Le Midi at The Casti Maris

Le Casti Maris is the table for friends and good living

Faithful to the tradition developed by the partners of Château Maris in the Hérault region, the cuisine here is rooted in short supply chains and aims to be accessible, offering a good time around quality products.

Text: Sébastien Dubos. Photos: S.D.

With an open kitchen looking onto the dining room, you can see the team at work from early morning: beautifully golden chickens slowly roast on the spit and will be ready by lunchtime. The chef prepares daily specials, and for the rest, stays true to a seasonal menu that highlights the best local products, sourced within a 50-kilometre radius of Mirepoix. Warm and welcoming indoors, with a terrace when the weather allows, or under the covered walkways and historic arcades of the town, you immediately feel at home at Casti Maris.

Perhaps this is due to the atmosphere and spirit instilled by Mathieu Toulza, partner and manager, which are deeply convivial. Surely it’s also because the dishes touch the heart… and the palate. At the heart, because they resonate fully with the philosophy developed on the other side of the hills and mid-mountains, at Château Maris, located in Félines-Minervois in the Hérault. The wines produced there, in biodynamic farming, are enjoyed at the restaurant and reflect this deep attachment to the land—an attachment also found on the plates.

There is something for every taste: meat lovers, classic comfort dishes, and a must-have that you absolutely can’t miss—the chicken sausage. Depending on availability, the kitchen works with meat as well as fish, for example with trout from the Montbel fish farm, creating recipes centered around trout,” explains Mathieu Toulza. “The trout can be served as gravlax or grilled…”

The manager also insists on the idea of good living, a concept clearly echoed in the menu through offerings that set the tone. It’s time to taste caramelised pork ribs. And, as a way of reinforcing this sense of hospitality, tapas are often featured—sometimes influenced and playfully reworked from the Pyrenean side.

But above all, there is a strong focus on the table itself. Faithful to a centuries-old tradition of welcoming the countryside, you’ll find cheeses from the valley (an excellent selection!), trout ceviche, lamb samosas, or a vegetable fricassée using seasonal produce. To complete this convivial spirit, on the first Friday of every month, Casti Maris organises “La Bonne Soirée”, an event that brings people together around a shared meal and a featured producer.

“It’s the moment when we offer three or four dishes paired with their products,” says Mathieu Toulza. “It really allows for some wonderful discoveries!”

Chicken sausage sold by the metre

Le Casti Maris
48 Place du Maréchal Leclerc, Mirepoix
Reservations: +33 (0)5 34 03 32 06