Les Bories is a Spa Hotel located in a the small village of Gordes in the Luberon. The Hotel has a one Michelin star restaurant serving delicate Provence cuisine in a breathtaking area. And it is very easy to access Gordes either from Marseille or from Avignon, through the motorway.
Tomato concassé and croutons
Cavaillon melon and lobster tempura
Seabass and verbena jelly
Beef fillet with truffle and mash potato cube
Cheese platter
Strawberry
Raspberry macarons, chocolate mousse, banana sweets
The first starter tasted a bit like a very good pizza base with good tomato paste and a lot of herbs. But nothing really mind blowing. The lobster tempura with melon was a funny one: we separately liked the lobster tempura a lot and we also liked the melon (which is a specialty of the region) but we are still wondering why we had the two on the same plate because we could not see any benefit at all.
The seabass was clearly the highlight of the menu and was the first display of true technique and taste of a one Michelin star restaurant. The texture was spot-on and the ingredients were fresh and simply cooked. Really nicely done. The beef fillet dish proved disappointing: although the meat was tender and well cooked, the truffle was tasteless and the potato cube, which had been prepared long before and just reheated before serving, left an impression of powdery texture.
Fortunately, things got better with cheese and pudding. The cheese platter was really impressive: all the classics were there, along with some very interesting not so well known names. The waiter must have realised we lived abroad when both Mme Sardine and I asked him to taste about ten different cheeses each. Desserts were quite good and allowed us to finish on a refreshing note.
The sommelier proved quite helpful and original, coming up with a very interesting "Vin de Pays" from the Rhone region at £30-40.
Overall, Les Bories deserves its reputation, thanks to a spotless venue and some very interesting dishes. Yes the menu lacks consistency but it is probably one of the best choices you could make for a sunny escape in the Vaucluse region.
Cost:
Tasting menus €52 / €70 / €92
Monsieur Sardine
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