262692 Fri May 09 22:20:40 -0700 2003 11 26 International 0 1388049 Hi-- My wife and I will be staying in an apartment in Cadenet in the Luberon region of Provence later this month. Does anyone know of particularly good restaurants featuring regional cuisine in the small villages nearby--such as Lourmarin, Gordes, Lacoste, Apt, Bonneauix,and also in Aix-en-Provence which is the closest large town? Thanks. Fri May 09 22:20:40 -0700 2003 0 NewHavenMaven 1 1388077 I have not eaten there myself, but Auberge de la Loube in Buoux is widely reported to be excellent and worth a bit of traveling to get there. Lucky you to be so close by! There are also two very good restaurants in Gigondas, which is not too too far -- one is L'Oustelet & I'll have to see if I can Google up the name of the other. I'm green with jealousy -- the Luberon is one of my favorite spots in France. Mon May 12 14:39:32 -0700 2003 1388049 0 GG Mora 2 1388087 I second the vote for L'oustelet. I had a memorable meal there that I recall too frequently with longing. I'm not sure it's technically in the Luberon...if it isn't i still hope you go there. Lucky you. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/261574#1382269 Tue May 13 01:46:44 -0700 2003 1388077 0 Phylloxera 1 1388081 Bear in mind that you will be on the south side of the Luberon, and there are only a few country roads around (long), or through (winding), the mountain. If you plan to drink wine and/or have a leisurely, late dinner it is probably not practical to get to and back from Gordes, Lacoste, or Bonnieux. Apt would be far, but fairly straight, I believe. We stayed in Bonnieux last September and were glad we followed the advice of our innkeeper that the recs we had on your side of the mountain were "very good, but far from here and there are many bends". So, though we did not try these, I pass on my recommended list of places reasonably close to Cadenet that I wish we could have gotten to: La Petite Maison in Cucuron, La Fontaine in St. Martin de la Brasque, Les Antiquaires in Lourmarin. Lourmarin has several other good choices, including La Paradou just outside of town before the pass. Aix is reasonably convenient, but I do not have any restaurant recs there. That said, if you are not deterred by the drive, or might want to try a nice place for lunch on the other side of the mountain, we very much enjoyed our dinners at Le Fournil in Bonnieux (in a troglodyte cave or a beautiful old square) and La Bartavelle in Goult, a small village between Bonnieux and Gordes. Le Fournil is quite well-known, but La Bartavelle was a find recommended by our innkeepers. A highlight of our trip was the morning markets. If you plan your days around the markets, you can find a wonderful one almost every day. Aix, of course, and Lourmarin were favorites. The Markets of Provence, by Ruthanne Long, also recommends the Cadenet market, though we did not get there. Bon voyage, the Luberon is quite enchanting. Mon May 12 19:14:44 -0700 2003 1388049 0 Eljo 2 1388085 Thanks very much. These recs sound great. I didn't realize that it would be such a drive from Cadenet to some of these towns--they look so close on the map! I know Lourmarin is just a few miles from Cadenet and several friends have recommended La Feniere there--do you know it? I'll definitely give a few of these places a try--and will report back when we return. I read that the former chef of Taillevent in Paris is now chef at Le Bastide de Gordes--has anyone been there? Mon May 12 23:12:08 -0700 2003 1388081 0 NewHavenMaven 3 1388094 I ate at Bastide des Gordes a number of years ago. it appeared in transition at the time and was just so-so. There was another place, just a large old house really outside town (which I will never be able to remember) where I had some terrific goat. Tue May 13 11:10:11 -0700 2003 1388085 0 mc michael 3 1388097 Yes, La Feniere is well thought of, but we did not get there. Lourmarin has a number of good choices at all levels. La Feniere has one Michelin star, I believe, and another Lourmarin place (La Moulin?) has two stars. You may need to book well in advance for these. (I recommend that you reserve a table wherever you go, even if you just call the same afternoon.) Both of these would be on a grander scale than those I previously recommended, which are quite nice but more in the "family-run" style, and probably half the price. Regarding the distances, the places you mentioned are well within range for day trips, and the drives are quite nice. I just would not choose to drive 60-90 minutes to get home after dinner, especially over narrow mountain passes. Tue May 13 12:11:48 -0700 2003 1388085 0 eljo 1 1388088 Here are some random notes that I compiled before my on trip to the region...sorry they aren't more annotated but it's all I got...the