At Colette Saint-Tropez, a menu is never created at the last minute. Nor is it simply a succession of dishes or a straightforward selection of seasonal products.
The “Five Senses” menu was born from a long, almost introspective process, initiated well before returning to the kitchen.
During winter, when the restaurant’s pace slows down, Chef Philippe Colinet’s rhythm intensifies. This is a pivotal, essential period when ideas emerge, clash, and evolve. It is a time when creation takes precedence over execution, and every detail of the menu begins to take shape before being tested, refined, and implemented in the kitchen.
Observing, Feeling, Collecting: The First Step of Creation
Everything begins far from the stove. To imagine the “Five Senses” menu, the Chef observes, captures, and absorbs. A scent in the street, a texture, a light, a travel memory, an everyday scene each of these elements fuels his reflection.
His inspirations do not come solely from gastronomy. They draw from art, from life, from pure sensation. A stay in India may leave a mark through the intensity of its aromas; time spent in Japan through the beauty of gestures and the way food is eaten by hand. Elsewhere, it might be a meeting, a piece of music, or simply the atmosphere of a place.
These influences are never reproduced as they are. They serve as a starting point. The Chef does not aim to recreate a foreign cuisine, but to translate a sensation and transform it into his own culinary language.
Translating Intuition into Concrete Ideas
Once these sensations are gathered, a more intimate, almost silent phase begins. The Chef sketches, writes, and assembles. Drawings of dishes, notes, collages tools that help him structure his thinking.
These drafts are not necessarily understandable to everyone. They are personal, sometimes abstract, yet they form an essential foundation. They connect an idea to a shape, an emotion to a composition.
It is at this stage that the “Five Senses” menu truly begins to take form not yet as finalized dishes, but as intentions: a sensation to highlight, an interaction to create, a surprise to provoke.
Assembling, Structuring, Balancing
Creating a menu is not just about imagining it is also about organizing. The Chef then enters an analytical phase.
He brings his ideas together, tests them against one another, and refines them. He considers the overall coherence, the sequence of dishes, and the progression of flavors. The menu is built like a crescendo, gradually intensifying to create a true narrative.
Each dish finds its place within this balance, guided by a precise intention. While creativity is essential, it must remain controlled. Pairings must be accurate, readable, and designed with the guest in mind.
The Chef constantly seeks that fine line between boldness and clarity: to surprise without ever disorienting.
Designing an Experience: The Birth of the “Five Senses” Menu
What sets this menu apart is that it was conceived from the outset as an experience.
The Chef does not create dishes merely to be tasted, but to be lived. How will the guest interact with the plate? What will they feel at the moment of service? What will they see, smell, hear, touch?
This reflection gave rise to the “Five Senses” menu. Each dish highlights a specific sense, creating an immersive journey where every step reveals a different sensation.
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Touch is expressed through dishes meant to be eaten by hand.
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Smell unfolds at the moment of service, with aromas released at just the right time.
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Hearing enters the experience, notably with a fish still crackling as it is served.
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Sight is composed like a painting, with bold colors and shapes.
Taste, finally, asserts itself through powerful, direct, and confident dishes.
From Concept to Plate: Bringing Ideas to Life
Once the menu’s structure is defined, it is time for execution.
Ideas are tested, refined, and perfected with the kitchen team. Cooking techniques, seasoning, and textures are reworked until the right balance is achieved.
The Chef fine-tunes every detail so that the original intention a sensation, an emotion is fully expressed on the plate.
Nothing is fixed. The menu evolves throughout the season, depending on products, deliveries, and ongoing impressions.
Through the “Five Senses” menu, Chef Philippe Colinet reveals a deeply personal approach to creation. At Colette Saint-Tropez, this menu represents the culmination of that process an invitation to experience cuisine differently, letting each sense guide the journey.
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