Best Flowers For A Date

Here is the Second Part of our personal (and highly subjective) guide to some of the best restaurants in Provence.

You know, the more often I eat Provencal food, either at home or in the places described here, the more convinced I become that the cooking of Provence is the lightest, tastiest, most colourful, most elegant and above all healthiest food in the world. I've eaten in other parts of France - mostly in Paris, of course, and also in the Burgundy and Beaujolais regions - and in comparison with Provencal cooking the cuisine of those regions often seems too heavy, too rich, too complicated for my taste.

But, then again, maybe I'm just a little biased!

Please try one or more of these wonderful restaurants if you happen to be lucky enough to find yourself in Provence. I know that you won't be disappointed. And I know that I'll be there again very soon!

LOURMARIN:

Auberge La Feniere

Route de Cadenet

84160 Lourmarin

Vaucluse

Tel: 04 90 6811 79

Reine Sammut is recognized as one of the best women chefs in the whole of France. On a hill between the Durance and the Luberon she evokes all the color and sunshine of Provence in her wonderfully inventive cuisine, which could be described as a combination of local Provencal and modern international. One Michelin star, and a loyal local (and international) following. There's also a cheaper and more informal Bistro just down the road.

MARSEILLE:

L'Epuisette

Vallon des Auffes

13007 Marseille

Bouches-du-Rhone

Tel: 04 91 52 17 82

URL:

Jutting out into the Med, and looking more like a New England lobster shack than a French gourmet restaurant, Guillaume Sourrieu's L'Epuisette is probably the place in Marseille these days to sample a good, genuine, well-prepared and truly tasty bouillabaisse. All the other great fish and seafood classics are featured too, of course. A lovely place in a lovely spot.

Une Table, au Sud

Quai du Port

13000 Marseille

Bouches-du-Rhone

Tel: 04 91 90 63 53

URL:

Marseille is full of restaurants - good, bad and indifferent - and this relative newcomer on a corner of the Vieux Port is definitely one of the better ones. Young chef Lionel Levy trained with Alain Ducasse - so what more can one say? Meat, fish and seafood are of exemplary quality, the desserts are out of this world, and prices for both food and wine are extremely reasonable. And that's even without the incredible view! Highly recommended.

MAUSSANE LES ALPILLES:

Ou Ravi Provencau

Avenue de la Vall e-des-Baux

13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles

Bouches-du-Rhone

Tel: 04 90 54 31 11

This is the place to come for Provencal specialities, and if the weather allows you to eat them in the lovely flowered courtyard, tant mieux! A lovely restaurant in a lovely little village. Charming welcome. Good local wines.

La Petite France

Avenue de la Vall e-des-Baux

Paradou

13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles

Bouches-du-Rhone

Tel: 04 90 54 41 91

Just outside Maussane on the road to Fontvielle, this converted bakery was once a very tasteful, rather formal restaurant with one Michelin star. Now it has completely changed its style (although still under the same owner-chef) and is now providing a much cheaper, bistro-style food concentrating on fresh, local ingredients.

MONTE CARLO:

Le Louis XV

Place du Casino

98000 Monte Carlo

Monaco

Tel: 377 92 16 29 76

URL:

Is Monaco really part of Provence? Opinion differs. And who cares? This is one of the world's great restaurants and we just couldn't leave it out. Created by master chef Alain Ducasse, this temple of gastronomy has 3 Michelin stars and a score of 19/20 in GaultMillau. It is the epitome of elegance and luxury - and the food is truly unforgettable. Take out a second mortgage, and treat yourself! There is a (relatively) reasonably-priced lunch menu, including wine and coffee. (Note: Gentlemen are expected to wear a jacket and tie, even in the height of summer!)

ST-REMY-DE-PROVENCE:

Alain Assaud

Boulevard Marceau

13210 St-R my-de-Provence

Bouches-du-Rhone

Tel: 04 90 92 37 11

Alain Assaud has worked with some of the great names of modern French cuisine: Chapel, Troisgros, Verg . He produces simple, unadorned, even austere, dishes based on good, fresh local produce. A lovely little place in a lovely little town!

La Maison Jaune

15 Rue Carnot

13210 St-Remy-de-Provence

Bouches-du-Rhone

Tel: 04 90 92 56 14

For years Francois Perraud has been working diligently away in his charming little restaurant in an 18th century former merchant's house tucked away in one of the little backstreets of St-Remy. His hard work has now been rewarded (not before time) with a Michelin star. Fresh, bright, unfussy cuisine with some nice contemporary touches. Grab a seat on the terrace and look out over the rooftops ....

VAISON-LA-ROMAINE:

Le Moulin a Huile

Quai du Mal-Foch

84110 Vaison-la-Romaine

Vaucluse

Tel: 04 90 36 20 67

URL:

A converted olive mill on the banks of the river l'Ouveze provides a suitably elegant setting for Robert Bardot's inventive, imaginative Provencal cuisine, with just an added touch of Oriental spice here and there. Irreproachable food, wine and service.

This article has been adapted from the author's web site dedicated to the food, wine, restaurants and recipes of Provence. You can check it out here:mywork.name/loans/go/go.php?sid=1.cafe-de-provence]