We recently dined at Les Agitateurs, a very understated lovely wee eatery sitting on a corner in the Port of Nice. Having been to a few Michelin star restaurants over the years, I always try to find one that is on the more casual side. The food scene around the world (NZ included), has moved on from fine dining, and there are many more casual eateries offering equally good food and excellent service. Some of the Michelin restaurants I have been to have been very high-end, very fine dining; the food is always outstanding but the service for me is a little intense and it doesn't feel like you can have a relaxing dining experience.
I am not a chef, but I do appreciate the creativity, time, and effort that it takes to make great food. Sometimes, I find dishes so technical that I don't feel I give full credit as I don't know what goes on behind the scenes, and I am sure all of us non-chefs think the same.
This was not the case for Les Agitateurs
The first impressions are simple and elegant, with light earthy tones focused on the small touches, such as the lovely table settings, knife sitting on a piece of coral, and a unique cutlery stack in the middle for the X amount of courses you choose. The team presented the menu in a brown envelope that you unraveled presenting your menu choices for the day, two options - eight course or ten-course options including the option of wine matching with 3 or 5 wines. We opted for the 8-course with the 3-wine matched experience, which didn't disappoint.
You know you have been somewhere excellent when you have eight courses and don't feel violated from overeating. The portions were a good size, which enabled us to enjoy all the flavors; each course had its own little journey, delivered in perfect sequence with no waiting.
I will not run through every dish; I will put together a special blog of everything we ate once we have completed our trip.
Our culinary journey started with the softest ham and cheese brioche bun that melted in your mouth, served warm with a very thin melting pecorino.
We were then served four small canapes consisting of:
- Cucumber, tomato, tuna, and coriander tartlet served on an upside-down side bowl (a simple way to mix up your plating)
- Lavender and goats cheese filo parcels. I've never eaten lavender, didn't know you could, but it was a great pair with goat's cheese. These were served in a wood stump on a bed of olive leaves.
- Mini prawn cocktail with infused oil, avocado cream, and watermelon
- Small squid skewer, cooked on their in-house bbq grill with a wakame salt
The larger plates consisted of:
- Sous Vide grouper (I never thought of Sous vide fish!) But this was the best fish I have ever eaten.
- Smoked eggplant stuffed with pork mince, served with a foam of tom yum dressing
- Crab stick - well, that's not what it's called in French, but it was the most delectable skewer I've ever had. I think it was a mix of prawn, crab, and crayfish tempered.
- Calamari with ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta with a squid ink sauce.
To finish:
- Soft meringue, with mint, lime, and a sugar shard that we smashed, it tasted like a mojito, great theatre with this dish.
- Mini chocolate eggs with almonds served on a rock.
- Passionfruits filled with avocado and banana.
- Coffee and chocolate tiramisu served in mini sauce dishes.
As we finished the last of our perfect wine match we were presented with small shots of house-infused liquor, similar to limoncello.
After this fantastic experience, it got me thinking about the importance of your business brand and following through with the experience customers have. A clear understanding of your business's vision and style is so important and often overlooked. So some questions pop up….
Do you put yourself in your customer's shoes? Have you taken a look at the experience from their perspective?
Is your menu innovative, giving you an advantage over competitors?
Do you do anything extra to surprise and delight your customers?
Does your brand flow through every aspect of your business? Do they interlink, giving certainty, so you know what your customer and the team expect?
- Online
- Branding Design
- Employee onboarding
- Bar / Restaurant design
- Vision Mission
A Michelin experience is unique, and you are probably thinking, well, we are not like that, so this is not relevant, but it is. If you focus on the small things within your business, the small things that add to your customer experience, your customers will see the care that is delivered and appreciates it 10-fold. It doesn't matter if you are a pub, a cafe, or a restaurant. Furthermore, there is so much that you can do with minimal to no cost within your business.
I hope this provides you with inspiration to make your business that little bit better and give people a great experience, as that's what hospitality is all about.
Let's chat about how we can improve your customer experience, increasing your profit and credibility in your market.
RICHIE WALSHE
THE GROWTH COACH - HELPING DRIVEN AND PASSIONATE PEOPLE RUN BETTER BUSINESSES AND LEAD BETTER LIVES
www.thegrowthcoach.co.nz
