Restaurant La Balette

Some restaurants seduce you before the first bite. Here, it’s the terrace—perched over Collioure Bay, offering a view so stunning you’d almost forgive a middling meal. Luckily, there’s no need: the kitchen delivers a dining experience that matches the scenery, course after course. From the start, the service strikes the right note. The staff isn’t just polite; they’re attentive, professional, and genuinely invested in making sure your meal feels tailored. Before the first dish even arrives, they ask about allergies or ingredients you’d rather avoid, then adjust the menu accordingly. It’s a thoughtful gesture that sets the tone for what follows. The shorter tasting menu—our choice—turned out to be anything but skimpy. What arrived was a parade of small plates, each more charming than the last. The miniature vegetables were a delight, particularly a tiny eggplant that packed more flavor than seemed possible. The fideuà with scarlet carabineros was a standout, rich and briny, a dish that lingered long after the plate was cleared. Not everything soared. A white fish paired with a zucchini blossom stuffed with potato looked lovely but fell flat on the palate, its flavors muted where the rest of the meal sang. Still, such missteps were rare. Dessert more than redeemed things—a clever tomato creation that played with sweetness and acidity in a way that felt surprising and deeply satisfying. The petits fours with coffee sealed the meal with a final indulgent flourish. Romantic, relaxing, and above all delicious, this is the kind of place that turns a meal into an experience—and one you’ll want to recommend before you’ve even left the terrace.

Such a special visit to La Ballette! We planned our visit to France around our reservation in light of the Michelin star. Far surpassed our expectations, our server was so kind to explain dishes in English and the hospitality was unmatched. We ate from the curiosity menu + drink pairings. The afternoon was a drink of abundance. Can’t wait until we can come back!!

Highly recommended. Such a beautiful place, it's not only about the view. The cuisine of chef Laurent Lemal is very well thought. Local products worked in the most creative and beautiful way. The deserts made by Julie are also waow. The Sommelier team is well trained and very friendly. Service staff is also on top of everything. Amazing experience ✨. Worth the price.

An interesting fact about this place is that the later you make a reservation, the worse the table you'll get. When you arrive at the restaurant, you'll be greeted by an irritable Frenchwoman from the hotel's reception desk, who will yell at you that taxis are not allowed to stop here. This is a very bad first impression. The girl who greets you at the entrance to the restaurant won't say "hello, welcome," but will instead say "name, reservation" in a very rude manner, without even smiling. The service was terrible, and I had to ask the waiter to pour me champagne every time, because the waiter was never in the dining room. The food was average, and the 5/7 dishes had strange combinations of flavors, and the concept was lost. We spent 3 hours there, and the place had no personality other than a schoolroom with terrible lighting, and I almost fell asleep. I didn’t see there anyone smiling. The Michelin star was only for the location.

Bravo to the team! If you're unsure whether to visit, cast aside the doubts and go ahead and book. They will look after you and you will love it. It is guaranteed! Food and service is lovely. We had the lunch which was kind of 7 courses but with lots of added extra bits which made it feel really worth the money. See photos for a sneak peek 🙌😉

Phenomenal dining experience at La Balette. The team of Lucca, Vincent, Simon and Yanis were exceptional. The five courses from beginning to end were just exceptional.

Flavours and view were wonderful although the service let us down and didnt quite match a top restaurant level in some cases. Dishes were well excuted although we found a pièce of shell in one dish. By attending it to the staff the reaction was almost like; shit happens, without much effort of an honest excuse. My wife wo is pregnant asked if there was a non alcoholic drink option to match some dishes. After 20 min we asked again and the only response was; the sommelier said no there isnt. 20 min later the sommelier came to ask if she was interested to have a japanese typ of thee which was good. My espresso along the dessert was forgotten and as we had just finished it another waitress came to tell us we could pay at the desk as they would close soon(there were still 4 tables present). We mentioned about the espresso which was swiftly brought and they told us it was on the house although it was already included in the menu price.. even at mentioning some of the flaws while paying at the desk it was kinda dismissed as being irrelevant. All in all, great food, awesome flavors, stunning view. Improvements on the service seem a necisity or we just had bad luck

Overall a pleasant experience. But compared to other Michelin starred restaurants I’ve been to the food was unfortunately not as well executed. Flavors was not very well balanced throughout. Great wine and really good service. Enjoyed the evening though I expected more from the food.

Probably the finest lunch I've ever had, from the food (both in taste and visual presentation), to the service, topped off with a view of the castle and the sea. Just wonderful.