Äponem: A Talked-About Gastronomic Destination near Béziers

Thirty kilometres north of Béziers, in the heart of Hérault, the little hamlet of Vailhan (population 160) has suddenly become one of the most talked about gastronomic destinations in France. This is because of the remarkably laudatory word-of-mouth that young chef Amélie Darvas has been gaining ever since she left Paris and boldly took over this auberge next to a beautiful 17th-century church with her sommelière Gaby Benicio in July.

“We were in the region visiting winemakers, and we heard that this restaurant might be available, so we stopped by for lunch and were overwhelmed by the beauty of the setting,” says Darvas, who trained with Michelin three-star chef Éric Fréchon at Épicure in Paris before opening her first restaurant, Haï Kaï, near the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement.

“We already knew that we were ready to leave the city, but this all happened so quickly – it was sort of like a dream. And now that I live so close to nature and have a big vegetable garden, my cooking style has completely changed – it’s fresher and more spontaneous and intuitive,” adds Darvas, who recently won the 2019 Best Restaurant of the Year Award from Le Fooding, the cheeky food guide that has been an irreverent challenger to the gastronomic status quo represented by the Michelin Guide (but which is now 40 per cent owned by Michelin).