Despite the lockdowns that closed all of the country’s restaurants — the last one ran from October 2020 to May 2021 — the dining scene in the south of France is thriving once again. What’s most noticeable about the menus of the best new tables is that many chefs are cooking simpler dishes to showcase the natural flavors and textures of the produce they work with. “The pandemic has created a strong preference for light, healthy, seasonal cooking that is not too complicated,” star chef Hélène Darroze has said.