Chef Philippe COLINET
For three seasons, the Sezz and its restaurant Colette have become inseparable from the name of Philippe Colinet.
"My first memories? I must have been three years old...", explains the man who, in the summer of 2020, reopened this unique restaurant with his first Michelin star. His childhood memories are of summers travelling down south, of fruit and vegetable sellers, and the unique flavour of peaches, apricots and tomatoes in season. Simple, natural flavours, which this chef, who previously worked in Le Loiret - where Colette also had a house - incorporates into his dishes using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.
His cuisine resonates with the spirit of the compellingly free-spirited writer, who was only the second woman to be made a member of the Académie Goncourt. Simplicity is transformed into expertise, always faithful to the produce and to Philippe Colinet's close relationship with his suppliers.
Fine produce in all its splendour
Philippe Colinet's personal approach is based primarily on learning about his ingredients, how they are grown, how they are cultivated, through in-depth discussions with local market gardeners, fishermen and livestock farmers. Whether a simple tomato, a Mediterranean oyster collected at Tamaris, squid, red mullet, or poivrade artichokes, this exclusive bond between the produce, the producers and the chef is what allows it to be transformed in the kitchen.
Philippe Colinet knows that, like a piece of fine jewellery, an ingredient is nothing without the elements that surround it. He is particularly fond of foraging for edible herbs and flowers. These include Sea fennel found along the beach next to the Sezz, as well as blackberries, wild fennel and burnet, all of which feature prominently in his culinary repertoire. Today, Hotel Sezz has its own herb garden.
