A Michelin Star in South Luberon

Over the past two years (2019 and 2020) my wife and I have spent a few months in Lourmarin, one of the prettiest villages in France, on the south side of the Luberon mountain range (the Luberon is described as a “massif”, it is comprised of three mountain ranges). Villages on the south side of the mountains tend to get more of a Mediterranean climate than those perched on the north side. We’ve come to love this part of Provence and its lovely villages… among our favourite villages are Bonnieux, Cucuron, Lacoste, Gordes, Roussillon and, of course, Lourmarin - each one has unique features and stunning architecture… cameras will get lots of action!

Being “foodies” our focus has always included fine restaurants. Lormarin has no Michelin starred restaurants but I highly recommend “La Recreation”, for dishes representative of the region, and “Numero 9 —both have delicious food and are operated professionally. In our first visit to Provence we visited two well-known one-star Michelin restaurants nearby.

Our early favourite was La Petite Maison in Cucuron – we’ve had the best of times in this little restaurant. The village itself has a spectacular and large 14th-century pond in the main square (the Tuesday market is set around the pond and is a must-visit). Not only has the food been lovely, but Chef Eric Sapet often served many of the courses. We had one delightful afternoon on his patio when he chose all the wines for each dish and even joined us during the dessert course. We had a marvelous time… not only was the atmosphere tremendous but Chef Sapet made it very special.

Later that month we visited La Closerie in Ansouis. This restaurant was more formal than La Petite Maison, and, in many ways, more refined.

Last week (March 2020) we visited our third one-star restaurant La Fontenille outside of the small village of Lauris. Luckily we had a car equipped with GPS as the restaurant (and lovely Inn) is located well outside of Lauris… at one point we thought we had made a wrong turn, but alas we came upon some vineyards and found the entrance to the Inn on our left. It was a beautiful day so we ate al fresco on their fine patio. The service was pitch-perfec and the meal did not disappoint!

Our waiter was attentive without being intrusive. My first course was cod in an aniseed rock bisque- the bisque was exquisite! My main course was rabbit in a light cream sauce (delicious) and vegetables. The highlight, and most surprising, was the dessert. I ordered, “Orange soup with sweet spice”… I detected some cardamom which gave the soup a spicy and herbal taste and lovely fragrance. The soup was a revelation! I was truly surprised and satisfied with the whole dining experience. I saw a man standing by the Inn entrance and thought it was Chef Benjamin Patissier who earned his Michelin star over eight years ago at an unusually young age for such acclaim. Turns out the man I was observing was the Hotel’s Directeur, Olivier Nahon, who came over and spoke with us. He mentioned the gardens on the property and encouraged us to tour them, which we did following our lunch.

The grounds of the Domaine de Fontenille are gorgeous, with a large pond just below the patio. After walking through the herbs and lettuce patches we proceeded to visit the winery across the road. Here again we found delightful wines, at what I thought were very reasonable prices. The most impressive wine was their Alphonse 2017 which was a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache Noir. I was impressed with the subtle use of oak which was beautifully balanced against the fruit. After experiencing so many over-oaked New World wines (i.e. California and Australia, in particular) it was refreshing to see a more nuanced use of oak in red wine. At only 20.5 Euros, I couldn‘t resist buying a bottle!

One day, my wife and I will plan on eating there again but we’d also love to stay at the Inn where the rooms feature contemporary works of art and comfortable furnishings. Each room in the public rooms downstairs is decorated with at least one piece of art by artists who are known nationally or internationally. I highly recommend the Domaine de Fontenille, because they managed to balance a relaxed and comfortable style while maintaining a professional service ethic…this elusive and rare combination is what I believe is at the heart of true “hospitality”…it is when art meets managerial science…the yin and yang of the business. Bravo Domaine de Fontenille!

Contact information

Domaine de Fontenille – direction@domainedefontenille.com

Phone: +33 (0) 6 33 88 10 75

La Petite Maison – lapetitemaisondecucuron.com

Phone: +33 4 90 68 21 99

La Closerie – lacloserieansouis.com

Phone: +33 4 90 09 90 54