In the shades of the large, hundred year old lime tree, the restaurant "Le Tilleul" welcomes you on its big and beautiful, sunny terrace. Chef Stéphane Marie prepares a cuisine made with seasonal produce, blending regional products with exotic ingredients, accompanied by your choice from the restaurant owner's personally selected wine list. 
Saint-Paul or Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. One of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, it is well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries such as Fondation Maeght which is located nearby. After entering the city's wall, Le Tilleul welcomes you on the right. Searching for a place to eat, Trip Advisor lead us to this restaurant, ranked 7th on their website. We enjoyed a very pleasant evening, in a nice atmosphere, a beautiful setup with a welcoming staff. 
The place described:
- Three inner rooms constitute this restaurant
- A balcony and a large terrace on the other side of the road covered with trees
- Expect to be surrounded with tourists from all sides
- A perfectly lit place with a white ambiance
- Beautiful pending lights and chandeliers
- Old medieval tiles cover the space
- Candles, in the middle of the tables added a touch of warmth
- White table cloths cover the dining areas
- Green soufflé water glasses
- I liked the idea of wine buckets fixed to the tables taking less space of the alleys
We Ordered:
- Risotto with Parmesan, roasted gambas with piments d'espelette, onion juice: The Risotto is just succulent. Simple, ardent and beautifully presented, this plate has a lot to say. A crunchy fresh giant shrimp decorates the plate, making the preparation look like a fine dining plate
- Plate of cheese of the moment: Simple, this plate contained four kinds of cheese from the region surrounding a green salad. Even though the presentation looks good, the taste added by the balsamic vinegar spoils the real taste of each of the fine French cheeses. No sauce is needed
- Sashimi of tuna flavored with ginger, coriander and crisp vegetables: Wow! Two thumbs up for the chef. What a plate! What a fine creation it is! Thick slices of raw tuna slightly flavored with ginger without the presence of crunchy pink pickles and decorated with fine vegetables, sliced in a way not to cover the main taste of the preparation. I adored the soya added on top and the ginger cream served next to the salad.
- Barbecue of duck breast with sate spices and crunchy vegetables: So good! Bravo Tasty, soft, hot and full of aromas, the side vegetables are a superb idea
- Salade gourmande: Lobster, foie gras and vegetables of the season. Just look at the pictures. It says it all. Little cubes blended all together and where flavors from around the world activate all your senses. I enjoyed this plate so much.
- Crusty of chocolate/pralin, chocolate's silver, custard: A good dessert it is, for amateurs. Too sweet and too milky for my taste, this creation is appreciated by many, especially for its different consistency. Cereals should be crunchier.
What I enjoyed:
- Carte de diner and carte de dejeuner. Two distinct choices for lunch and dinner
- Dinner started with complementary amuse bouche: glassé de tomates: basilic. A nice presentation of a green layer covering a red one. Gaspacio de tomatoes
- The food is so delicious and the plates presentation's beautiful
A needed fix:
- Service is slow... A bit too slow
- A solution has to be found for the many thousand mosquitoes sharing our dinner
Tonight's dinner, which I really enjoyed ended with complementary biscuits and marshmallows covered in sugar powder with rose water flavor. Le Tilleul is a restaurant I'll definitely come back to again to taste more of their unique menu. Keep it up!
