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"La Bastide de Marie**** Restaurant
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Filled with the essence of Provence, the cuisine of "La Bastide de Marie" has a simplicity of preparation, but a sophistication of taste that makes it a pleasure to eat.
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Peter and Linda D'Aprix 2005
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The food of the restaurant at La Bastide Marie near the village of Menerbes, in the Luberon hills of Provence is produced in the "market menu" style. That is, whatever is the best and the freshest of the day drives the menu. Early in the morning a procession of truck gardeners and other purveyors arrive, go over what is best offerings with the chef and the menu takes shape. There are core recipes for all seasons of the year that the hotel La Bastide Marie is open (April-October), but the daily variety imposes the need to be flexible and creative on the chefs. The happy result is that you never eat the same dish twice no matter how long you stay at the hotel.
The menu also relieves you of having to wade through a fixed menu. It is always a three course menu with a choice of two starters, main courses and desserts plus the buffet style pre-dinner nibbles layout. In two lunches and two dinners, we were only disappointed once in a dish and then it was not the taste, just the overly generous quantity of sauce on a pasta selection. Hardly earth shattering.
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View of the kitchen between meals from the "French" doors set in the wall of glass. The hams served as "help your self" for breakfast and pre-meal snacks hang above.
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Chef Laurent, 2nd to Executive Chef Gérald Potron who is responsible for the menu and the style of the cuisine. In his absence, his right hand man, Laurent served admirably.
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Fillet of Salmon fried with Olive Oil from the Bastide, baby Fennel, carrots and an emulsion of green Cardamom.
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A table set for dinner on the enclosed dining terrace.
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Courgette Farcie and giant grilled shrimp.
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The aperitif buffet and the chalk board daily menu.
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Click on the "zoom+" to see larger version.
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© 2005 photos Peter D'Aprix
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The kitchen is a designers dream; not to mention a chef's paradise. Set in a former stone out-building, the front wall is entirely of glass with French doors that let in light and a steady breeze. The pots are copper, the work surfaces polished stone, the cabinets and ovens black iron with brass trim. So it may be a bit small but then many kitchen processes just move out doors under the shade of the trees along with the tomatoes drying in the sun.
The entrance to the dining terrace is also a wide open glass affair which lets you watch your meal being prepared. Just stay out of the way of the waitresses who sling the heavy metal trimmed glass door around like so much foam core. This is the restaurant of simply one of the most charming and discrete deluxe luxury country inns we have come across. Tucked away in a valley carpeted in vineyards that surround around the old, stone farm house in a gentle embrace, the Bastide is located at the base of the hills supporting Ménerbes, not far from Avignon and a stone's throw from Bonnieux; this area of the Luberon is a nature park in itself. A land of rustic beauty.
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Apricot Tart cooling before serving with afternoon tea.
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Kitchen counter by the window wall with ham, fresh picked thyme from the hills and part of a long rack filled with glass jars of hundreds of herbs and spices.
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Baked Eggplant en Cocotte.
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Glass cocotte de legumes with emulstion of lemongrass.
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The ambience sets high expectations so we are happy to report that the food is excellent, beautifully served and inventive in its tastes though rooted in the tastes and ingredients of Provence. The Bastide also has its own winery which we found to be well suited to the food and the ambience of the place. We personally loved the very dry and pale rosé. Who, after all, can come to Provence and not drink the rosé?. Sipping the rosé or a pastis while eating lunch or dinner on the terrace on a sunny day in the shade of the plain trees, looking over the fresh green vineyards to the hills not far away is sublime and is what memories are made of.
As we arrived just before lunch, we were immediately shown to the terrace shaded by the plain trees with the view over the fresh green leaves of the vineyards. The menu is hand "chalked" onto a small black board just outside the kitchen, so remembering what to order is aided by the very helpful young women who serve you. Our lunch started us out on the right foot. The Feta Green Salad was a pleasant balance of tart and light. The olive tart was served on paper thin pastry more like a mini pizza with green olives and melted cheese set in a black olive tapenade. The Rascasse fish was done perfectly and light served with a cocotte of roast potatoes. There was an artichoke penne pasta on the menu we had to order and it was delicious, but it was swimming in an artichoke cream sauce which was excellent but overwhelming.
The Banette of Beuf was tender and perfectly done served with grilled onions and a cocotte of grilled eggplant with figs. All irrigated with the lovely pale rosé of Domain de Marie, their winery responsible for the vineyards and a two minute walk from the terrace door.
