gopack

We will be leaving on April 16th for our 2 week trip - first week in Barcelona and the 2nd week in Provence and Cote d'Azur.

Can you please help me with restaurant suggestions for lunches and dinners in France? Here are the places we will staying so you know the general areas we will be visiting.

St. Remy - 2 nights at Mas de Carassins.

Gordes - 3 nights at La Ferme de la Huppe

St. Paul - 2 nights Le Hameau

Last day in Old Nice - need dinner recommendation before leaving on an evening flight out of Nice airport.

Looking for charming places with views, great food, good service, etc.

Thanks to everyone who offered so much helpful advice to all my trip questions so far!

Ginny

gopack

Just bumping to the top!! Hope someone can post their favorite places for lunch or dinner on the Provence and Luberon areas in France.

Thanks,
Ginny

cigalechanta

In the Luberon: in Bonnieux, 'Le Fournil,"
Lourmarin, "Moulin de Lourmarin,"
in Saignon, "Auberge de Presbytyre,"
Les Imberts, ""Mas de Tourteron,"
Cucuron, "Le Petite Maison,"(I hestitate on this one because it was so-o-o expensive)
In Nice, "La Merenda," and "äliziari."

Underhill

At La Ferme de la Huppe there's an excellent, well priced restaurant; we were only there one night but wished we could have eaten there several more times.

Near le Hameau, in St-Paul-de-Vence, is a nice tea salon called La Cocarde.
It's open until about 8:00 in the evening and has such things as pasta, soup, omelettes, and light main courses--a good variety of choices. It's great when you're worn out from sightseeing and don't want a three-course meal. The restaurant is about halfway up the main street in the village, on the left. Look for the blue and yellow décor.

In Vieux Nice we keep going back to L'Ecurie, at 4, rue du Marché. Good French and Italian/Niçois food and a nice wine list. The pasta au pistou is exceptionally good there.

PBProvence

With only two nights here in ST Remy, you won't get to them all, but here are a few recommendations:

St Remy:
Jardin de Frédéric
Small, cozy restaurant with a small outdoor terrace. Good seafood dishes. Friendly owner and service is good.
Closed Sunday and Monday lunch
Dress - Casual
8, boulevard Gambetta Tel: 04 90 92 27 76
Menus offered at 25 and 28 euro (dinner) 16 euro (lunch)

La Serre
Charming restaurant in an old greenhouse in the village - chef is the grandson of Gaston Lenotre. Very good, inventive food, reasonably priced.
Dress - casual
8, rue Commune Tel: 04 90 92 37 21

La Source
Charming, small restaurant fairly off the tourist path. Very good food, beautiful shaded terrace overlooking a garden for summer dining. Closed Wednesday
Totally non-smoking
13, avenue Liberation Tel: 04 90 92 44 71
Lunch menu around 21 euro Dinner menus 30/40 euro

Outside of St.Remy, on the D5 just outside of Graveson:

Moulin d'Aure

Also a B&B, the restaurant is wonderful. The owners are Italian, so many of the dishes are Italian inspired. Reasonably priced, with a decent wine list that includes some good Italian choices.

Outside of St. Remy in the direction of Noves:
La Maison (Domaine de Bournissac)
New restaurant and country inn (about two years old) - in a lovely old mas. Excellent cuisine. Terrace shaded by a fig tree. A bit on the expensive side.
Closed Monday and Tuesday noon
tel: 04 90 90 25 25
Menu at around 40 euro


Les Baux de Provence

* Riboto de Taven
In the Val d'Enfer, just below the village of Les Baux. An excellent Michelin one star restaurant for thirty-five years, they've turned in their star and are no longer serving a varied menu. They've become a country inn and serve a dinner with a set menu . Call in advance to see what they're serving - and if they have room. The menu changes with the seasons, but always includes regional dishes. Beautiful garden and terrace with a view of the village of Les Baux. Dining on the terrace in the summer months, otherwise indoors in what was once the bergerie (sheepfold).
Dress - Dressy casual, although no ties required for men.
Tel: 04 90 54 34 23
Menu is usually around 45 euro

cigalechanta

All of Patricia's are very good (Riboto, a favorite)
Patricia, can you answer the tipping thread, please.

StuDudley

We've vacationed for 4 weeks in all the places your visiting, except for St Remy where we've only stayed for 2 weeks. PB Provence gave you good recs for there.

Our favorite, by far, in the Luberon is Bernard Mathys. Beautiful setting, friendly service (Bernard will probably take your order himself, and then go prepare it).