notes and impressions are not mine but mostly they're grabbed from chowhound but there are some other sources too...at least it's a list you could use, some names and ideas.... The first list is from a friend and they are very reliable recs.... ___________________________ Favorite restaurants near Carpentras: Auberge de la Bartavelle Vaison La Romaine 36-02-16 Cosy family-ish. Good food. La Maison Beaumont du Ventoux 65-15-50 Beautiful rustic outdoor patio – good for lunch on a sunny day. La Table du Comtat Seguret 46-91-49 Elegant dinner. Be sure to book. Le Mesclun Seguret 46-93-43 Moderate – good for lunch Les Florets Gigondas 65-85-01 My favorite. Be sure to book. Restaurant St. Hubert Entrechaux 46-00-05 Husband and wife owned. Great food. L'Ousteau de Baumaniére _________ The best restaurant in avignon is le restaurant at the hotel la mirande. i have not eaten there myself but good food friends have and they love it. wonderboy chef. i've toured the hotel and it alone is worth a visit. impressive and elegant. then there's the restaurant/hotel l'oustau de baumaniere just below les baux. again have not eaten there but overrated and overpriced from other good food friends. the town itself is stunning as it seems to emerge from the cliffs and definitely worth a day but be forewarned that in about a month you may start to run into the tourist hordes. sorry to say that aix is my least favourite town in provence and have only passed through to see there is both a gap and reebok store there. st. remy is one of my favourites and there we loved the restaurant xa (pronounced zah) owned by a husband and wife team, she cooks while he hosts. very good inventive food influenced by their international travels. we also love a little crepe joint called la farandolle owned by a spunky woman everyone calls momo. it's just around the corner from hotel les ateliers de l'image - originally the town's music hall now transformed into a hip boutique hotel by the owners who are also photographers complete with darkrooms. restaurant xa 24, blvd. mirabeau closed wednesdays tel 04 90 92 41 23 Auberge de Cassagne, just outside of Avignon in Le Pontet was wonderful this summer. Had three fantastic dinners there along with top service. A few years ago, we also stayed near Carpentras in the small village of Crillon le Brave. The inn of the same name had a wonderful restaurant back then. I'm not sure what it's like now.. the maitre d' has been working at Payard and was amazed that I recognized him. :-) We also had a wonderful Sunday lunch near Apt (not too long a drive) at a place in Bioux. It's called Auberge de la Loube and I never enjoyed a leisurely, long lunch that much.. sitting in the sun among natives with their dogs and having a 5 course feast. Mas la Bonoty We really enjoyed Arles. There is an excellent restaurant there called Nord Pinos which offers very modern 'trendy' (I hate to say it) but really nice French food, good wine and service. Its located in an old hotel by the same name and located off the square with the cafe painted by Van Gogh. Sorry - that is a bit cryptic but it should be listed in various guide books. Our favorite restaurant is Le Mas Tourteron in Gordes (04.90.72.00.16/fax: 04.90.72.09.81), a lovely place run by one of the top chefs in France. Excellent food and beautiful, romantic surroundings, particularly if you are able to dine in the garden area. So much attention is paid to the details. The "twisted bread" napkin rings are edible; when it becomes chilly at night, women are offered attractive shawls to wrap around their shoulders. I highly recommend this restaurant and already have made my reservations for my return visit in July. Two years ago, I made reservations for 15, and was blown away by the gracious service and exceptional food prepared from only the freshest local produce and meats. You can either call or fax your reservation request. Other recommendations include: La Mirande in Avignon (very elegant); the more casual Le Fournil in Bonnieux (04. 90.75.83.62) and Le Mas de Cure-Bourse (Rt. de Caumont in l'isle sur la Sorgue, 04.90.72.00.16). Don't forget to visit the breathtaking ocher landscape of Rousillon; the Wednesday morning market at Sault; and the Abbaye Senasque (a floating field of lavendar). Have a great trip. Last year I spent a couple days in Venasque. One of our dinners was at Auberge de Carcarille (Les Gervais, 2.5 km from Gordes on the D2, tel 049 072 0263, fax 049 072 0574). One of the least expensive of our trip, and a very good deal. bon 25, rue de la pompe 75016, paris 01-40-72-70-00 LE MAS DE CURE-BOURSE Route de Caumont, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France Phone: 04-90-38-16-58 L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue French Under EUR38 Rate It This graceful old 