The new face of Parisian culinary novelty
At his Montparnasse restaurant MoSuke, Mory Sacko creates dishes that might combine the umami of miso with sole cooked in a banana leaf with shichi-mi tōgarashi (a Japanese mix of seven spices), garnished with attiéké, a dish of fermented cassava pulp from Côte d’Ivoire. MoSuke is an amalgam of Sacko’s first name and that of a 16thcentury emancipated Mozambican slave who became a Japanese samurai, Yasuke. Sacko’s restaurant is an attempt to bring sociability into the mix, too. Sacko believes the Covid lockdowns – three of them – altered French gastronomy. Being deprived of restaurants reiterated their importance as part of a city’s soul, he says. Because nightlife has been toned down, much of it now happens in restaurants, so the atmosphere has become more casual, relaxed, fun. The stiff formality that once prevailed has taken a backseat.
Sacko, who grew up with African dishes and first saw upmarket Parisian restaurants on TV, got his break working as a sous-chef for Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental’s Sur Mesure. He opened MoSuke in 2020, and eight weeks later, in October, had to close when a six-month Lockdown was imposed. When he reopened in June 2021, MoSuke had a Michelin star.
BEGUILINGLY BEAUTIFUL: BRITTANY
A vast nub of land with some wild and rocky Atlanticbashed coastline, Brittany also shelters sandy coves and secluded beaches, and ancient fishing villages in peaceful bays and on offshore islets. Great beaches – from aristocratic Dinard to humbler tucked away strands – abound, and itʼs possible to find unspoilt rural coves, often at the end of some weather-beaten backroad.
Thereʼs much more to Brittany than beaches and buckwheat crêpes, though. With its historic ports and ancient maritime heritage, this western peninsula is a land of myth and legend. Called Armorica under the Romans, it became an independent kingdom and then a duchy before joining France in 1532, maintaining some inkling of independence, with closer connections to Britain than France. References to it as “Little Britain”, of course, set it apart in more than just spirit, and thereʼs a sustained independence movement. Itʼs a traditional homeland to one of six Celtic nations – the Breton people – who have maintained a distinct cultural identity; Breton (related to Gaelic) is proudly spoken and festivals celebrate Celtic culture through music, dance and the wearing of regional costumes.
Some of the longest surviving architectural creations on Earth are found here, among them the great cairn of Barnenez and Tumulus Saint-Michel (a megalithic mound located in Carnac in the Gulf of Morbihan), which are both about 7 000 years old.
In the Gulf of Morbihan, a 12 000ha sheltered inland sea, Vannes is one of several medieval citadels built to guard Brittanyʼs border with France. The walled townʼs cobbled lanes and 13th-century ramparts, timberframed houses and photogenic Saint-Pierre Cathedral make it a handsome base from which to cruise the gulf, hopping between its 40 mostly private islands.
A river port on the Loire, Nantes is Brittanyʼs medieval capital, where its dukes lived in a magnificent chateau thatʼs been restored as a history museum with a walkway atop its fortified ramparts. Once the epicentre of Franceʼs slave trade, Nantes has the worldʼs largest slavery memorial. Other revitalisations include the revamped île de Nantes, an island on the Loire, where a former industrial wastelandʼs warehouses have been repurposed as restaurants, bars, terraces, residences and offices. Thereʼs also Les Machines de lʼîle, a new playground of carousels and handmade mechanical creatures, such as its crowd-pleasing Grand Elephant.
The city is full of large-scale public artworks and can be explored by bike; plus itʼs hosting this yearʼs BMX World Championships, 26–31 July.
FRENCH ALPS: PEAKS & PANORAMAS
Names like Chamonix and Mont Blanc (at 4 810m Europeʼs highest peak) are so familiar, many of us barely bother to know precisely in which part of France these Alpine legends are situated. The French Alps possess quite staggering natural beauty and of course their confluence at the intersection with Italy and Switzerland adds a cosmopolitan allure.
Thereʼs the white powered stuff and the freshness of the air, the see-through lakes, the waterfalls, pine forests and tranquil valleys – all of which lure multitudes of skiers and snowboarders in winter, and in summer there are hikers, cyclists and climbers.
Chamonix, 15 minutes by car from the bottom of Mont Blanc, is pure Alpine tradition with panoramic mountain views and rows of slant-roofed buildings. Lakeside Annecy, an hour away, has its pastel-hued houses, cobbled streets and canal-straddling stone bridges, plus the requisite fairytale chateau. Thatʼs not to mention the regionʼs Belle Epoque spa towns with their thermal waters and upscale hotels.
For off-road cycling enthusiasts, the MTB World Championships is happening on 24–28 August in Les Gets. Itʼs an exquisite village that in winter draws plenty of intrepid skiers with its easy access to some 120km of technically varied slopes on pine forested alpine pastures.