Costa Rica: eden garden
Travel Route du bonheur François Simon

Costa Rica: eden garden

In Costa Rica, nature is the one who holds all the cards. Let’s be clear: you’re in the minority here. The forest is here. Standing in its duality of fascination/repulsion. Listen carefully and open your eyes wide; you won’t be disappointed.

Ana Villalobos, | nature precisely
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

Ana Villalobos, nature precisely

In Costa Rica, nature is the one with the power. We protect it. Nature can thus be seen in the 26 national parks, 9 ecological reserves, 30 national wildlife reserves, 20 forest reserves...and in the release of 400 animals following the closing of zoos. Meeting with the guide Ana Villalobos.

Nicolas di Paolo, |Costa Rica's new cuisine
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

Nicolas di Paolo,
Costa Rica's new cuisine

After a successful international career, chef Nicolas di Paolo officiates in the kitchen of Nayara Springs. To him, Costa Rican cuisine can evolve in a healthy way with all the values of modern cuisine: fair, local, responsible, without the weight of tradition and practices.

Costa Rica : in search|of a green enigma
Travel Route du bonheur François Simon

Costa Rica : in search
of a green enigma

Here is a destination where the adventure begins with a running start. Beaches, tropical forests, and the wave of azure of Latin America’s “Switzerland” quickly reveal themselves. It is here that Nayara Springs is located, a unique address combining papaya, excellence and reconciliation with nature.

Mixology lesson | in Nayara Springs
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

Mixology lesson in Nayara Springs

Mixology is the art of knowing how to make cocktails. Carla Elizonda, bartender in Nayara Springs, tells us all about the art of choosing them well.

Ten delicious lessons |from the Napa Valley
Travel Route du bonheur François Simon

Ten delicious lessons
from the Napa Valley

Sometimes the joy of a beautiful evening is simply the culmination of a subtle harmony of elements: a cuisine, a decor, a landscape or even a vineyard. It is when everything comes together through this delicate turn of magic that rare moments are created.

Olivier Bellin,|homage to Brittany
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

Olivier Bellin,
homage to Brittany

He is a chef who cares deeply for his roots and the traditions of his native Brittany. In the small village of Plomodiern, tranquility reigns despite the wild surrounds. Olivier Bellin, at the helm of L’Auberge des Glazicks, serves authentic Breton cuisine brimming with emotion and creativity.

Californian cuisine|by David Kinch
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

Californian cuisine
by David Kinch

Does Californian cuisine exist? To answer it, let's head for the restaurant Manresa in Los Gatos where David Kinch lives. A great personality and character with the face chiseled by curiosity, mischief and passion.

César, the future of Troisgros
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

César,
the future of Troisgros

It’s undoubtedly one of the most enticing risks ever taken by such a legendary restaurant. Leaving Roanne and its station to relaunch with a new generation at the helm deep in the countryside and with so many new ideas...

"My Cooking Comes from the Heart"
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

"My Cooking Comes from the Heart"

It is a new era, with the old world meeting the new. Jean Sulpice has come down from his mountain (Val Thorens) to take over a mythic institution: the Auberge du Père Bise in Talloires. His first words on the shores of the lake...

"I never know if a client is really happy"
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

"I never know if a client is really happy"

When the chef of the restaurant Aoyagi, in Tokyo, express himself about his cooking, he is filled with beautiful certainties but also magnificent doubts.

"My risk is simplicity"
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

"My risk is simplicity"

At the restaurant Lucas Carton, young chef Julien Dumas has managed to create his own path between the historical weight of an institution and the excitement of creation...

"What is my most misunderstood dish? Ah..."
Cuisine Vite dit, bien dit François Simon

"What is my most misunderstood dish? Ah..."

The two-star chef of the restaurant Il Pagliaccio, in Rome, has a serene take on his craft. But behind it, burns a fire of true passion.

Graceful Touch|from Emmanuel Renaut
Cuisine Graceful touch François Simon

Graceful Touch
from Emmanuel Renaut

Emmanuel Renaut uses condiments and colored touches of his dishes as a punctuation. It can result in some suspension, interjection and sometimes interrogation. It is doubtless exactly there that he formulates.

Graceful touch from Patagonia
Cuisine Graceful touch François Simon

Graceful touch from Patagonia

A welcome maté is all you need to give your journey meaning and a sense of humanity. Here we are in Eolo, in Patagonia, Argentina.

Graceful Touch|from a Japanese Ryokan
Cuisine Graceful touch François Simon

Graceful Touch
from a Japanese Ryokan

At Gôra Kadan, the time when the maid greets a guest is an exquisite experience: the execution of the gesture, the religion of politeness...

The Sound of silence|at La Bamba de Areco
Travel Obsession by François Simon

The Sound of silence
at La Bamba de Areco

Under the trees of this Argentinian ranch, the silence is inhabited by the timeless song of the birds.

Graceful touch from Buenos Aires
Cuisine Graceful touch François Simon

Graceful touch from Buenos Aires

Camilla Gobbi, front desk agent, gives us a warm welcome in front of the Algodon Mansion. Bienvenidos to Buenos Aires!

The Sound of Silence|at Eolo –Patagonia’s Spirit
Travel Obsession by François Simon

The Sound of Silence
at Eolo –Patagonia’s Spirit

At the end of the world, only the wind sweeps this vast place: the spirit of Patagonia breathes over the Argentinian Pampas and fills the souls of travelers.

Something out of a movie
Cuisine Be my guest François Simon

Something out of a movie

New York has so many flashy restaurants to draw in the crowds, but luckily there is still a place where you can take as much time as you want and stretch out.

Breathtakingly simple
Cuisine Be my guest François Simon

Breathtakingly simple

Luxury is the kind of club whose members tend to look too much alike. Sometimes we want a new tune, a new chord. If you're looking for a form of countryside exoticism, look no further.

Cruel gastronomy
Cuisine Be my guest François Simon

Cruel gastronomy

Sometimes fine gastronomy can go overboard. It can even scare us away from reaching nirvana, freezing us with admiration. That is probably why other eateries are finding their own way, by clearing out this very brush.

Graceful Touch|from chef Ronan Kervarrec
Cuisine Graceful touch François Simon

Graceful Touch from chef Ronan Kervarrec

Meet chef Ronan Kervarrec in the kitchen, with his unusual choice of cooking utensil, which enables him to meticulously combine food with beauty by adding the perfect finishing touches, punctuating the plate with the most exquisite elements.

Cocktail hour with Darry Chan
Cuisine Ask the sommelier François Simon

Cocktail hour with Darry Chan

Famous French journalist François Simon interviews the imaginative and highly knowledgeable Darryl Chan, the mixologist of The Surrey in New York’s Bar Pleiades.