Restaurant Pierre Reboul, