Une Table Corse – authentic eating in Corsica

Une Table Corse – authentic eating in Corsica

Une Table Corse is a restaurant perhaps like no other. In an ancient and isolated farmhouse, Pauline Julliard, its owner, provides one of the island’s most fabled dining experiences. You’ll eat authentic Corsican cuisine in small converted dining rooms. Pauline learned all the recipes from her mother and grandmother. She is now passing them on to her granddaughter.

Making a Visit

The farmhouse, La Ferme de Campo di Monti, dates before 1600. It appears to have grown organically out of the slate bedrock. At nearly 1,900 feet, the views here are spectacular in every direction, but this altitude means that even summer nights can turn chilly.

Getting there forms the first part of the adventure. The farmhouse lies in the high Maquis, surrounded by oak and chestnut forests. While it’s only 18 miles from Bastia, that will take at least an hour to drive. That’s indicative of the tortuously steep single-track route. You’ll need to navigate many hairpin bends and precipitous drops. Probably easier in daylight; on a night illuminated only by stars and with few signs, it presented something of a challenge. Your arrival is marked where the asphalt peters out into a track.

My visit was in pitch darkness. Winter storms had partially washed away the road through this wild land. Hence, hiring a 4×4 and staying overnight may be wise. Don’t let any of that put you off, as a rare treat lies in wait. If anything, it just heightens the anticipation.

Pauline’s son Eric welcomes us with a glass of local Muscat; he serves the food with gusto and makes a congenial host. Meanwhile, a log fire blazes merrily in the grate. The rooms have thick stone walls, massive oak beams and a slate floor. At stout wooden tables sit couples and bigger parties. The ingredients come from the farm or nearby. There is no menu. Instead, you’ll get what’s on that night. Nevertheless, this is a feast, and the copious amounts that arrive seem almost limitless. Each course is a meal unto itself, so you’ll need to pace yourself, or you will come to a standstill.

 

To Start

To start us off, we were given a Corsican mountain soup, a zuppa corsa, served from a vast tureen. The ingredients include ham bone (Schincu), seasonal veg and herbs, and various beans thickened with pasta. It’s akin to a minestrone, rib-sticking and delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Course

Next up are platefuls of local charcuterie and beignets de fromage frais. Corsican charcuterie is some of the world’s best. The pigs are wild, interbreed with wild boar and graze on chestnuts. The beignets are chestnut-flour fritters combining choux pastry and goat’s cheese, incredibly light and amazingly moreish.

All this was washed down with bottles of local red Nielluciu. It’s the form of Sangiovese grown on the island. Young, full-bodied and tannic, you wouldn’t want anything else.

 

 

 

 

 

Mains

So much for the entrées, now for the spectacular main event. Lamb gratinée with platefuls of grilled young lamb made a mouthwatering sight. Pour some more red wine!

Our Just Desserts

After a short break, it was time for cheese, as is the French way. Corsican cheeses are either sheep’s or goat’s milk and tend to be powerful. These were aged Brocciu, Niulincu and Balaninu. The latter two were almost radioactive, making Epoisses seem bland by comparison. Was it a test? Eric enjoyed our reactions to these cheeses, but I relished them with fig and green tomato jams.

Finally, there were two desserts. First came Fiadone, a form of cheesecake made with Brocciu, eggs, sugar and lemons. We were encouraged to pour Grappa over it, and naturally, I did so without hesitation.

The star, though, was more beignets, larger and fluffier than those at the meal’s start. These were then broken open to enable a piquant Clémentine confit to soak into the middle. Quite the best doughnuts I’ve ever had!

With the food finally concluded, Pauline appeared from the kitchen armed with coffee and Marc and Grappa to linger over. She received a round of applause from everyone present before it was time to bid a reluctant farewell.

And Finally

Une Table Corse is about real slow food and conviviality. The authentic home style reflects a mixture of French and Italian influences that is wholly and uniquely Corsican. While Corsica has many charms, it’s worth going there for this alone.

It’s also the perfect antidote to the likes of Michelin. With a few notable exceptions, they seem only to reward expensively pretentious food served ingratiatingly in hushed dining rooms. If only there were more establishments like La Ferme de Campo di Monte. It’s exceptional and in a very human way.

As a memento, there is also a Recipe Book called Une Table Corse. If you buy it at Une Table Corse, Pauline will sign it.

So, eating at this rustic idyll is a must, and it’s best to do some planning first. If you’re visiting northern Corsica, book long before you arrive, as there are perhaps only 25 covers. Hire a 4×4 and take cash. A fixed price of €55 is for everything. Cards don’t work for the simple reason that there’s no telephone signal, let alone broadband. How refreshing that is.

Location

Une Table Corse
La Ferme de Campo di Monte
lieu-dit Perdu
Campo di Monte
20239 Murato
Corsica
France

What3words Location

 

Do you like the idea of visiting Corsica? If so, take a look at my piece on Corsican Extra-Virgin Olive Oil here and the wines of Domaine Orenga de Gaffory here.