Restaurant one of top 5 Mediterranean eateries Food magazine praises restaurant popular with 007 film star
ONE of Sir Roger Moore’s favourite French eateries has been rated as one of the top five Mediterranean restaurants in the UK by a prestigious foodie magazine.
Olive magazine has given the accolade to Paysanne in Deganwy, which was opened in 1988 by Bob and Barbara Ross, whose son Cai now runs the business.
His parents now live in the sunny climes of the Languedoc and act as the restaurant’s research team, tweeting Cai pictures of food and inveigling recipes out of French chefs.
Olive magazine said in its glowing editorial: “Paysanne sticks to a trusty formula of sharp service, interesting wines and classic French peasant cooking, using prime British ingredients.
“The menu features several Mediterranean classics such as a bouillabaisse-style fish soup and hake on roasted tomatoes and pistou, while among Paysanne’s wines, Cai loves the Domaine la Colombette’s unusually southerly pinot noir.”
The magazine reserved special praise for the “sensational Welsh lobster, sea bass and turbot from Mermaid Seafoods, Llandudno”.
The publication’s must order dish was baked goat’s cheese wrapped in smoked salmon with a plum and raspberry dressing.
Cai said: “This is a huge thrill for me because I’ve been reading Olive magazine for so long.
“I’ve been a big fan of the journalist who interviewed me too (Tony Naylor from Restaurant magazine and The Guardian) so that was a nice bonus.
“I think they liked the fact that we’re not a French-themed restaurant, with ‘bonjour’ and ‘bon appetit’ written on the walls and piped accordion music – though I’ve been calling people monsieur and madame now for so long I’m no longer able to stop.
“We’ve just always tried to make it feel like the kind of places we’ve found and loved in France, and shared their ethos of good, locally sourced food and attentive service.”
In 2013 James Bond fan Cai was shaken but not stirred when 007 actor Sir Roger Moore walked into his eaterie.
Sir Roger and his wife dined on locally caught plaice and Conwy mussels, and spent a lot of time talking to chef David Hughes about how much they had enjoyed their meal.
In the past the restaurant has also welcomed former Bond girl Gemma Arterton and Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen.