Le Clos Saint Roch a Great Restaurant Discovery in Maussane

“Every Day My Cooking Has to be Great”

 Bon rapport qualité-prix. It means “good value for money,” and it’s one of my favourite French expressions because…who doesn’t love a great value?

So I was delighted to learn that Emmanuel Billaud, the chef at Le Clos Saint-Roch in Maussane-les-Alpilles, was once awarded Best Rapport Qualité-Prix in all of Paris! The honour was bestowed by one of France’s top restaurant critics for Billaud’s restaurant La Grande Rue.

Billaud has a long and distinguished career, having trained under two of France’s top chefs, Joel Rubochon and Alain Ducasse. With them, he learned to prepare dishes of sky-high quality and prices to match, but for his own restaurant, he wanted to offer top-quality food at reasonable prices. And he succeeded.

Emmanuel and his wife, Nathalie (who ran the dining room), were happy and prosperous in Paris, but then one day opportunity knocked. He was offered a job at the prestigious Sofitel hotel in Washington, D.C., as the top chef of their restaurant. The Billauds thought, Why not? It was a chance to live in a new country and expand their horizons as well as those of their two sons. So off they went.

After two years in D.C., Billaud was offered the top job at Sofitel’s even larger restaurant near San Francisco, and they moved again. “We all enjoyed the United States very much,” says Billaud, “especially California. I learned the American restaurant system, we improved our English, and Nathalie and I became avid bikers.”

But as much as they appreciated the Golden State, la belle France beckoned. So in 2011, the family moved back to their native land and opened Le Clos Saint Roch. As in their first restaurant, Emmanuel runs the kitchen, and Nathalie runs the dining room. And the focus remains on that all-important bon rapport qualité-prix.

At Bristot Saint-Roch, everything is fait maison (homemade) and uses only the freshest ingredients. For his outstanding cooking, Billaud has been granted the prestigious title of Maître Restaurateur (Master Restaurateur) by the French government.

And what food this master makes! Try the duck terrine in puff pastry, surrounded by Jerusalem artichokes. Or the sea bream with fregola and asparagus. And don’t miss the lamb shoulder, slow-cooked to tender deliciousness.

Be sure to check the daily three-course menu: starter, main course, and dessert. At just 32 euros, it’s an outstanding value. Eat here once, and you’ll find yourself returning again and again.

“Grilling” the Chef:

I had the chance to sit down with Emmanuel Billaud and ask him a few questions. Here are the highlights.

Why did you choose Maussane-les-Alpilles?

Of course, the beauty of Provence was hard to resist. And Maussane is attractive to tourists, which allows me to have a healthy business.

And then I fell in love with the space! I entered through the kitchen, then walked through the main dining room and the private dining room, and finally went upstairs to the family apartment. After ten minutes, I told the real estate agent that I was ready to make an offer.

What made you fall in love?

It’s a perfect size, seating 35 diners. It’s big enough that I can offer a good range of dishe,s but small enough that I can give each one the attention it deserves.

The restaurant has a beautiful outdoor terrace, in the sun but shaded, and enclosed on three sides to protect from the wind we sometimes get in Provence. Most of our meals are served here during the warm months. The indoor space is equally charming, with a large, inviting fireplace that keeps it warm and cozy in the cooler months. And because we are away from the town’s busy central square, as lovely as that is, we can offer our customers a more intimate dining experience.

You’ve run restaurants in Paris, the United States and Provence. How would you describe the differences?

I would say that Paris and Washington, D.C., are similar in that diners in both cities prefer more complex dishes. They are formal cities, and business often takes place over a meal. In California and Provence, which are more casual places, the emphasis is on simpler preparations that bring out the wonderful flavours of the ingredients.

In terms of ingredient quality, the best are in Provence, without a doubt. California is an agricultural state, but some of the food is grown on large farms, where maintaining top quality is harder. And the food available to me in Paris often came from foreign countries with lower standards than those of France.

By contrast, almost all the food I use at Le Clos Saint Roch is grown locally on small farms, many of them organic, and I can select the ingredients myself. In Paris, if I wanted zucchinis, I had to order them, and a crate arrived the next day. Here, I just walk across the street and get what I need.

With such high quality, why don’t you charge more?

I think it is essential that the customer has a good experience and wants to come again. High prices make it hard to build repeat business. Because I charge reasonable prices, my customers are happy to return.

My goal is for every customer to have a memorable meal. Every day, my cooking has to be great.

Book Your Table

Le Clos Saint Roch has changed hands, but it is just as charming, and the food remains delicious.

Bistrot Saint-Roch (website)
87 Avenue de la Vallée des Baux
13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 98 77 15
Reservations accepted by email or phone
Closed: Wednesdays and Thursdays

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Keith Van Sickle

Keith and Val Van Sickle made their first trip to Provence decades ago, and it was love at first sight. After that, they came back every year until 2008, when they began a part-time life there, splitting their time between Provence and California.

Over the years, they’ve travelled all over Provence, seeing sights both well-known and obscure. Their French friends have introduced them to favourite restaurants and wineries and picnic spots and taught them funny local expressions (not all for polite company).

Keith now shares this local knowledge in his new book, An Insider’s Guide to Provence. Packed with the Van Sickles’ favourite things to see and do, it’s a must-have for anyone travelling to this glorious corner of France.

Keith previously published two books about the couple's experiences in Provence. One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence, and Are We French Yet?, both are available from Amazon.

You can see all of Keith’s blog posts at Life in Provence.