THE CULINARY PALACES OF THE COTE D'AZUR It is a relatively short bite of real estate, but that sun-drenched semi-circle of the French Riviera that arches from Antibes to Cannes is home to what is probably the highest concentration of culinary genius in the world. Chefs of legendary fame routin ely turn out sublime creations worthy of the name haute cuisine and, even better, most of these are nestled in small family-owned hotels so exquisitely run, they have earned the local nickname "Les Palaces de la Cote d'Azur."

For anyone who appreciates the kind of quality and service that has all but been squeezed out of modern living, and at surprisingly moderate cost, a trip to the coast of Provence is a revelation. I spent what can only be called a week in paradise, visiti ng as many of these jewels as I could get to, and sampling as fine a series of meals as I have ever had in my life. Our base of operations was the Hotel Coubet in Juan-les-Pins. The town, just 15 minutes from Cap d'Antibes, gained fame in the 1920s when tycoon Frank Jay Gould acquired his own private villa and then developed the once-quite retreat into a popular winte r playground for the wealthy. Things are more economically democratic now, with the famous annual jazz festival in July drawing them by the thousands. Other times of the year, Juan-des-Pins is a charming, beautiful area with plenty to do and without the h ordes packing Cannes or Nice.

The Hotel Courbet is a comfortable, friendly place, its character imprinted by the ebullient and jovial personality of proprietor Robert Blanc. Monsieur Blanc is as sunny as the town in which he lives and will be only too happy to offer advice, deal out philosophy, or just pass a pleasant moment.

It is a wonder that, small as it is, Juan-des-Pins boasts not one but two world-renowned restaurants. La Terrasse, located in the Hotel Juana, has earned a two-star Michelin rating under executive chef Christian Morisset. Morisset has garnered fame well beyond the beautiful confines of La Terrasse. He has been called to the United States several times by entertainer-entrepreneur Bill Cosby to cater special parties. Morisset's specialty is creating heady delights from local meats, seafood, and produce, fi lling the formidable menu with such triumphs as tender, juicy lamb from Pauillac, cooked in clay that is smashed in front of you. His hand is delicate and sure, whether it is turning out his Escalopines de Langoustines Royals with its sheer, translucent s lices of lobster fanned on a delicate white cream sauce, or his symphony of vegetables, that covers fresh leeks, green peas, asparagus, and tomato with a dough as light and delicate as crystal.

The town's second famous establishment is Belles Rives, located in the enchanting hotel of the same name. This was originally a private villa, the haunt of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and their cronies in the roaring 20s. Meals are taken in the renown ed restaurant of the same name overlooking the Gulf of Juan and the Lerins Islands. At night, the terrace view is transformed into a fairyland, the lights across the inlet forming a jeweled necklace across the still water. This is a place to be at peace, to fall in love. Lunch is also served on the beach at the water's edge. Chef de cuisine Bernard Mathis works in the classic tradition, with plenty of contemporary variations. So the regular menu is abetted by "theme" dinners--the Menu "Jazz," for example , offers grilled sea bass on black pasta; the Menu "Impressions du sud" a basil-perfumed tournado with mushroom pate.

It is no surprise that this water-dominated area should boast some outstanding seafood restaurants. And in nearby Antibes is one of the best in the world. Reservations are a necessity at Restaurant de Bacon, where seafood and seafood only is served in a charming room with adjoining tented terrace overlooking the sea with a view that travels to Monte Carlo. Restaurant de Bacon has been in the Sordello family for more than 40 years. Father Sordello was a fisherman who knew his fish, and mother, the origina l chef, knew how to cook it. These skills were passed on to brothers Etienne and Didi, as well as a niece, all of which keep the family operation going briskly.

Bouillabaisse is the specialty here, if not a religion,and it is nothing less than ethereal. Six different fishes go into the saffron-scented pot, along with rascasse, a tiny, locally caught fish that, says chef Serge Philippin, "is the base for any goo d bouillabaisse." Other freshly caught fish form the rest of the menu, to which is added a excellent dessert selection.

Just south of here and east of Cannes is the town of Mougins, another provincial city with a disproportionate amount of culinary riches. Up a long drive into a country setting sits Le Manor de l'Etang, an attractive and ancient dwelling set in a vast est ate planted with olive and cypress. The hotel has but 15 rooms, the restaurant has chef de cuisine Lionel Goyard. This delightfully authentic country place is the setting for some of the best Provencal cooking to be had. The attractive dining room is a lo ok back into a simple elegance of a country Fence manor house--wood-beamed ceilings, inlaid floor, flower-print curtains, and a roaring fireplace. Terrace dining is beside a pool overlooking the landscaped and be-sculptured grounds. The food is as artful ly presented as the architecture. The crab cakes made with a mixture of cream and cheese, cylindrically shaped, and fried to a golden brown. The flower-fresh country pate is deeply flavored. A plate of smoked salmon wrapped around crab and served with gra pefruit and lobster was a work of art to the eye and palate as were the breast local duck, prepared in an outstanding truffle sauce; and a dish of tender kidneys served with a tangy mustard sauce.

Mougins is also the capital of a culinary empire overseen by chef Roger Verge. Verge is an international celebrity who has justly earned three stars for his long-established restaurant Moulin de Mougins. This temple of gastronomy attracts a steady stream of visitors from around the world to sample a menu that would take a half hour to read. From the very start you know you are in the presence of greatness--an appetizer of zucchini flowerettes stuffed with a mixture of black mushrooms and mushroom purees and embraced with a mushroom and butter sauce proves delicate yet complex, full of a woody flavor that sets the mind on a walk through the country. There is magic here--lobster with apricots and spinach held together by a flaky dough envelope and topped w ith curry sauce and almonds is a multi-experience of rich yet delicate flavors. Young and tender duck meat is framed by a rich and sweet honey and lime sauce. Desserts are not to be equalled, whether it is the flourless chocolate souffle, the homemade she rbets, apricot fluff, or canapes. If you hooked on this type of thing, and you will, Verge offers cooking classes, cookbooks, and a line of his own gourmet foods and wine.

My final stop was a trip to Les Baux de Provence, famous for its archaeological city, with a ruined castle whose origin are lost in time, and evidence of a succession of inhabitants and conquerors from neolithic cavemen to Les Baux of the present. The pr esent includes Au Stau de Baumaniere whose gargantuan menu (even by Provencal standards--it measures several feel square in area) reveals deceptively simple-sounding dishes that stand as the best of French local cuisine. It has earned a coveted three star s from Michelin for dishes like gratin dauphinois, just sliced potatoes with cream and cheese, but simply ambrosial in its melt-in-the-mouth richness. There is perfection here in the mousse of liver wrapped in truffles, the artfully prepared seafood (red mullet sauteed with chopped tomatoes, olives, basil and the excellent local olive oil), the lamb--just divine with its coating of mushroom pate, and the desserts. For the Platonic ideal, try the layer cakes--we had a seven-layer raspberry that was light, rich, and creamy, and a souffle of Gran Marnier and grapes served with vanilla and Gran Mariner sauce. The home made ice cream has reached a state of nirvana, the sherbets a purity of taste. Chef owner Jean-Andre Charial is a sorcerer. Incidentally, his grandfather, who started the restaurant in 1945 is still active, providing a continuity of excellence that would exceptional...anywhere but in this exceptional and blessed Provence.