The former convent of the Clarisse turned into a gastronomic salon thanks to a young Frenchwoman

by Patrizia Ferlini

Within the ancient walls of the Clarisse convent, at the foot of the Castle of San Giorgio in La Spezia, a new experience is taking shape that combines hospitality, culture and gastronomy. Le Clarisse di Apolline is the project led by Apolline Soëte, a young French entrepreneur with solid experience in culinary design and in the wine sector, who has chosen Liguria to intertwine her contemporary vision with the history of the area.

The ancient convent near the Castle of San Giorgio

The project Le Clarisse di Apolline was born at the end of 2023.
«Finding a small garden-bar that was closing down, I wrote to the association Gli Orti di San Giorgio because I was interested in reviving this very special place», Apolline tells Gambero Rosso.
«I wanted to transform it into a gastronomic corner surrounded by greenery, in the heart of the city yet protected from the chaos, offering a simple, elegant and genuine atmosphere».

The history of the place influenced the name of the bistrot. The name is a tribute to the Clarisse whose convent stood under the walls of San Giorgio Castle, just a stone’s throw from the venue. The convent was later destroyed during the Second World War. More recently, the association Gli Orti di San Giorgio decided to take charge of managing the historic Poggio area, including the park dedicated to the Clarisse, and to transform it into a green corner linked to history, creating an urban garden.
«As I am sensitive to history and to the strength that a message can convey, and also being very close to nature, I decided to combine the name of the Clarisse with mine and propose a feminine and sensitive cuisine».

Apolline’s journey from philosophy to food and wine

«I was born in France, in Normandy, into a large family where cooking, preparing food with passion and creativity was always part of everyday life. I would go and pick blackberries and make salted caramel with my grandmothers. I would get up early in the morning to go fishing with my father. I prepared snacks and breakfast for my mother, my two sisters and my brother».

Food was her way of transmitting love. After studying philosophy, art and literature she shifted her focus towards cooking.
«I started all over again, embarking on hotel and catering studies and I began to move between Normandy and Paris, embracing different philosophies: tales of journeys in the dishes, love of the product, the importance of the land and of French tradition».

The turning point came when she left Michelin-starred restaurants where she was losing sight of the sense of her project. During this year and a half away from haute cuisine, Apolline moved to a château in the Bordeaux area, Château Léognan, where she obtained her sommelier diploma.
«Discovering the world of wine was the beginning of a passion and rekindled my love for food. I decided I had to resume my destiny as a cook, starting from Italy».

Sincere cuisine

For Apolline, cooking means reclaiming one’s roots by using the raw materials of the place in which one finds oneself. Her approach to cuisine is a weave of stories and journeys.
«I have been living in Liguria for four years. I loved this land from the start: the rainy nature of this region that reminds me of my Normandy, the harshness of the soil, the strong identity that changes from one village to another, the sea, the obsession with traditional dishes, the pride of having a tradition born of great simplicity. I began by studying the Ligurian tradition.

Festivals, women who told stories, markets, restaurants that opened their doors to me and a thousand other researches that I still do today».

Having an in-depth knowledge of the land makes it possible to allow oneself a few poetic licences in the creation of dishes. The result is best perceived in the simplest courses.
«I am very attached to courgette flowers, a dish of great simplicity but also of great sensitivity. The flowers are filled with buffalo mozzarella, anchovies with lemon and pink peppercorns. They are baked in the oven and soften, releasing a rich, citrusy broth. We serve them with lemon oil and wild fennel. This dish allows you, in a single bite, to find richness and indulgence, savouriness, vegetables and freshness».

Her passion for the sea is found in her lemon-marinated mackerel served on a Ligurian herb-scented bulgur. And it is here that Liguria and Normandy meet.

A spiritual environment where smiles are shared

At Le Clarisse di Apolline guests are welcomed in a space hidden and sheltered from the city noise.
«Customers come to find greenery and peace at our bistrot. We love to add our touch by placing fresh flowers on every table, preferring candlelight to artificial lighting, and choosing music according to the moment of the day. The atmosphere invites the sharing of emotions, thoughts and smiles».

To reinforce this, Apolline organises live music concerts, evenings dedicated to wines and foods that allow people to discover or rediscover Italian and French flavours and cultures.

One dream remains to be fulfilled: to develop the garden section together with the association Gli Orti di San Giorgio, cultivating edible flowers and aromatic herbs – Italian, French and exotic.
«We would like this oasis of poetry to be a place where we can elevate and showcase our gastronomic talent, always respectful while renewing tradition».

Le Clarisse di Apolline, scalinata S. Giorgio, 5, La Spezia – Tel. 3339572386 Instagram