18th-century postal-coach stop is well outside the fray, snugly hedge-bound in the countryside amid fruit trees and fields. Meals are memorable, whether taken by the grand old fireplace or on the terrace. The sophisticated cooking keeps a local touch with dishes such as stuffed zucchini flowers, pumpkin gnocchi, goat cheese with pistou (pesto) or tapenade, and deliciously gooey chocolate cake with cherries. The restaurant is closed Monday; there's no lunch Tuesday. MC, V. Closed 3 wks in Nov., first 2 wks in Jan. AUBERGE DE LA FONTAINE Venasque, France Phone: 04-90-66-02-96 Venasque French EUR38 to EUR61 Rate It You'll climb winding stone stairs to reach this graceful 18th-century house. At the pretty, rustic restaurant, chef-owner Christian Soehlke adds sunny Provençal flavors (such as thyme flowers) to local lamb and pigeon, and even knows the goats that provide his tiny cabri cheeses by name. There's a ground-floor bistro, too, for lighter meals (salads, airy pâtés, pastries) or the morning papers. MC, V. Art of eating: Auberge de la Pastourello Route de Saint-Roche (north on D83, take first road to the right and rest . is on right) Saint-Martin de Crau 04.9047.4044 *L’isle Sonnate 7, rue Racine (from the place de l’Horloge take rue Moliere) Avignon 04.9082.5601 La Petite France 55 avenue de la vallee des baux Le Paradou 04.9054.4191 RESTAURANTS L'Auberge du Vieux Puits Fontjoncouse; 33-4/ 68-44-07-37; dinner for two $90. Chef Gilles Goujon's restaurant, possibly the finest in the Corbières, earned two Michelin stars last year, but he hasn't let it go to his head. The service is warm, the food sublime. La Bergerie de Fontfroide Fontfroide; 33-4/68-41-86-06; lunch for two $26. A lovely courtyard bistro with outdoor tables, on the grounds of the Abbaye de Fontfroide, near Narbonne. Fresh, local ingredients are highlighted. Lunch only. I'd support the recommendations for La Mirande in Avignon, with excellent food. My only concern is that anyone who speaks English or who has a non-French name seems to be put in the secondary, less attractive dining room. Christian Etienne still beats Mirande for setting, and his special menus are worth trying. Finally, our friends in Provence have very good things to say about Compagnie des Comptoirs, the Pourcel brothers' new restaurant in Avignon, although my feeling is that with restaurants in Montpelier and Paris they may be spreading themselves somewhat thinly. st. remy is one of my favourites and there we loved the restaurant xa (pronounced zah) owned by a husband and wife team, she cooks while he hosts. very good inventive food influenced by their international travels. we also love a little crepe joint called la farandolle owned by a spunky woman everyone calls momo. it's just around the corner from hotel les ateliers de l'image - originally the town's music hall now transformed into a hip boutique hotel by the owners who are also photographers complete with darkrooms. restaurant xa 24, blvd. mirabeau closed wednesdays tel 04 90 92 41 23 I second the vote for Ribito de Taven. If you want to drive near Rousillon and Apt, there's a wonderful place for an outdoor lunch (Sundays are usually terrific). It's called Auberge de la Loube In St Remy you should check out Le Bisto Paradou. And for an all-out splurge meal go to La Feniere, south of Bonnieux in Loumarin on D945. It is a relais chateaux and pretty out of the way on a very windy road so I'd suggest lunch, or staying the night. We drove an hour one night in a downpour only to arrive at the restaurant and learn that there had been a power outage and so they couln't serve us. They were very nice, gave us an aperatif, and made us a reservation at another restaurant in the area. In St Remy you should check out Le Bisto Paradou. And for an all-out splurge meal go to La Feniere, south of Bonnieux in Loumarin on D945. It is a relais chateaux and pretty out of the way on a very windy road so I'd suggest lunch, or staying the night. We drove an hour one night in a downpour only to arrive at the restaurant and learn that there had been a power outage and so they couln't serve us. They were very nice, gave us an aperatif, and made us a reservation at another restaurant in the area. What a bummer that was. So, I haven't actually eaten there but the menu looked incredible. It also comes highly recommended. Please post if you do make it there. Where would I go? Try Gerard Boyer in Reims (just 90 minutes from Paris by car). Buereheisel and Auberge de L'Ill in Alsace are magnificent. George Blanc north of Lyon is our favorite restaurant in France. For very innovative food, make the pilgrimage to Laguiole to experience Michel Bras. We also love L'Esperance in Vezelay, which lost its third star but deserves to have it back. And for a sleeper that just might be the next