John Argaud returns to the French Basque Country as executive chef of the Lore Ttipia restaurant after his time in the kitchen of the famous Le Meurice by Alain Ducasse in Paris
John Argaud returns to the French Basque Country as executive chef of the Lore Ttipia restaurant after his time in the kitchen of the famous Le Meurice by Alain Ducasse in Paris
After passing through the kitchens of Château de Brindos in Biarritz and the famous Le Meurice by Alain Ducasse in Paris, John Argaud has returned to the French Basque Country as the executive chef at Lore Ttipia, the restaurant of the five-star Aubergue Ostape Hotel. Located in an unparalleled natural setting on a private estate with 45 hectares of land, this restaurant is nestled inside a farmhouse erected in 1665 – a building which keeps the character and charm of the period intact. John and his team wanted to pay tribute to the land and sea cuisine of the different Basque regions by designing a seasonal menu that has put Bidarray on the gourmet map.
Among John’s creations one can find: brown crab from the Basque coast spiced with crispy shiso, mucilage, carrot, and calendula; wild-caught hake from Saint Jean de Luz with potato and seaweed puff pastry, seasoned with salicornia and accompanied by a traditional pil-pil sauce; and Mont-Royal pigeon with sherry sauce, turnips, and peanuts.
The desserts, imagined by young pastry chef Damien Albert, include 15-year-old armagnac soufflé with praline and hazelnut ice cream; a nest of strawberries with ice cream and lemon balm pesto; and a meringue with smoked mamia (a traditional Basque dessert made with sheep’s milk and rennet), honey, and refreshing hints of lemon thyme.
The origin of the ingredients that Lore Ttipia’s culinary delights use is described in rigorous detail on the menu, highlighting the work of local producers: the aromatic herbs are grown by Lucille from L’Autre Campagne, the asparagus and peanuts are from the Darrigade Farm in Soustons, the organic meat comes from the Axuria Cooperative in Chéraute, the wheat flour is from the Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle Mill, and the olive oil is from La Maja in Mendavia. The extensive list also includes products from the Ostape Estate like honey (they have their own hives) and water (there is a natural spring on the property).
Lore Ttipia’s wine cellar, visible from the restaurant’s main dining room, houses more than 400 labels carefully selected by sommeliers Elisa Combrouze and Denis Verneau (Sommelier Meilleur Ouvrier de France), highlighting the wines of Irouléguy and La Rioja. Their signature cocktails also deserve special mention, such as L’Ostape (champagne, raspberry liqueur, raspberry coulis), Chahatoa (champagne, Cointreau, red martini), and Lore Ttipia (vodka, honey, apple juice made with local apples, rosemary, and ginger).
After thoroughly enjoying the creations of the chef and his team, we recommend taking a walk around Ostape to enjoy the pureness of the surroundings –cars have restricted access and one can only move around the property in golf carts or by walking– or, why not, stay in one of the hotel’s wonderful suites.
Lore Ttipia
Domaine de Chahatoa, Bidarray.
Tel.: +33 559 379 191
