Chefs and prestigious restaurants in 2024

December 15, 2023

The beauty and atmosphere of the Provencal markets also awaken the imagination of the great chefs of Provence. They come to find inspiration, touch and smell the products, meet local producers and market gardeners.

Haute gastronomy is very present in Provence. In Bouches-du-Rhône alone, 18 restaurants are starred in the Michelin Guide. Many talented and passionate chefs share their love of great cuisine from Aix-en-Provence to the Alpilles via Arles or Avignon.

Mickaël Féval, young star chef, is located in the center of Aix-en-Provence. It offers in a neat and relaxed setting a creative and elegant cuisine. Pierre Reboul, 1 Michelin star, moved to Château de la Pioline a few kilometers from the center. With its particularly inventive cuisine, it wakes up the old stones of its magnificent 18th century establishment. Mathias Dandine, as for him, is still installed in the sumptuous setting of Lodges Sainte-Victoire, hotel which has just obtained its 5th star. Here, no recipes ready, the Chef is inspired by the scents and colors offered daily by the region.

Let’s go now to Arles where Jean-Luc Rabanel’s Atelier, 5 Gault & Millau toques and 2 Michelin stars, is established in the alleys of the old town, while Armand Arnal, 1 Michelin star and 3 Gault & Millau toques, works the vegetables of his kitchen garden at La Chassagnette, located route du Sambuc. An ideal place to discover the unique products of Camargue.

In Avignon, in a private mansion located next to the Palais des Papes, the young chef Florent Pietravalle signs a refined menu at La Mirande. His plates are tasty and breathe the South. It’s also in a very unique and historic setting, that chef Guilhem Sevin officiates. He took over the reins of restaurant Christian Etienne in 2016 and serves Provencal cuisine in a beautiful building of the 12th century. The wine list is simply outstanding.

In the magical environment of the Beaux de Provence, the Ousteau de Baumanière attracts an international clientele. Already more than 70 years of history for this beautiful table that offers a sober and elegant cuisine in the heart of the Alpilles. The wine cellar, composed of 50,000 exceptional bottles, will delight collectors and lovers of quality wines. In Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Fanny Rey, who entered the Michelin in 2017, and her husband Jonathan Wahid, hold their Inn in a family spirit. The chef, finalist of Top Chef in 2011, declines a tasty cuisine market. Recently awarded with a first star in the Michelin Guide, Lieven Van Aken is in charge of the kitchens of Aupiho, the gastronomic restaurant of the Domaine de Manville. This chef with exceptional expertise, native to Belgium, offers a map influenced by the quality and flavors of local produce and the nature of the Alpilles. Finally the chef owner Christian Peyre, 1 Michelin star and 3 Gault & Millau toques, holds the Maison de Bournissac, a Provencal cuisine in Paluds-de-Noves.