Best Chefs – Roland Mazere, Le Centenaire

Roland Mazère awakens the flavors of Périgord. Hailed by gastronomic guides from all over the world, the cuisine of Roland Mazère imagines new associations, while cultivating the gastronomic heritage of Périgord . A gourmet escape is essential in Les Eyzies , the world capital of prehistory, and why not gastronomy …?

What is his recipe for success? While remaining a family affair, Le Centenaire has today become an international gastronomic benchmark. Called “the Mozart of Perigord cuisine” by Le Figaro. Roland Mazère is the central character in this “family story”. When he was younger, he helped his mother in the restaurant she ran in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac , a charming Dordogne village located near Sarlat . A rather famous house since Madame Mazère’s cuisine attracted a large clientele. Even Josephine Baker liked to take a walk in his establishment to prick his fork in a beautiful piece of confit! After his apprenticeship, Roland Mazère transformed the family home and in 1964 opened Le Centenaire, a name intended to pay homage to the first prehistoric site discovered in Les Eyzies , 100 years ago. Very quickly, this leader of the new wave understands that to stand on your own two feet, you have to create your own cuisine, to the point of surpassing yourself to get out of the shackles of tradition and regionalism. Today, he has won his challenge by developing “an inventive cuisine that enhances the region”, in the words of the Michelin guide which has devoted two stars to the establishment since 1981. Two years later, he joins the prestigious chain of Relais & Châteaux . “It was our 3rd star,” he says proudly. The classification “Relais Gourmand” completes the indisputable recognition of this establishment, by the profession as by the customers.

“An inventive cuisine unique in its kind”, according to the Michelin guide. Roland Mazère’s ability to unearth the gastronomic treasures of his native region sums up the signature of this local child. Born May 5, 1946 in Vézac , in the Dordogne valley between Sarlat and Beynac , in the heart of Périgord noir, he found a new and personal identity in the path already taken by some of his colleagues. That of a cuisine that combines modernity and tradition. It is no coincidence that Le Centenaire chose to settle in Les Eyzies , the prehistoric capital of the world! Thus, Roland Mazère’s cuisine develops the authentic flavors of the products with remarkable inventiveness.  Reading the menu  card confirms that the imagination is in power, and it is possible to make a choice between the Lobster Fricassee with spicy pineapple sauce and coconut risotto, the white hazelnut chicken breast with truffles, fluted liver, panisse stuffing or caramelized sturgeon white corn cream with truffle caviar.

“To work with local products, he explains, you have to get out of traditional cuisine which revolves around goose and duck foie gras, poultry, especially pigs, basic products of our campaigns for centuries, to make them evolve. It is a work of constant research constantly and questioning. The observations of my trips that I bring back to my kitchen come in successive touches, waking up the quintessence of the product, either a spice or a cooking method “, adds Roland Mazère who favors certain fish, such as sturgeon, sole or red mullet, while making a very scrupulous choice on meats, with a preference for guinea fowl, rabbit, pigeon and pork. But Le Centenaire also remains a land of expression for all these wonderful products that make the reputation of the Périgord gastronomic, such as truffles, confit and foie gras. These are the happy audacities of a cuisine that takes into account the terroir and the seasons and offers its hot porcini terrine or its risotto with black truffles.

Alongside Roland Mazère , Geneviève Scholly and Alain Scholly, his sister and his brother-in-law also oversee the smooth running of operations, respectively, at the reception and in the restaurant. According to the needs, they also intervene in other fields in order to guarantee an excellent quality of service, in accordance with the standards of a “Relais et Château” . Le Centenaire thus cultivates luxury that is both discreet and refined, without free effects or superfluous. With the 35 employees of the establishment, this family trio has preserved the soul of the house, although it has become a prestigious place, where French but also international customers flock, from April to November. Nestled in the heart of a flowered garden on the banks of the Vézère , Le Centenaire is also highly appreciated by its visitors for the beauty and tranquility of its surroundings and for its pleasant swimming pool.

From the rooms, it is even possible to see the “Rocher de la Penne” on which the village of Les Eyzies was built. Both protective and threatening, this monolithic block underlines the cultural vocation of the capital of prehistoric times. No doubt, the gourmet traveler will be in the best position to appreciate the original and authentic cuisine of the owner. But to the great regret of gastronomes, Roland Mazère may well retire soon, ending his brilliant career at the top of his game. So if you’ve never been to Le Centenaire enter your phone to book a stay in Périgord . No existence is worth living without tasting the cuisine of Roland Mazère! It’s not for lack of warning you …

Hôtel du Centenaire Relais & Château

Restaurant “Relais Gourmand”

Rocher de la Penne

2, avenue du Cingle

24620 Les Eyzies-de-Tayac