Clos de la Violette  

Jean-Marc Banzo has instigated a small revolution in the Aix eating scene by dropping the bourgeois patina here in favor of a more contemporary decor. Pascal Consani has over 15 years of experience and has mastered the subtleties of the refined house cuisine. All is now in order in this discreet nook tucked away in the heights of the town with a superb garden and arbor. The cooking is straightforward and light: sole and fine endive cake with mussels; light cod brandad and gnocchis with cuttlefish ink; farm pidgeon pan fried with hazelnuts and mixture of old vegetables; roasted duck laquered with spices and black radish confit; quince and royal gala apple in a tarte and licorice sorbet.... Forthright taste and presentation and a wine cellar well stocked in Provençal vintages adds up to a rejuvenated Clos that is also better managed and priced attractively.