Luberon: selection of gourmet addresses to discover in Provence

Pierre, a native of Alsace, and Jessica, his American partner, met across the Atlantic, but it was in this small village of 1,300 inhabitants that the lovebirds finally settled down three years ago. Their pocket cellar quickly became an essential meeting place for lovers of “living wines”, whether local or passing through. In addition to a selection of ciders and craft beers, there are 350 references, all tested and approved by the sparkling couple, who personally know all the winemakers.

4 place Gambetta, 84480 Bonnieux (06 70 20 39 84).
facebook.com/RacinesVins

A 10-minute drive from Bonnieux, escape to the Relais & Châteaux Coquillade Provence, set in the middle of vineyards and lavender fields. This luxurious estate, a former hamlet with pretty, fully renovated cottages, offers 68 rooms and suites, and has three restaurants, all supervised by the talented Pierre Marty (ex-Ducasse): Avelan, a gourmet restaurant; Les Vignes, renowned for its local and fresh cuisine; and finally Cipressa, a friendly address in an idyllic setting, with a view of the swimming pool, where you can enjoy splendid pizzas and Mediterranean specialties, such as delicious stuffed vegetables.

Hamlet Le Perrotet, 84400 Gargas (04 90 74 71 71).
coquillade.fr

In another life, Clémentine Vaysse was a journalist. Today, the young woman thrives in the middle of her 2,000 m2 plot. She cultivates aromatic plants (basil, parsley, verbena, etc.), salads and young shoots (mustard, rocket, mizuna, etc.) using permaculture for a fresh mesclun. Several local chefs are among her regular customers. Clémentine also sells directly at night markets, on Tuesdays in Lourmarin, on Thursdays in Lauris, and in the independent producers’ store La Bardane, in Cadenet.

https://www.instagram.com/lesherbesdelamesangebleue/
https://magasinproducteurslabardane.fr/

Recently installed in the village of Bonnieux, Julien Allano’s restaurant (who has worked at the Michelin-starred La Mirande and Le Clair de la Plume) is well worth a detour on the holiday route. His creative, bold and gourmet cuisine combines his Provençal origins with infinite finesse and the influence of his pied-noir grandmother’s dishes. A preview of the stunning menu (which changes very regularly): creamy tofu and ponzu gel beignet (inspired by a Tunisian beignet) and Mont Ventoux pork lacquered with spiced caramel. A pure delight.

Lunch menu from €48.
2 rue Lucien Blanc, 84480 Bonnieux (04 90 75 88 62).

https://ju-maisondecuisine.com/fr/

Perched on the heights of Bonnieux, the Capelongue estate has just been completely renovated by the Beaumier group. All the buildings have been redesigned. An ideal spot for a lazy weekend, you can enjoy a pastis (about fifteen to choose from) leaning on the Provençal bar or strolling by the pool (there are even two). As for food, the bar is high with La Bastide, the gourmet restaurant of Michelin-starred Noël Bérard, on one side, and La Bergerie, on the other, where fish, meat and vegetables are grilled. The pizza with cream, garlic and white truffle is to die for. The dessert buffet is also quite impressive.

The Claparèdes
550 chemin des Cabanes, 84480 Bonnieux (04 90 75 89 78).

https://www.beaumier.com/fr/proprietes/hotel-capelongue

Discover the recipe for Lemon Verbena Creponné

In its green setting, the elegant building and the surrounding gardens invite you to completely disconnect. People don’t come to the Domaine only for the sublime setting, but also for the cuisine of Guillaume Goupil, whose talent is expressed around a table that has just been awarded a star (only six months after opening), Le Champ des Lunes, and a bistronomic restaurant, La Cuisine d’Amélie. The chef, originally from Normandy, draws his inspiration from the local terroir, but also directly from the adjoining vegetable garden where peas, beans, tomatoes, artichokes grow…

Route de Roquefraiche, 84360 Lauris (04 13 98 00 00).

https://www.lesdomainesdefontenille.com/fr/

Discover the recipe for Warm salad of zucchini, blackberries and basil

The pretty hilltop village of Bonnieux and its medieval fortifications.

Opened in September 2021 by Bryan and Marie, a lovely couple in their thirties, this cheese shop has quickly become an institution. In their laboratory, they prepare a few of their own recipes, including cervelle de canut made with fresh goat’s cheese and herbs (a specialty of Lyon, where the couple lived before settling in Lauris), as well as homemade whipped cream. On their stall, great classics impeccably sourced (Comté, Brillat-Savarin, Mimolette vieille, etc.), and a lovely selection of fresh and dried goat’s cheeses, including Banon, wrapped in a chestnut leaf, or Brousse du Rove, another local star.

21 avenue Joseph Garnier, 84360 Lauris (04 90 68 28 11).
https://www.facebook.com/lafromagerieduluberon

This former train station converted into a bakery is always full. Pascal Coutaz, a former architect turned, offers dozens of varieties of bread, each one more beautiful than the last. It’s simple, we don’t know where to start. Here, no defrosted baguettes, but creations based on ancient wheat flours, kneaded with love, a focaccia with the perfect holes, and even a gluten-free option (made with rice flour). No sweets except for one exception, the famous pompe à l’huile, a highly addictive Provençal specialty.

Old station at the D973 roundabout, 84360 Lauris (04 90 77 83 87).

https://www.facebook.com/hautlespains

We can’t really call it a local specialty, and yet Raúl and Mustapha’s tofu is made from soybeans grown a few kilometers from their small artisanal workshop. These two fans of Japan (where they spent five years before settling in the Luberon) tasted tofus there that were produced according to the rules of the art, far removed from those consumed in France. They then had the idea of ​​developing their own range, with a Provençal twist: a version with Nyons olive tapenade, another smoked with Bonnieux cedar wood, or flavored with rosemary and sage that grow directly in their garden!

Online orders to be collected directly from the workshop
1777 chemin de la Marseillaise, 84220 Goult (06 02 17 00 12), or in around thirty local organic stores.

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Marine Manassero began her career in the wine industry, and worked for several years as a cellar master. Eager to get closer to her Provençal roots, the young woman took over in 2022 the plots of olive trees purchased by her grandfather in the 1990s to develop her own olive oil. And it is a success.
Its small artisanal production (2,000 bottles last year) seduces the palates of gourmets. It is distributed in delicatessens and local cellars, but also in the Paris region, in Belgium and in Luxembourg.
The Samatane Sheepfold
Vallon road, 13310 Saint-Martin-de-Crau.
https://lasamatane.com/
And also…

• K Delights of Provence (resid. Les Halles, 10 rue Marceau, 84480 Bonnieux, 04 90 75 06 88) to bring back delicious candied fruits, honey and artisanally made chocolates.
• The Pourcin butcher’s shop (34 avenue Joseph Garnier, 84360 Lauris, 04 90 08 26 21) renowned for its knife-cut andouillette and its juniper pâté.
• La Canorgue Castle (850 route du Pont Julien, D149, 84480 Bonnieux, 04 90 75 81 01), 40-hectare family vineyard run by Jean-Pierre Margan and his daughter Nathalie, who produce organic red, white and rosé wines.
• The Galinier guest house (avenue du 8 mai 1945, 84160 Lourmarin, 04 90 08 92 46) welcomes for the second consecutive year a chef in residence. This summer, and until September 1st, Johanna Solal offers a sensitive cuisine rooted in the local terroir.