a fabulous lunch at Chateau Eza

glass of rosé at Chateau Eza (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Eze is a charming hillside village perched high above the Mediterranean Sea with a direct view of Cap Ferrat (whose Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel, has been our home these past four evenings). It is incredibly cute with shops stressing higher end jewelry and art over the usual tourist schlock. Definitely worth the drive up the winding roads, and parking is easy enough in October (though I can't imagine how the summer crowds could ever be accommodated). Top sights in Eze are the ruins of the chateau at the very top of the village (with commanding panoramic view) as well as the village's church.

But the gourmet dining opportunities set Eze apart from your usual small French village.

La Chèvre d'Or is a very famous restaurant which has been awarded two Michelin stars. One of four dining establishments at this five-star Virtuoso hotel, you can enjoy everything from pizza to the highest echelon of French cuisine. If you want to dine here, I encourage you to make your reservations online. If you want to stay in one of their 40 rooms and suites (scattered throughout the village), book through your Virtuoso travel advisor. I urge you to use your travel advisor not only for the complimentary Virtuoso amenities which include continental breakfast daily and (new for 2017 bookings) a two-hour wine discovery tour that includes tastings of six wines... but also for assistance in securing the best room for your needs and budget. Every room is unique, and we work with the hotel to get you the best combination of view, size, and room features that work with your budget.

Chateau Eza is the smaller five-star Virtuoso hotel in Eze which has also won Michelin recognition. A smaller hotel with just 14 rooms and suites, all of which are in much closer proximity to the hotel's reception and lobby. We enjoyed an incroyable lunch as guests of the hotel which started with a glass of the most fabulous rosé (pictured above). We could have had the rest of the bottle, had we wanted, but I was driving; note what I wrote earlier about the winding roads! The food was simply amazing. We did not order an appetizer, only ordered a main course ... so good and so much food we could not finish it. My sea bass was perfectly prepared — moist and full of flavor — and spectacularly presented, and Claire's magret du canard was likewise flavorful and presented with an assortment of fruits and vegetables that we will want to try to reproduce back at home (including pureed quince that was a revelation). When you book Chateau Eza through your Virtuoso travel advisor, you receive complimentary breakfasts and one complimentary menu du Chateau for two guests.

I recommend staying in Eze for two nights. This will allow you to spend one entire day in this hillside village. You'll have a chance to explore the village before the tourists come and after they leave, to pamper yourself in the spa, or relax by (or in) a pool with the most incredible view anywhere on earth.

copyright  (c)  2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.