Above: the pistachio mousse at Le Tastevin (all photos by CJ)

By Alexander Britell

GRAND CASE — Maybe it was the pistachio mousse dessert. Or perhaps it was earlier, with the duck ravioli.

No, it was almost certainly the foie gras.

When you’re eating just above the sand in Grand Case, the individual plates blend into something else entirely.

The scene was Le Tastevin, an institution on this most famous culinary boulevard in the Caribbean, the home of classically-trained chefs and French West Indian gusto.

Perched just a few steps over Grand Case Beach, Le Tastevin is decorated in colours more commonly found in Provence; but the food, like many of its neighbours on this street, is terrifically, unapologetically French.

Each meal was that just-so nexus of presentation and taste: the foie gras with candied pears, the playful duck ravioli and a duck breast served with candied pears. (Sensing a theme? You’re right — but the way a French restaurant prepares its duck reveals much about its soul).

And then there was the pistachio mousse with chocolate, the dessert that, in one spoonful, turned a wonderful meal into a wonderful afternoon.

Le Tastevin isn’t a new restaurant, or a flashy place; it’s simply a great one. Something that’s getting rather rare these days.