Les Pres de Gordes

Raised in Marseille, Xavier Mathieu is a true-blue Provençal lad. He was introduced to the world of haute cuisine by master chef, Roger Vergé, a family friend. He went on to complete his apprenticeship with Joël Robuchon in Paris, before returning to the splendid family home nestling in the Luberon scrubland. The chef, who sports a distinctive shock of white hair, breathes new life into Provençal culinary traditions, giving each dish a new twist on its original form. Tian of black olives from the garden, leg of lamb from the Alpilles cooked in warm sand of the garrigue, two-course pieds et paq

In this restaurant located in a town that is a mecca for antiques dealers, diners are in good hands! Talented chef Romain Gandolphe brings delicacy and subtlety to his carefully crafted dishes, with a focus on both flavours and textures. Sit in the contemporary dining space with an inviting decor, or on the terrace overlooking the River Sorgue and its lush green banks – a real feast for the eyes. Attentive service and an interesting selection of regional wines.

In one of the most picturesque villages of Luberon, this stately home overlooking the valley now houses a luxury hotel and this restaurant, whose exquisite terrace is shaded by chestnut trees while commanding a knockout view. In the manner of a luxury brasserie, the menu adds a Provençal twist to a patriotic lineup of culinary classics: local lamb with green peas and smoked eel. Swish, seamless service.

Slices of Mediterranean dentex served raw, caraway, cauliflower and elderberry vinegar; Camargue bull, oyster tartare from the Étang de Thau and salicornia-pistachio pesto: there's no doubt that chef Jérôme Faure has a masterful understanding of gourmet cuisine. His subtly innovative take on fine dining is based on a rigorous selection of local ingredients. The same goes for the wines.

In Luberon, “bories” are dry-stone huts built by and for shepherds and they inspired the architecture of this farmstead on the road to Sénanque Abbey. Overlooking sweet-scented scrubland, the grounds and gardens provide the foundation of the scrumptious provençal-focused cuisine, which showcases regional produce such as Sisteron lamb and Mediterranean fish without forgetting fruit and veg from Luberon.

The chef proposes neoteric, distinctive cuisine, whose mainstay is wild herbs, which he learned to know through a local herb picker. Goosefoot, wild lemon balm, purslane, mugwort... The culinary score is poetic and rich in flavour, illustrated by Ventoux pork with helichrysum-flavoured poichichade. Consider us smitten!

This restaurant has an incredible location at the foot of the famous fountain from which the Sorgue river springs, and it certainly knows how to play on its bucolic charms. Father and daughter (the house has been in the family since 1926) offer a cuisine that plays the traditional card. Smiling and efficient service. Booking is obligatory in season.