La Celle, Provence France
French
$50 or more
Our rating: 5 forks
Once upon a time, Abbaye de La Celle was a 12th century Benedictine Abbey. Today,
it’s a wonderful restaurant and four star hotel, conveniently located to two
destination golf courses. I don’t play golf much because the game takes so
much time, however our four-hour lunch was one worth repeating any day.
While there are several al la carte selections available, the menu at Abbaye de La
Celle, like many restaurants in France, is presented as a choice of prix fixe
selections. on our visit, there were four options: Abbaye's Grand Menu, Suggested
Menu, Gourmet Menu and the Tourist Menu. Dishes vary between the selections and
the courses range from six to three. Our group chose one of each of the prix fixe
choices. We found that regardless of your selection, the kitchen serves up an
additional course or two to stimulate the palette. In our case, the meal started
with a trio of spreads including a spectacular shredded rabbit. After that, some
in our party were treated to a small tasting of exquisite gazpacho, others tasted
a chilled avocado soup. The highlight of our meal was a roasted half rabbit.
Everything, from the presentation to the taste, was a joy for both the eye and the
palette. We choose to have our dessert and coffee in the Abbaye’s serene
garden. The kitchen again out did itself by offering a collection of imaginative
dessert dishes.
After lunch we toured the grounds which include an acre-sized vegetable garden,
olive trees, grapevines and a little shop selling food and kitchen supplies. Ask
to see the Chapter House, a wonderful ancient retreat which is available for
private parties.
Place du GŽnŽral de Gaulle
La Celle, Provence 83170 France
Near the town of Brignoles, about 62 Km from Aix-en-Provence or 97 Km from Canne.
04.98.05.14.14
Average Cost Per Person, excluding drinks: $50 or more
Patio, Private room, Table seating, Reservations, Credit cards, Bar,
Exceptional wine list, Snappy Casual, Smoking section, Romantic Spot, Notable
atmosphere, Prix fixe menu available, Specialty Food Market
Best Dish: Roasted rabbit
Notable Staff: Beno”t Witz, a longtime disciple of Alain Ducasse