A C u i s i n e of C o n t r a s t s

Their motto: Dare!

Their reward: Three Michelin stars

A Philosophy of the Plate
These twin cooks arrange their plates like canvases, using their ingredients like a palette of colors. They have no time for the artificial, the pointless or the deceptive.

Since they opened the Jardin over ten years ago, they have worked tirelessly every hour of every day to refine and develop their perception in order to create and maintain harmony. Their dishes are created like paintings: "We imagine the various elements, how they will be combined, and even before the dish is made we already know how it will look and taste." Recipes can be inspired by a specific ingredient or a lovely plate. "We ask ourselves what we can put on it that will be good, that will be beautiful. Everything on the plate must be edible and must be an integral part of the dish. No tomato roses just to be pretty, no pieces of kiwi just to add a touch of green: everything must have a reason for being there. In the same way that a work of art must speak not only to sight but to the other senses as well, there must be a direct relationship between the beauty of what one sees and the flavour of what one eats."

A Cuisine of Contrasts
"Our culinary careers were built on our own love of food, particularly on the food memories of our childhood. Our cooking draws on our familiarity with the products of our region, but also on our explorations outside its borders. Many of our ingredients are typical of the Languedoc region, but we are also very drawn to the other cuisines of the Mediterranean basin. The 'supporting players,' our condiments, flavorings and accompanying ingredients, have similar origins: preserved lemon, orange zest, Banyuls wine, balsamic vinegar, pinenuts, polenta, almonds, oven-caramelized tomatoes… We incline towards Spain, not only because the cooking of the Languedoc and Roussillon regions is similar, but also because we like the simplicity and straightforwardness of Catalan and Spanish dishes, not to mention Italy, which is a great source of inspiration for us.

In our recipes, we often try to bring together the harsh and rocky Cevenol countryside with its earthy flavors - foie gras, truffles, game, walnut oil - with the coastal side of the Languedoc with its sharper, sweeter, fruitier tastes - citrus, fruit juices, muscat grapes, balsamic vinegar reductions, anchovies…. When we succeed in marrying the flavors of the garrigue with those of the coast, then all of the Languedoc is represented on the plate. Our guests can savour in turn, from one bite to the next, both its ruggedness and its gentleness."

If God gave us five senses…
…then it was certainly an invitation to take pleasure in them, to awaken in us memories, colors, smells, palpable souvenirs, delights for the mouth. Tasting Jacques and Laurent's cooking appeals to all our senses: wonderful flavors and aromas, crunchy textures, the appearance of the plate. While Laurent is reinventing starters and meats, Jacques oversees fish and desserts… a predilection which makes sense when you learn that, as a child, he was the one with the sweet tooth… Or was it Laurent?