Chateau de la Pioline

The chef is really nice, and you can talk directly with him through the view into the kitchen. The service was great. The food is an exciting gastronomic experience, with fine wines and local ingredients, especially olives. I won’t give away more, since being surprised is part of enjoying it.

We had a great dinner and met chef Pierre Reboul when we arrived. We got the terrace seating we’d requested, though the tables were very dusty and dirty and should have been wiped down first. I know it was outdoors, but with food and presentation this good, they need to pay more attention to those details. A few dishes were standouts. The green and black olive course in oil was one of my favorite bites ever. The smoked haddock cream amuse bouch with lemon caviar was amazing, as was the eel and beet amuse. My wife loved the dessert, which tasted like the best creamsicle, a pretty basic Western comparison, I know, but it was divine. The Arctic char and wild leek tempura was stellar too. The anchovy mousse in the anchovy dish was the one thing we weren’t keen on, it was acidic and quite pungent. But my wife, who hates sardines and anchovies, thought the fried sardine with cream sauce was amazing. Not sure why it asks for ratings of rooms, service and location, but for a normal restaurant rating, I’d give the food 5, service 5 and atmosphere 4. It just didn’t seem especially well kept. The meal was amazing, though. Thank you.

I rarely write reviews, but this meal deserved one. It wasn’t inexpensive, though it was one of the few meals that felt worth every penny. I’d give more stars if I could. Bravo to Pierre and the whole staff! The room felt royal, with gold leaf and plaster everywhere. It’s apparently a former residence of a king’s wife from 3-400 years ago. The food was exquisite, inventive and fabulous, with intense flavors and dishes clearly thought through. We chose the 3 course menu, but with all the extras between and after, it felt like we’d eaten 10 courses or more. The service was just as good, maybe even better. Our waiter and the Sommelier were funny and genuine, never stuffy or pretentious, and they were as much a part of the experience as the food.

The three course meal left us completely overwhelmed by every presentation, and the chef has a real flair for the extraordinary. The setting is beautiful, and even during a heat wave it was relatively comfortable outside in the evening. I’m giving three stars because getting back became a problem. When we asked for a taxi as we were leaving, it became clear we were stranded outside the city center, and staff offered little help. I’d expect a Michelin-starred restaurant to have some influence with local transport so guests can get back to their hotel. Maybe that’s just an "American" expectation, but it was frustrating either way. If you go, arrange transport both ways.