dinner is served ; but the restaurant of Biarritz is the one which Ritz established on the first floor of the Little Casino, the Casino Municipal, and which continued, after the Ritz com- pany had ceased to be connected with it, as the ex-Ritz, the “ ex ” being printed very small indeed. One break- fasts there in a glazed-in verandah overlooking the Plage and the favourite bathing-spot, and at dinner one looks across to the illuminated terrace of the other Casino. Biarritz depends but little on the surrounding country for its food, as the Pays Basque gives few good things to the kitchen. Fish is the one excellent thing that Biarritz itself contributes to all the menus, and the Friture du Pays is always excellent. Here is a menu of a little dinner for three at the restaurant of the Little Casino. The Minestrone is an excellent Italian soup (which, by the way, Oddenino of the Imperial in London makes better than I have tasted it anywhere else out of Italy) ; the veal, I fancy, came from Paris, the ortolans from the far south : — Melon. Minestron Milanaise. Friture du Pays. Carre de Veau braise aux Cepes. Ortolans a la broche. Salade de Romaine. Coupes d’Entigny. I have not kept any bill for this, but I know that I regarded the total as moderate in a town where all things in September are at gambler’s prices. The Royalty, in the main street at Biarritz, is the afternoon gathering-place for the young bloods, who sit outside on the terrasse and there drink cooling liquids through straws out of long tumblers, while the ladies hold their parliament at tea-time in Miremont’s the con- fectioner’s shop almost next door. French Provincial Towns IOI Biarritz Clubs Each of the Casinos has its Club Prive for bac- carat. A visiting card with a good London address is generally all that is required to obtain a ticket of admission. The County Club, a villa some little distance out- side Biarritz, has, I am sorry to say, ceased to be in existence for the last few years. There is talk of re- establishing it, for its loss is much felt in Biarritz. It was a centre of sport. In its grounds were the large field in which the Concours Hippique is held, and a pigeon-shooting ground. It was a very cosmopolitan and very cheerful club. The Golf Club is at Anglet, up on the cliffs about a mile distant from Biarritz. The British Club has a comfortable house in the Avenue du Palais. It accepts properly introduced visitors as temporary members at 48 francs for a month, and half that sum for a fortnight. Marseilles All the travelling English eat Bouillabaisse at Mar- seilles at least once in their lives. If you wish to eat the dish of the Phocian town in comfort, take one of the tram-cars which run to L’Oriole, or a voiture , and go along the Corniche Road to the Reserve, which those of us who are grey-headed still call Roubion’s. Mons. Echenard, who owns the Reserve, has added to the restaurant a very comfortable hotel, which is christened The Palace. From the shaded terrace there is a lovely view over the bay of Bonne Veine. 102 ‘The Gourmet's Guide to Europe The Reserve is a house of three storeys of balconies sheltered from the wind by glass screens. In winter The Reserve one ^unches in one of these balconies, the Corniche in summer on the terrace. In the sea, Road at the foot of the bluff on which the

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dinner is served ; but the restaurant of Biarritz is the one which Ritz established on the first floor of the Little Casino, the Casino Municipal, and which continued, after the Ritz company had ceased to be connected with it, as the ex-Ritz, the “ ex ” being printed very small indeed. One breakfasts there in a glazed-in veranda overlooking the Plage and the favourite bathing-spot, and at dinner one looks across to the illuminated terrace of the other Casino. Biarritz depends but little on the surrounding country for its food, as the Pays Basque gives few good things to the kitchen. Fish is the one excellent thing that Biarritz itself contributes to all the menus, and the Friture du Pays is always excellent. Here is a menu of a little dinner for three at the restaurant of the Little Casino. The Minestrone is an excellent Italian soup (which, by the way, Oddenino of the Imperial in London makes better than I have tasted it anywhere else out of Italy); the veal, I fancy, came from Paris, the ortolans from the far south:— Melon. Minestrone Milanaise. Friture du Pays. Carre de Veau braise aux Cepes. Ortolans a la broche. Salade de Romaine. Coupes d’Entigny. I have not kept any bill for this, but I know that I regarded the total as moderate in a town where all things in September are at gambler’s prices. The Royalty, in the main street at Biarritz, is the afternoon gathering-place for the young bloods, who sit outside on the terrasse and there drink cooling liquids through straws out of long tumblers, while the ladies hold their parliament at tea-time in Miremont’s the confectioner’s shop almost next door. French Provincial Towns IOI Biarritz Clubs Each of the Casinos has its Club Prive for baccarat. A visiting card with a good London address is generally all that is required to obtain a ticket of admission. The County Club, a villa some little distance outside Biarritz, has, I am sorry to say, ceased to be in existence for the last few years. There is talk of reestablishing it, for its loss is much felt in Biarritz. It was a centre of sport. In its grounds were the large field in which the Concours Hippique is held, and a pigeon-shooting ground. It was a very cosmopolitan and very cheerful club. The Golf Club is at Anglet, up on the cliffs about a mile distant from Biarritz. The British Club has a comfortable house in the Avenue du Palais. It accepts properly introduced visitors as temporary members at 48 francs for a month, and half that sum for a fortnight. Marseilles All the travelling English eat Bouillabaisse at Marseilles at least once in their lives. If you wish to eat the dish of the Phocian town in comfort, take one of the tram-cars which run to L’Oriole, or a voiture , and go along the Corniche Road to the Reserve, which those of us who are grey-headed still call Roubion’s. Mons. Echenard, who owns the Reserve, has added to the restaurant a very comfortable hotel, which is christened The Palace. From the shaded terrace there is a lovely view over the bay of Bonne Veine. ‘The Gourmet's Guide to Europe The Reserve is a house of three storeys of balconies sheltered from the wind by glass screens. In winter one lunches in one of these balconies, in summer on the terrace. In the sea, Road at the foot of the bluff on which the

The gourmet's guide to Europe