L'Arbousier, Pau

L'Arbousier is a bistro in Pau's old town—the historic city in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département that was the birthplace of Henry IV and the gateway to the Pyrenean mountains and their distinctive Béarnais culinary culture. The restaurant serves as an ambassador for the cooking of Béarn: the sub-region of Nouvelle Aquitaine between the Basque Country to the west and Gascony to the north, whose food culture is grounded in the great mountain staples—garbure, confit, and above all the Béarnaise sauce that takes its name from this city. At L'Arbousier the béarnaise is prepared from scratch—a reduction of white wine, tarragon, and shallots emulsified into egg yolks with clarified butter—and served with Limousin beef or local lamb grilled over charcoal. The garbure béarnaise—the thick, fatty soup of cabbage, preserved duck, haricot beans, and root vegetables that has sustained Béarnais farmers and shepherds for centuries—is served in a deep terracotta pot with a separate ramekin of duck confit to add to the bowl. The wine list celebrates the Pyrenean foothills appellations of Jurançon (white) and Madiran (red), both produced within forty kilometres of Pau. Jurançon, the wine that was placed on the lips of the infant Henry IV, is particularly well represented and the sommelier can guide visitors through the dry and sweet expressions. The dining room is warm and welcoming, a comfortable neighbourhood setting for cooking that is more substantial than sophisticated.