With the weather turning warmer, the prospect of day trips and nice drives becomes more alluring and one could do a lot worse than choosing to visit Aigues –Mortes. Just over the departmental line in Gard, its a charming walled village nestled between the Camargue and the sea. It’s full of galleries, shops that run the gamut from kitsch to smart, cafes and restaurants. And without a doubt, one of the better eating places is the Arcades. Open for lunch and dinner one can dine outdoors under the arcades or in the stone walled dining room., There are 3 menus: a strictly luncheon one for 22€, one for 32€ and one for 42€ and a la carte. The menus are, on the whole, regional and while not cutting edge, are done with skill. Then there are those little surprises that show up – we had a wonderfully smooth ‘ amuse’ of cucumber soup and at the end of our meal the tray with our coffee was filled with chocolate mousse, Turkish delight, petit cakes and wonderful jellied physalis. My main dish (a specialty of the Camargue) of grilled steak of bull in red wine sauce and juniper berries was delicious. My partner opted for a light lunch of a green salad followed up with lobster. A salad is one of those things, like an omelette that everyone does but not everyone does it well. This one was excellent - four different types of lettuce and a lovely balanced dressing which is simplicity itself was greater than the sum of its parts. I literally devoured my dessert of thick luscious whipped cream over marron glace (chestnut puree) and set in a homemade tulip pastry shell of infinite finesse. There’s a fine selection of wines, not just from the region but from other areas in France as well. There is also a relatively big choice of 9 wines by the glass, which is unusual. The service was efficient and timing of our courses was leisurely without it becoming lax. In short, this is restaurant a cut or two above the average that presents its regional cooking with excellence and style.

The Mas is located 2km from Stes Maries de la Mer on the D38 in what the publicity calls an Etang but turns out to be a swamp – mainly dying brown water-weed infested with mosquitos. No flamingos: but numerous swallows nesting under the room and three small coots. We booked late so had to take a Chambre Luxe rather than a standard room. High season rates per night run from €210 to €800+ for a suite. Our Luxe was €340 including breakfast. The entrance drive to the hotel is heavily rutted and demands careful driving. The Mas itself is laid out like an up-market Motel and most of the rooms are outside. When it rains you get wet going to breakfast. Because of its Motel style let’s compare it to a chain in France we use frequently – Campanile. The Luxe room at M de la F is about 30% larger than Campanile and the bathroom is much better, having a separate toilet. The bath is immense but you need to start running it the night before to get much water. The Luxe room offers accommodation for 3 but they would all need to sleep in one bed – it’s a 2metre-wide bed but no room for any addition in the room! A mosquito barrier slides across the glass door to the Etang but there are huge gaps so the mossies have a field-day. Numerous bites ext morning. There’s no provision for the morning cup of coffee as there is at Campanile: the bathroom has shoe cleaner but no soap or bubble-bath. Television in the room is the usual French mix of European channels including BBC World which, surprisingly, has adverts. Breakfast at the Mas isn’t as comprehensive as Campanile and the coffee was “English” – yes, that bad! Lunch is offered as an a la carte at varying prices plus a “panier de tapas” at €35 each for minimum two people. Dinner is €60 for choice of three entrees, main plat (not specified) plus cheese and dessert. We were denied the chance to sample dinner as the wearing of shorts in the dining room is verboten! And this at the height of the mid-summer heat! So what does our comparison with Campanile tell us? A double room with breakfast at Campanile will be €70-75. Taking into account the “superiority” of the Mas de la Fouques Luxe room a fair price would be €125. We paid €342 including tax.

This place is a real find, although actually finding it the first time is not easy. It used to be just outside Aigues-Mortes, but has now moved to near Le Grau du Roi. So call beforehand to make sure they're still there! A very bohemian atmosphere and terrific food. The razor shells for a starter are awesome. The whole place is taken down in the winter (you'll see why). open from early April to late October.

Finding decent restaurants in Bouziques can be tricky - the tourist trade has ensured that most of the town's establishments offer fried rubbish at high prices. But Café de Bouziques is a glorious exception. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated - 'eclectic chic' - with lots of bright colours, funky lights and paintings mixed with some tasteful antiques. The staff are very friendly - and I suspect mostly gay. We sat in the back courtyard, under the dappled shade of acacia trees, with subtle jazz music playing. The food was very good. I ordered scallops - which were perfectly cooked. The 'taureau' (a traditional favourite in the Camargue) was excellent. Roast chicken with potatoes Dauphinois was very tasty (it was one of the cheaper options). Warm oysters with artichoke caviar was also very tasty. All in all - tasty, inventive cuisine without any of the formality that so often accompanies it. The desert of raspberries, chocolate fudge sauce, biscuits and mascapone was a true triumph.