Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de La Celle

Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de La Celle Review

Superchef Alain Ducasse put this country inn—buried in the unspoiled backcountry north of Toulon and just south of Brignoles—back on the map a decade ago. Up the road from the town's royal abbey, this beautifully restored 18th-century bastide (country house)—a dream in ocher-yellow walls, Arles green shutters, and white stone trim—was once part of the convent where future queens of Provence were raised. Guest rooms mix Louis XVI and regional accents; half are split-level with their own gardens, some with views of vineyards, others of a park thick with chestnut and mulberry trees. Today the formidable kitchen is headed up by Chef Benoît Witz, whose seemingly magical creations find a superb balance (and a Michelin star) between taste and texture: velouté of crawfish gently covering a bruschetta topped with tomatoes and garden herbs, or duck breast with polenta and cherries.