Near St Paul, it's hard to find really good places without driving to Biot or spending lots of Euros. L'Abbaye in Colle is a nice setting with good food, and Auberge de Tourrettes was quite a surprise - very creative.

In Nice, I have never had what I consider to be an excellent meal - and often it has been terrible. Perhaps the best thing to do is to go to the Cours, and expect little, but enjoy the scenery & people watching on your last night in France.

Stu Dudley

tedgale

Another vote for Ferme de la Huppe: We liked it so well when we dined there with our hosts (Terribly impressive citizens-of-the-world) that when we left their home, we presented them with a gift certificate for dinner for four at -- Ferme de la Huppe.

cigalechanta

Auberge de tourettes, another good one and also the Auberge de la Loup.

Underhill

Forgot to suggest Le Bistrot de Paradou (see the latest Condé Nast Traveler for a spread that includes this restaurant). The restaurant is right on the road bewteen Fontvielle and Maussane-les-Alpilles. Both lunch and dinner are prix-fixe meals, with a set menu, although there are some choices--especially for dessert. The meal price includes a bottle, or more, of wine per table.

cigalechanta

Jean there is no choice for dessert, you get what is served that day.
True, you get the wine and if you drink alot like we do, the price is not out of line.

starrsville

In Nice, enjoyed a casual but delicious meal at Barracuda. I've seen it recommended elsewhere on this board recently as well.

While at Gordes, consider having dinner in Rousillon and watch a beautiful sunset amidst the red rocks.

gopack

I knew I would get some great recommendations on this board!! Thanks again - I am going to print this entire thread to take with us.

Merci Beaucoup!

Ginny

If anyone else has more places to recommend, please add them to the list.

PBProvence

I know I'll get more grief for this from some of you, but if you have a short time to spend, don't spend it eating at Bistrot de Paradou. After years of publicity in mags like Bon Appetit and Conde Nast it's become overpriced for what it is. Also, the desserts aren't even made in-house anymore, but purchased - what we call "industriel".

However... there is the Bistrot La Petite France and Jean-Louis' daughter Karine has a great little restaurant in Maussane:

La Vallée ( Chez Karine )
This restaurant was begun a couple of years ago by Jean-Louis' daughter Karine (Jean Louis of Bistrot du Paradou) and her sister. Her sister has gone on to other things, but Karine, along with the former chef at Cuisine au Planet in Fontvieille are doing good things here. One of their most successful menus has been based on the artichoke.... extremely popular.

15, avenue de la Vallée des Baux Tel: (33) 490 54 54 00
[email protected] website: www.la-vallee.net

* Bistrot de La Petite France
Former Michelin one star restaurant, just outside Maussane near Le Paradou in a renovated farmhouse. They "turned in" their star and changed the style of the restaurant to a less formal bistro. Excellent food, good service. One of the best wine lists in France (the chef's father is the owner of the largest wine distributor in the south of France)
Casual. Reservations recommended Closed Wednesday and Thursday
55, avenue de la Vallee des Baux Tel: 04 90 54 41 91
Menu - 25 euro

Patricia

PBProvence

Cigalechanta:
<<Patricia, can you answer the tipping thread, please.>>

Sorry, Mimi, can't seem to find which one you mean !

Patricia

StuDudley

I totally agree with Patricia on the Bistro du Paradou. It was probably the most disappointing meal we've had in Provence in the 12 or so weeks we've vacationed there. They seem to be resting on their reputation they gained from Peter Mayle & other travel magazines. We had very dry & overcooked leg of lamb when we were there. On another message board a few years ago, one contributor said that they were kinda stuck on lamb or chicken as the main course every night. It's a "fun" place, but the food was very second rate.

There are much better restaurants in the neiborhood. Chez Bru just got a second Michelin star.

Stu Dudley

cigalechanta

Chez Bru and their less expensive Petite Bru are excellent. They are both in Eygalieres.

Underhill

When we ate at the Bistrot du Paradou we had a choice of six desserts.

hopingtotravel

Re: comment on eating at Roussilon to watch sunset while staying in Gordes--any problem driving back to Gordes after dark? I assume the small roads in Provence aren't swathed in streetlights!

StuDudley

>>>Re: comment on eating at Roussilon to watch sunset while staying in Gordes--any problem driving back to Gordes after dark? I assume the small roads in Provence aren't swathed in streetlights!<<

No streetlights, but it's no different from driving country roads in the US, if that's where you are from.

Only thing to watch out for is to look both ways when turning right onto a cross street - there may be a car in your lane passing another car in his/her proper lane. Europeans like to pass more often than we do in the US.

Stu Dudley