Gironde: After a dispute with the town hall, the Ostrea bar-restaurant in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont is moving

The Ostrea, launched in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont last summer by Juliette Labrousse, will be reborn at the Roquetaillade castle farm. The town hall has chosen another candidate to exploit the caves.

" It was going well, I wanted to expand the business and stay there for a few years," laments Juliette Labrousse. A sixth-generation owner of the Labrousse fishmonger in Langon, at 29, she took over the operation of the Fossil Oyster Caves bar-restaurant in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. Her concept, L'Ostrea, opened in spring 2024, offered oyster and seafood tastings paired with sweet wines from the local appellation. The season ended last October.

The interior designer, now a restaurateur, says she would have liked to reopen as early as February 2025 to host raclette evenings. "I had purchased several appliances in anticipation of the winter season." At the beginning of the year, Juliette Labrousse reportedly sent a letter confirming her intention to renew the lease, only to discover that a call for tenders was open. In March, the City Council announced that it had selected another candidate. When contacted, the mayor declined to comment on this decision.

"I've heard criticism unofficially. I would have liked to have been able to communicate about my project and talk to the municipality, but that wasn't possible. I gave it my all all summer, promoting local wines. I wanted people who swear by Sauternes to discover Sainte-Croix-du-Mont," says Juliette Labrousse.

In April, the municipality applied to the interim relief judge to order the manager to "vacate the premises and return the keys to the premises without delay." On May 2, the Bordeaux Administrative Court rejected the municipality's request, considering it to be "unnecessary and urgent." Juliette Labrousse, who is challenging the regularity of the conditions for granting the right of occupancy, filed a petition with the court seeking the sum of €50,000 as compensation for her loss.

While awaiting the decision, the fishmonger is focusing on developing her new location: the Château de Roquetaillade in Mazères. A historic site that welcomes 35,000 visitors a year. "The owners suggested I open a guinguette at the château's farmhouse," she enthuses, presenting the view, which promises beautiful sunsets, not far from the farm's Bazadaise cows. In the barn, which resembles a tobacco barn, colorful paintings depicting fish and oysters already stand proudly. Regulars at L'Ostrea last summer will also recognize some of the furniture.

"We'll be open seven days a week during the high season, starting at 2 p.m. There will be a no-reservations section with a tapas menu and always seafood. And a table service area with a menu that will evolve depending on the fish supply." Ostrea will also host open-air events with DJ sets one Sunday a month. "I hope we can stay open year-round and evolve the concept in winter with wood-fired cooking." Fifteen kilometers away, the Sainte-Croix-du-Mont caves restaurant is also expected to reopen in a few days, with a new manager.