Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Corsica is famous for its natural beauty, its local culture and haute cuisine represented by chefs passionate about this terroir.
Located in the Mediterranean Sea , Corsica is famous for its natural beauty and local culture. On a delicious gastronomic tour , we discover some of the best restaurants in the region and haute cuisine represented by chefs who are passionate about this terroir. Check it out!
The island of beauty. This is what the French call it: the island of beauty. Corsica truly dazzles with its natural power, crystal-clear waters, winding roads, sunsets, stunning landscapes and charming populations from north to south. It is also a haven of beautiful contrasts between sweetness and harshness, hospitality and preservation, wildness and modern buildings, sun and shade, mountains and sea. These contrasts are evident in the rich regional cuisine. A strong Mediterranean influence is combined with the roots of classic French cuisine and an appreciation for exceptional local products. Sheep’s cheeses, delicious pork and hams, lamb, fresh fish and seafood, herbs and vegetables, olive oils, wines… The list of good products is long and can be read in the local language in the markets and on the menus, where gastronomy is a fundamental part of the experience.
Last summer, I came across several Brazilian tourists on the roads and by sea in search of this authenticity. On this side of France, nothing is obvious and everything is unique and exceptional. Corsica has a wide variety of places to eat well, from small inns and taverns to haute cuisine restaurants. Fortunately, most of them are family-run, and have kept their roots intact. In these Michelin-starred or aspiring restaurants, chefs take their creativity to the highest level to express a cuisine full of personality. On a delicious tour, we take you to discover some of them.
Murtoli Estate
Secret and magical, this place located in the extreme south of Corsica has always been like this. On the 2,500 hectares of the property, around 20 small farms and historic houses have been restored to create a hotel that could be called a large ecosystem and a reflection of the local biodiversity. Founder Paul Canarelli, who inherited a huge piece of land from his grandfather, keeps the business restricted to the family. The project’s creation, agriculture, livestock farming and connection with the land are highly valued and bring to the fore the purpose of showing the best of Corsica to tourists from all over the world. With the desire to be self-sufficient and to feed its three restaurants, Murtoli transcends several barriers. As you stroll along the charming dirt roads, you will come across cattle along the way, smell the scent of a gigantic open-air vegetable garden where seasonal delicacies are grown, delight in the local fauna and flora, get lost in the vineyards and admire the olive groves ahead. Far beyond contemporary storytelling, everything here is proven by the visitors’ own eyes and taste buds.
Localism is the guiding principle of chef Laurent Renard, who skillfully orchestrates the cuisine of Domaine de Murtoli in different styles and proposals. At La Table de La Plage, you can enjoy casual seafood cuisine. The stunning view of the almost inaccessible beach is enough to make your memory last. Inspired by an old fisherman’s hut, the ambiance of the outdoor dining room is impressive. It feels as if you are hanging discreetly from a giant tree. At La Table de La Ferme, the hotel’s main restaurant, cuisine that combines tradition and modernity reigns supreme. The rustic-chic style is a mix of conviviality and refinement. Before serving the dishes, an impressive selection of non-alcoholic cocktails made with local aromatic herbs is offered. The wine list? A large bible of labels from the region that any wine lover would dream of reading. Every summer, chef Mathieu Pacaud arrives at this same table to give his opinion and secure a Michelin star. Murtoli’s last and most impressive restaurant is located in a cave. On summer evenings, La Table de La Grotte welcomes a select few guests in a picturesque setting. While the lamb is grilling on the grill, it is a delight to sample some of the starters presented on the suggested menu, which changes daily.
Cala Rossa
In this legendary five-star boutique hotel tucked away in Porto Vecchio, Paul, Helene and Lise, the children of the owner of Domaine de Murtoli, are writing new pages in their history. In a harmonious family atmosphere, the passion for hospitality and the pursuit of excellence are some of the core values of the Grand Hotel Cala Rossa, starting with the food. He was supposed to stay for just two years, but in the end, it’s been 20 since chef Pascal Cayeux used his talent to take his guests’ taste buds on a journey of gastronomic prowess. Where local fishing is possible, cereals are abundant and organic vegetables grow well, his cuisine is dominated by hake, octopus and shrimp, which go hand in hand with local charcuterie and well-matched cheeses. And what about the carrot jams, the recipe for which comes from his grandmother? His cuisine is resolutely authentic and highlights ancestral flavors in an idyllic setting overlooking the magnificent Gulf of Porto-Vecchio.
