It’s been a good travel day. After driving from Carcassonne to Antibes, we checked into a cozy hotel, unwound, then took a walk. After our walk, we thought we’d gotten a feel for Antibes. Little did we know that the REAL Antibes was just around the corner.
It’s Dinner Time in France. Oh Boy.
I know some visitors have had unpleasant experiences dining in France. For one thing, a hungry guy can’t get in to a restaurant before 8:00 PM. Most of them close their doors until then.
They’re closed for a good reason – the kitchen staff actually has to get ready to serve people dinner! There are fresh fish to clean. Meat to prep. Sauces to make. Braises have to be tended to.
The French take dining more seriously than most. Sometimes the cultural difference can get in the way of a good experience. The French server might think, (correctly), that the customer is less than appreciative of what’s happening.
The customer might think, (also correctly), that the server has attitude – that famous French attitude. Things can go south. But if you’re tuned-in and have some idea of what lies ahead, a French dinner can be a wonderful thing.
Ze Apéritif
There’s another reason why the French don’t start eating until after 8:00. Starting after 8:00 leaves plenty of time for pre-meal alcohol. You know… ze apéritif.
The French way is to enjoy some sort of appetite-stimulating beverage prior to dining. That would be the apéritif. The French like to have an apéritif like pastis, a Campari on the rocks, or maybe an Aperol spritz.
As for me, my appetite rarely needs any stimulation. Just give me a cold beer or a glass of wine.
Tonight we’re walking to a restaurant selected by the girl who checked us in to our hotel. She even drew a map so we could find the place.
We had a beer and a glass of wine in the hotel lounge before heading out shortly before 8:00. Our reservation was for 8:00 PM. Of COURSE it was. We’re not from around here. We want to start eating as soon as possible!
The REAL Antibes
We left the hotel, walked a block, rounded a corner and found ourselves at the head of a long, cobblestone street. We were entering a pedestrian zone – Antibes’ old centre ville.
No cars. No crowds. Just cobblestones and couples strolling along on a pleasant evening out. This was a part of Antibes we hadn’t seen.
The REAL Antibes is a large neighborhood full of mom-and-pop shops, bistros, and restaurants in a labyrinth of alleyways running in all directions.
We came to a square – Place des Martyrs de la Résistance. There’s a monument there honoring French Resistance fighters in WWII. The French do a nice job of remembering their fallen heroes.
Shops, restaurants, and bistros lined the square. The bistros had outdoor tables set up in the square, across from their main establishments. Servers get a workout crossing back and forth to the tables out in the square.
I haven’t seen happy hour, (l’heure heureuse), promoted in France the way it is back home, but it looked like happy hour was in full swing here at Place des Martyrs de la Résistance.
It looked inviting, but we had to move on. We had a restaurant to find.
To be continued…
