As POD’s Great Grandparents would say we’re “good trencher-men” a phrase for hearty eaters that goes back to medieval times when the trencher was a wooden plate. Although we’ll eat pretty much anything that’s put in front of us we’ve also been known to frequent dining establishments owned by sweary and unclothed celebrity chefs so we know how good food can be.
Having upgraded to full board at the San Lucianu Beach Resort in Corsica we were ready to sample what was on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We were also planning to use the early kids tea so we could take advantage of the evening childcare that had proved so successful on our trip to the Levante Beach Resort in Greece, where we were twice sent back to the bar by POD so she could finish watching that evening’s DVD!
Breakfast at San Lucianu is a buffet affair with a choice of continental and cooked breakfast. The continental choice includes cold cuts of ham and salami, fruit, cereals, jams and freshly baked baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolat, which are still warm if you got there early enough. Cooked breakfast is traditional English with sausages, bacon, mushrooms, beans and hash browns (American!) immediately available and eggs cooked on demand. Pre-made coffee is on offer to pour as required or you can make your own cup of Nescafe from sachets. Orange and apple juice are also in plentiful supply.
I did hear grumblings about the quality of the pre-made coffee and whether the milk was UHT or not. There are no milking cows on Corsica. The coffee wasn’t the best we’ve ever tasted but it’s eminently drinkable and satiated my morning cravings. The only thing we’d change is access to eggs. The POD Father mentioned this to one of the chefs, over a ‘recovery’ beer after exerting himself on the football pitch in the afternoon heat and suggested that it would be good to have some ready for consumption. This was well received and it was hinted that it’s not a favourite task cooking in front of guests.
I completely get this. Even though Mark Warner employ trained professionals many are at the start of their careers, usually in their early twenties and it must be slightly daunting to have to deliver the perfectly cooked egg watched by expectant guests. The POD Father will confirm that all the best exchanges are made over a beer and the following morning he had 2 boiled eggs ready for him when he came down for breakfast, with scrambled and fried eggs also pre-cooked and ready on a hot plate for other guests. This may not have continued after we left but it seems like a good option all round.
Lunch: Buffet. The most popular item on the menu was the delicious pizzas freshly cooked in a wood fired oven. They disappeared as soon as they came out but kept coming as required with pepperoni, ham and even tuna varieties. For those looking for a healthier option there are cold cuts and all the accompanying salad you could possibly want.
Hot options ranged from chicken curry to sausages in onion gravy. All extremely palatable and followed by mountains of fresh fruit, including juicy water melons which POD enjoyed tucking into noisily and a tart of some description, chocolate and coconut, or a lemon possette. Squash is available or drinks orders taken by waiting staff and supplied from the bar.
Kids Tea: Buffet. Those delicious pizzas again (fresh ones!) or cooked options of sausages, chips, pasta, fish in sauce, that kind of thing. There was nothing that’s going to win any culinary awards but then the majority of the audience wouldn’t appreciate haute cuisine anyway. POD usually defaulted to pizza but did end up trying most of everything during the week followed by more fruit and a dessert as on offer at lunch.
Dinner: A la carte. The majority of our week we chose from an a la carte menu. There was usually a choice of three starters, mains and puddings. Starters included Chorizo and Red Pepper Bruschetta, Watermelon and Feta Salad and Thai Style Mussels. Mains on offer included Warm Confit Duck Oriental Salad, Pan Fried Sea Bass and Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi. Dessert was Orange Posset, Assiette of Chocolat plus a selection of ice-creams and sorbets.
During the week, we also had a BBQ one night with a hog roast and tuna steaks as well as the ubiquitous sausages, burgers and chicken drumsticks. As well as a buffet dinner.
We ate well throughout our time at San Lucianu and particularly enjoyed the freshly cooked pizzas at lunchtime, the flavoursome soups, succulent pork belly and Asian-style duck at dinner.
As I said at the beginning we’re not at all fussy eaters so are fairly easy to please, but I think unless you’re expecting a more heavily Corsican inspired menu or are only used to five star dining then you should be more than happy to tuck in and enjoy as we did.
Disclaimer: Mark Warner covered the flights, transfer and half-board accommodation at the San Lucianu Beach Resort. Opinions are our own.
