St Tropez

By EWAN McDONALD for viva

It was not the best of times, even if it was not the worst of times, for la cuisine Francaise. Bernard Loiseau, one of France's best-known chefs, had killed himself after critics for the prestigious GaultMillau food guide deducted two points from his flagship restaurant. Folk in Florida had decided to rename French fries (which are Belgian) as "freedom fries" and the Pennsylvania legislature was considering banning the sale of French wines in its monopoly of 638 liquor stores, which probably proves only that Americans are susceptible to the same xenophobic rantings of breakfast radio hosts that Aucklanders are.

Oh, and Chinese truffles - cheap and tasteless - had infiltrated the European market. Into deepest Perigord, no less. And if all that wasn't bad enough, French housewives were buying Nigella and Jamie's cookbooks. In preference to Monsieur Loiseau's, presumably.

We had all this to reflect on as we headed up Parnell Rise to Jean-Christophe Varnier's St Tropez. Varnier and his partner, Simone Munson, opened the restaurant in 1999 as an elaborately styled (both in food and decor) traditional restaurant, all red velvet and gilt and mirrors on the ceiling, with prices to match.

Varnier had the background to carry that off. Born into a French-New Caledonian family, he graduated from the Cordon Bleu School in London and continued his studies at Michelin-starred establishments in France. Within a few months he won honours here: the Corbans Wine and Food Challenge Supreme Award as well as best entree and best restaurant in its category. Things don't always stay the same. In recent weeks St Tropez has been made over, the decor browned and creamed, the fussiness of some dishes reduced, and prices lowered so that the most expensive mains are $25.50. Perhaps Varnier and Munson are accommodating local tastes, but it is a trend that has taken place in Paris, too.

Terry Durack, the Aussie boy who lights up the food pages of London's Independent, notes that while London restaurateurs seem to feel the need to fancy up their food to charge even more for it, their Parisian equivalents appear to be rediscovering the simple pleasures of the bistro, "avec bistro prices". As for the new look, he says the bistros have been Botoxed.

Varnier describes his menu - always has - as "classic French with a touch of the Pacific". That means a typical dish from the repertoire, such as oysters natural, gets a makeover with lime, coriander and chilli dipping sauce; or Cajun-spiced yellowfin tuna and snowpeas lurk in the green beans, mesclun, eggs and tomato of a Nicoise salad.

The four of us were in a "When in Avignon ..." mood. Despite the warm night Bill and I began with onion soup, deep brown verging on burgundy, thick and satisfying, with pungent gruyere croquettes. Ann and Anne came over all Mediterranean with a tangy though subtle tomato, basil and goat's cheese salad, delighting in the olive oil infused with herbes de Provence.

We went round the maisons for the next course: barbecued chicken breast with a discreet almond and tarragon stuffing; lamb racks that owed a little to each country, barbecued from the Kiwi side, a perfectly pitched red wine and truffle oil jus from the French. Bill was making very happy sounds from somewhere behind his methode traditionelle coq au vin; Anne had out-Gallicked us all by ordering the day's special, a splendid ox tongue (speaking of tongues, Madame ordered it in perfect French from the imported waiter).

St Tropez offers a small but piquant selection of good Kiwi and French vintages - please ask your waiter, he knows what to do - but for a French restaurant, the cheeses were disappointing, nondescript Kiwi styles that can be found in any supermarket.

And in a way, that summed up our night. The food was classic, and sometimes we get so excited about trying new or exotic tastes that we forget that the French made their reputation on solid, no-nonsense combinations and straightforward methods, and they should be respected. Service was superb, professional and accommodating; but the restaurant itself lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. Oh, yes I do: joie de vivre.

Open: Lunch Monday-Friday from 11.30am; dinner 7 days from 6pm

Owners: Simone Munson, Jean-Christophe Varnier

Executive chef: Jean-Christophe Varnier

Maitre d': Simone Munson

Food: French, Mediterranean and Pacific

On the Menu: Escargots Au Beurre Rouge (French snails in their shells with red wine, shallots, garlic butter) $16; Honey-roasted duck on mesclun, cashews, crispy noodles; Tahitian vanilla and cinnamon poached pears, sauce aigre doux $17; Coq au Vin Classique (French casserole of chicken pieces marinated in red wine, baby mushrooms, onions, bacon with potatoe puree) $25.50; Poulet (barbecued chicken breast with almondand tarragon farce, wild rice, chardonnay cream sauce with lardons) $24.50

Vegetarian: Mais oui

Wine: Not and exhaustive list, but one to make you think, studded with rarities from the mother country.

Music: Excruciatingly French pop: they did it comme d'habitude

Bottom line: Jean-Christophe Varnier and Simone Munson make over their French traditional restaurant with a more bistro décor, menu and prices. The food is still suberbly prepared and presented, service is thoroughly professional, but the place seems to lack joie de vivre.


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