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The main salon with the massive fireplace to the right.
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The smoking section of the formal dining room.
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The facade from the side terrace where you can have snacks all day, drinks, sun bath, read books and have an aperitif while you mull over lunch or dinner options.
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Young Pigeon roasted with Lavender Honey with Candied Eggplant and the small, violet artichokes of Provence.
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Dinner that night was a lovely affair taken in the glass enclosed part of the terrace as the evenings chilled down. The sun was still shining in as we took our first sips of wine and by the time coffee arrived, darkness had descended giving us a constantly changing view of the valley. The buffet of goodies and aperitifs had set the tone so when the warm ragout of vegetables arrived for Linda, it was well received. My Cocotte de Legumes in a Lemongrass Emulsion was superb with the added accent of the Chanterelles. These were followed by one of our eternal favorites when done well - Magret de Canard done in a Lavender Honey sauce. It was perfection accompanied with home sun dried tomatoes (thus dry not chewy), baby olives overlaid with the delicate taste of Salsify.
The simple but absolutely delicious dessert of red berries served as what we Americans call a "cobbler" but can also be described as a "crumble" that was accompanied with a taste of Almond Ice cream that was quickly reverting to its former state, topped off an excellent meal. Coffee and chocolates in the library finished off the meal.
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Roast Pigeon des Alpilles and baked Turnips with a cocotte of snow peas on the side.
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The talented and pleasant young men of the kitchen. Left to right: Pierre Alban Trambouze (meat), 2nd Chef Laurent (everything) and Símon Fonton (pastry). Who would not have a smile working in such a kitchen1
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Salad of baby beet greens and tomatoes sundried just outside the kitchen doors.
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Olive tart was served on paper thin pastry more like a mini pizza with green olives and melted cheese set in a black olive tapenade.
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Our visit was blessed with lovely, dry, sunny weather, so our second lunch and dinner were just as graced with outdoor eating. The lunch sparkled with sunbeams and good taste not to mention more of the dry and drinkable rosé. Linda's warm artichoke, shallot and sprout salad hit the spot as did my baby beet green and home sun dried tomato salad. It was followed by a light and easy grilled Filet de St. Pierre. My roast Pigeon des Alpilles served with long, white, roast turnips and a couple of roast garlic cloves was also good. Leaving my sinning for dinner, I restrained myself with the home made soft vanilla ice cream and espresso.
Dinner was a pleasant replay of the night before watching the light fade over the hills and the kitchen staff at work through the glass arched windows that separates the dining terrace from the kitchen. The Zucchini flowers stuffed with Zucchini and olive paste was accompanied with grilled giant shrimp with a sprinkling of roasted pine nuts and dabs of basil sauce was filled with the tastes of Provence. The salmon trout was poached to perfection, moist and delicate was served with some clams and thick sliced potatoes grilled with Laurel.
With a dessert choice of a warm chocolate mini-cake with a liquid chocolate center served with vanilla ice cream and more chocolate sauce the choice was no choice. Meanwhile Linda had a sensible plate of fresh fruit and lemon sorbet with a mini spice cake.
Each menu has a fish or meat choice. All the meals are light but in no way lack delivery of taste of satisfaction. You don't walk away hungry, ever. Because the menu is based on the best of the daily market offerings, the dishes are filled with not only the talents of the chefs but the saveurs of ingredients served at their prime.
As you may have guessed, we can hardly wait to go back for more and would encourage anyone to do the same whether you stay the night or are just passing. Reservations are necessary.
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Bastide Marie
Route de Bonnieux - Quartier de la Verrerie
84560 Ménerbes (near Avignon)
France.
tel: 33-(0)4.90.72.30.20
fax: 33-(0)4.90.72.54.20
e-mail:bastidemarie@c-h-m.com
http://www.c-h-m.com
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The Compagnie des Hôtels de Montagne are a small but deluxe group of family created hotels, country inns and a spa. Just click left to visit their site.
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How To Get There:
Driving:
By plane
Airport of Marseille Provence 60 km - (1 hour)
Airport of Avignon 35 km - (40 minutes)
By train
The Avignon train station is served by the South-East TGV
Direct line Paris-Avignon (3 hours 50 minutes)
By taxi
We are at your disposal to organize your transfert from your arrival place to the hotel.
From Marseille Provence Airport (100 € for two pers. + luggages)*
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