Love at first bite: A seat at the Maison Mastrorelli table
Through her cooking, Céline Mastrorelli — the radiant host behind Maison Mastrorelli — shares her love for the land, her deep respect for seasonality and local producers, and her passion for crafting a truly unforgettable culinary experience. Take a seat at the table!
Love at first bite: A seat at the Maison Mastrorelli table
“I’ve always loved to cook — but more than anything, I’ve always loved to eat!” Céline Mastrorelli says with a laugh. A true food lover at heart, she’s passionate about restaurants, vintage cookbooks, and the stories of great chefs. At Maison Mastrorelli, she’s found her calling, creating dishes that showcase fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. Her inspiration? The rich culinary heritage of the French-Italian Riviera.
Passionate about local traditions, Céline loves breathing new life into little-known Provençal recipes. “I’d much rather serve a forgotten sauce like Lou Saussoun — a kind of anchovy ajo blanco — than yet another hummus everyone already knows,” she says. For Céline, it’s all about shining a light on a culinary heritage that’s too often overlooked.
At Maison Mastrorelli, lunch is served between rosemary and lavender. © Coline Ciais-Soulhat
In the summer, figs take center stage. © Coline Ciais-Soulhat
In summer, Céline favors freshness with a crudo of dorade from the Bay of Cannes, paired with white nectarines and elevated by fig leaf oil from the garden and a touch of caviar lemon.
In fall, figs — her favorite fruit — take center stage in a delicate starter: paired with homemade ricotta smoked over olive wood, they’re served with yellow zucchini tagliatelle and a hazelnut crumble.
In winter, Céline finds comfort in slow-cooked dishes with deep, layered flavors. One of her signature creations is caramelized veal shank with orange and saffron, served alongside braised fennel and candied orange slices.
Finally, spring — the season of renewal — is celebrated with an aioli featuring artichokes, asparagus, and sweet peas, treasures joyfully rediscovered after the winter months.
Among the many memories etched in her mind, one stands out: the visit of chef Jacques Maximin to her table. “If someone had told me one day that I’d be cooking for a legend of gastronomy like him…” she recalls. The news of his visit, announced a month in advance, brought intense stress. She tried countless versions, searching for the perfect menu — until a friend simply advised her to stay true to herself and her cooking.
The result? A menu centered around kumquat, an ingredient dear to her since childhood. From appetizer to dessert: fennel and kumquat focaccia, asparagus with kumquat sauce, saffron and kumquat spelt risotto, and finally, a meringue paired with rosemary ice cream.
Céline, from the kitchen to the table. © Coline Ciais-Soulhat
For dessert, a delicious blueberry pavlova. © Coline Ciais-Soulhat
When hosting guests, Céline makes sure to personalize each meal. A pre-meal questionnaire helps her tailor the menus to individual tastes, allergies, and intolerances. She especially enjoys introducing travelers to local cuisine, often drawing inspiration from old culinary books. Among her discoveries, the “bouillabaisse borgne” — a version of the famous Provençal soup without fish — left a lasting impression on her. She also loves the challenge of elevating so-called “humble” ingredients like mackerel or anchovies. “Cooking with a noble ingredient is easy, but turning a modest one into something extraordinary takes effort and creativity,” she explains.
At Maison Mastrorelli, breakfast comes in two versions: a classic option and a more generous brunch. The morning table is set with homemade granola, artisanal jams, the cake of the day made with seasonal fruits, pastries, scrambled eggs with crispy pancetta, and local cheeses. For brunch, there’s also a savory tart — either pissaladière or tomato tart — along with a salad and a serving of French toast.
A local specialty at Maison Mastrorelli's table: pissaladière. © Coline Ciais-Soulhat
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