restaurant review: restaurant jan (one michelin star restaurant in nice, france)

(Nice, France).  In Nice, we were joining a group of friends for their birthday celebrations so it was a rare situation when I did not plan or organize any of the meals.  Fortunately the food planner was also an avid food and wine lover so he planned all of our group meals beautifully.  For our first large group dinner he chose Restaurant JAN - an incredibly well-reviewed restaurant with one Michelin star.

Here is a sample menu - they offer several choices of prix fixe.  I think we went to the chef's choice which had more than 6 courses.  While each course is deceptively small, all of us were pretty full as we neared the end of the meal.  So how was the food?

Before we even get to the food - I have to note that the atmosphere and decor of this restaurant is wonderfully intimate and cozy, yet still elegant.  There is an interesting juxtaposition of grace and nature.  

 

Doesn't this look like a fancy old greenhouse?  Anyways I thought there was something hiding under the napkin but there wasn't - they simply wanted the table to look natural and organic.

When we were first seated, we were met with a carefully arranged table that invited curiosity.  There was a mound of dough under a glass covering - it turns out that they take the dough and bake it fresh for the table.  The bread and the amazing spreads (the nori (e.g., seaweed) one was divine) were probably one of my favorite things in the entire meal - and I don't mean that in a bad way at all.  The flavors are what the Japanese would label as umami.

 

This bread was divine!  I think our table went through 4 loaves because we couldn't stop ourselves - even though we knew we had multiple courses coming. 

The service is also very attentive and detailed.  The chef himself would come out occasionally to explain the dishes and to check if everyone was having a good time.  These little touches do make a difference in completing the entire dining experience.

But the star of the meal was obviously the amazing food.  I've tried many Michelin restaurants in the past and I have to say that Restaurant JAN stands out for its innovative flavors and gorgeous and organic presentation.  There's a touch of French, Japanese, South African, etc - all beautifully harmonized together.  It was definitely my favorite meal in Nice, and probably Paris too.  Below are the pictures of what we had:

 

I can't remember exactly what this was ... I want to say it's some sort of bean puree with potato and caviar.  Regardless I inhaled the entire thing because it was tasty!

Savory soup served in half a melon.  When you are done with the soup you are supposed to dig into the melon which was amazingly sweet.  Sometimes it's amazing what nature provides with little human intervention.

Sea bass in the midst of beans and vegetables - lovely balance of flavors.  A bit too many beans for my personal taste, but everyone else at our table gobbled the entire thing so obviously it was just me.

We tried both the beef and the duck - they both look quite similar (see below), but I definitely preferred the duck.  Both are very rich and flavorful.

I think this is another sorbet with thinly sliced peaches with sesame crisps.

I think this was a mix of panna cotta, sorbets, etc.  very fresh.

Chocolate and berries dessert that look like they were foraged in the forest.

Beautiful right? In this case, the dishes actually taste as good as they look!

Final Word - Wonderful and a must-visit in Nice if you love creative food using fresh, local ingredients.  I think for the two of us sharing several bottles of wine, it came to almost $400 - which is a value in terms of a Michelin-starred meal, but is obviously still more of a special occasion restaurant for most people.