three star restaurant, try Pyramide in Vienne. let me add a plug for Troisgros in Roanne; we were blown away by the elegance and combination of tradition and innovation; can't decide whether i like it better than Georges Blanc or not, which was previously my hands down favorite outside of Paris (and in Paris only Taillevent and Arpege for me had ben in the running to edge GB out). If you really go for the wild creativity thing, Veyrat in Verrier sur lac near Annecy is better in every way than Gagniere and offer all of that beautiful setting/choreography you so accurately and elegantly spoke of. from one to two stars -- including L'Auberge de l'Ile in Lyon and Le Moulin de Mougins in Provence a lovely little town on the drome river is crest. the drive there from valence is gorgeous. if you go on saturday morning to the centreville they have just a terrific market on the square; there's a fantastic romanesque church at the top of the square that's unlike anything i'd seen in the region. and you'll see all the men with their berets and bicycles out talking to women with elegant scarves. there are some gorgeous patisseries and i had the best salad of my life at the bistro right on the square: foies de volaille on frisee with a white truffle vinaigrette further south between Aix and Apt is La Feniere in Lourmarin a truly wonderful provencal restaurant. When I last ate there about 2 years ago the wine list had all the single vineyard Guigals from 1989 and 1990 for 1200 francs which is about 30% below US auction price. Tue May 13 01:59:13 -0700 2003 1388049 0 Phylloxera 2 1388092 Thanks for such a detailed list of suggestions. We are actually leaving today for France--doing a Barge trip in the Camargue and then spending a week in the Luberon, staying in Cadenet. I'll definitely try as many of these recs as I can--and will report back! Why is Aix your least favorite town in Provence?--we're ending our vacation there (in part because the TGV for Paris leaves from there)and planned on spending a day, staying overnight at Le Pigeonet Hotel which is supposed to be lovely--I've not been before to Aix but what's not to like..? Tue May 13 08:15:01 -0700 2003 1388088 0 NewHavenMaven 3 1388093 Aix can be a real turn-off if you're just driving through -- the perimeter is busy, commercial, trafficky and charmless. Once you get into the heart of the old city, though, it's absolutely lovely. There are fountains everywhere, big and small. Wandering around the quiet backstreets, you hear the sound of trickling water all over the place. The central artery through the old town, the Cours Mirabeau, is the quintessence of a small french city, lined with double rows of towering plane trees which form a canopy over the street in summer. There are small fountains in the middle of each intersection along the Cours, fed from warm underground springs. One of the fountains isn't much more than a pile of mossy rocks, but it's my favorite. There's a famous cafe along the Cours -- Les Deux Garcons -- the sidewalk seating of which is a perfect place for taking in the atmosphere of the town. Beyond the northside of the Cours, any semblance of order gives way to a tangle of snaking sidestreets punctuated with small open courts (each with fountain, of course). If you wander around long enough in there, you might come across a perfect little bistro in which to have dinner. I did it twice, but for the life of me won't remember the names of them. But I can still feel and smell the atmosphere of both, and remember the taste of a magret de canard in Sauce Cassis from one and brasied rolled songbirds in the other. I could go on for days about Aix. I'll also say that even with my love of the town, I decided to skip it last year on my honeymoon after we spent an hour in traffic on the perimeter road. FWIW, you can also catch the TGV back to Paris from Avignon, where the new train station is a marvel. Tue May 13 09:54:17 -0700 2003 1388092 0 GG Mora 4 1388095 You make Aix sound lovely. Actually, I'm reading now the MFK Fisher book on Aix, Map of Another Town which mirrors your impressions--a delightful read. Tue May 13 11:20:01 -0700 2003 1388093 0 NewHavenMaven 5 1388284 I've just come back from taking a tour (I'm a tour manager) to Provence and we were based in the Novotel in Aix. For a group the Novotel was good but it is out of town. However I will say that I thought Aix was fabulous - a really classic place and not too touristy. Also Cassis is a wonderful place to visit - almost like St Tropez must have been 40 years ago (before Vadim, Bardot, Elton John, George Michael and Ginger Spice!). I ate a great Fruits-de-Mer on the ocean front. Great views from "Grande Tete". Nice visit and weather overall. Luberon's wonderful as is St Remy. Fri May 23 15:22:06 -0700 2003 1388095 0 peterpumkino