Auberge Kallisté

We arrived at 9:10 pm near the end of the season. It was quiet, with just two other couples finishing up, but we were still welcomed warmly. David was a lovely host, spoke great English, and served us. He filleted the baked cod beautifully, and the fish was absolutely delicious with fresh seasonal vegetables, fennel, courgette and baby carrot, over beetroot purée. He even shared the end of a lovely wine opened earlier, which was much nicer than the one we’d ordered. The warm chocolate pudding with a melting centre and ice cream was delicious too. We met the friendly chef, who’s doing a fantastic job. It costs a little more than some places nearby, but if you’re ready for a break from all the pizza around, it’s well worth it. Fantastic service, food and atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Breakfast was the one real highlight: everything was homemade, really tasty, and there was no waste. The hotel’s online presentation gives a completely misleading impression, though. If you’ve only got a couple of days on the island, I wouldn’t recommend staying overnight in Porto Pollo.

This eco-hotel works to avoid food waste, recycle and compost, and conserve water and electricity. We only stayed one night, so we missed the restaurant, which is closed on Sundays. Our room had complimentary air conditioning and fresh water in the minibar, and we were lucky to get an upgrade to a seaside room with a beautiful view across Propriano bay and the nearby mountains. The hotel is right across from the lovely Porto-Pollo beach, about 50 metres from the water. Rooms are nice and have a small terrace with a table, where breakfast can be brought to you.

The Turbot was fantastic, but the rest of the food was pretty bland, and we waited an hour to eat. The server was excellent. I’d have been less bothered if the head of service hadn’t spent so much time on his phone and computer where everyone could see him. I don’t get the hype, and I wasn’t impressed.