No guide to memorable small hotels in France should be without the
Deux Frères. This is Dutchman Willem Bonestroo's restaurant-with-rooms,
converted from an old school house in a hill village near Menton.
Distracted by the spectacular views over the coast, the pupils here must
have struggled to get good grades.
The Vieux Village is full of character, a maze of picturesque narrow
alleyways in a privileged setting that has always attracted fashionable
Riviera society. Austria's Empress Sissi set the trend; Yeats and Le
Corbusier both died here; and Churchill often came to paint the coast
from this panoramic viewpoint.
The restaurant is cosy inside with fresh flowers and high beamed ceilings. Dining al fresco on the terrace, you find that stresses and strains evaporate when you have such a mesmerising view. The food is good,
especially the fish. Chef Samuel Forêt has a splendid 3 course lunch for
under £30, including wine. As for the quirky rooms, they are small and
some some are a bit tired - choose the best available.
Certainly noise can be a problem in season, both in the square and
within the hotel. So come at a quieter time of year, book ahead with the
affable, multi-lingual owner and remember how much more you would be
paying at the nearby Vista Palace. It's worth juggling your dates to
ensure you get one of the three rooms with sea view. On a moonlit night, it would
be difficult to find a more romantic hotel with an equally inspiring
location at such ultra-competitive rates.