition, awarded in 2026, reflects this consistent quality and the genuine hospitality that defines the place.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Anne Majourel can rest assured: her successor Arnaud Mirabel (from the Bars Populaires group), who has been running La Coquerie since 2019, has kept the central kitchen-bar and the immaculate white tables. Better yet, chef Guilhem Blanc-Brude (ex- Dilia in Paris) has also preserved the six-course set menu, prepared using the catch of the day and vegetables from his kitchen garden. The night we went, with views of the Mediterranean below: a mullet goujon with pollen-infused hollandaise sauce, for the amuse-bouche; a sublime bluefin tuna sashimi sprinkled with capers and tangerine, camouflaging a mixture of cucumber, lacto-fermented asparagus, marigold and a Kalamata olive tapenade; a delicate shrimp/onion ravioli in a coriander-infused tomato water that was colored by saffron oil; a divine, roasted, line-caught wolfish steak, teamed up with a crab emulsion, a briny rosemary spelt wheat risotto and a rose-harissa condiment on the side; incredible roasted Aveyron lamb saddle paired with slow-roasted lamb shoulder, mashed potatoes with smoked butter and a shellfish jus ; tangy plum marmalade served with a plume of wild fennel and a fermented milk ice cream; before a subtle creampuff with squash praline, topped with candied apricot. // A.S.
Location
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