At La Pinède restaurant, the menu features inventive Mediterranean creations and a certain savoir-faire from the French brasserie. Try the linguini with bottarga and close your eyes. At the brand new Panzarotti restaurant, the name itself says it all. To develop this new identity, Chef Pascal Cayeux used references from his sensory trips to Italy. In his search for the beautiful and the good, he only remembered the taste memories of the moment, which became lifelong obsessions. It is this delicious exploration that dictates the menu. An exquisite and authentic experience of Italian cuisine, using seasonal raw materials and inspired by the morning harvests from the vegetable garden. A true initiatory journey, discovering the most gourmet regions of Italy, such as Modena, Florence, Trieste, Sassari, without forgetting Rome, the eternal city. There is the calamarata alle vigilia di natale, the sturgeon ravioli with Italian caviar, the Milanese escalope with artichokes, tomatoes and cream.
Casadelmar
In a beautiful setting, the Mediterranean park designed by landscaper Jean Mus is the stage for an uninterrupted dialogue between mineral and plant life. Century-old olive trees, Florentine cypresses, stone pines, rockroses, myrtles and everlastings dot the walks in this almost three-hectare site on the edge of the Porto Vecchio bay. In the gourmet restaurant, awarded two Michelin stars, Italian chef Fabio Bragagnolo creates a sensitive and meticulous cuisine that follows the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. However, when excellence or nature warrants it, one can look a little further afield… The result expresses an airy modernity that is enhanced by the textures and sauces that the chef tirelessly develops. Originally from northern Italy, the son of a baker, Fabio has been passionate about cooking since he was very young. He arrived in France in 1999 as an assistant at the Carpaccio restaurant at the Royal Monceau in Paris, which for him is the gastronomic capital par excellence. Fabio moved to Corsica to participate in the opening of Casadelmar.
A strong MEDITERRANEAN INFLUENCE, the roots of classic French cuisine and an appreciation for exceptional local products are combined .
Combined with a great work ethic and a character imbued with humility, his great taste sensitivity and creativity naturally led him to take charge of the kitchen. Cannelloni Denti with crab, caviar, fresh vegetables and Corsican cider, ravioli with quail, broccoli, spinach and mushrooms, sea bass in a charcoal crust, chanterelle and razor clams, roast lamb with chinotto and beetroot… Everything makes sense on the palate. For the sweet dishes, the menu is entrusted to his partner, the Italian chef Claudio Pezzetti, who has the fun task of translating local ingredients into pastries. Brocciu, amaretto, chestnuts and fruits are some of the local delicacies transformed into bold desserts.
Villa Calvi
In the charming town of Calvi, which seems to have stopped in time, there is a special place run by a friendly family. Villa Calvi was created with the aim of bringing a luxury hotel industry that was still non-existent in the region at the time. Founded by Jean-Pierre Pinelli, originally from a nearby village, the hotel that started out with a few rooms now has several villas and private houses. The cuisine at Villa Calvi is something that would win any trophy or star, which is sure to come soon. All of this is the fault of the young chef Mylo Levin. Born in Paris in 1992, Mylo is a French-American and the son of two artists. He learned to cook by doing alongside chef Christophe Saintagne, a disciple of chef Alain Ducasse.
After a long stint in Los Angeles, he landed on the island to run the kitchens at Villa Calvi with boldness, care and determination. His cuisine is the near-perfect reflection of a purist and refined philosophy. Less is more, the focus is on a few ingredients: everything fresh, seasonal and local, like a beautiful harmony of flavors. The dish is a taste of sophisticated simplicity, the fruit of friendliness, humility and respect for nature and the craft.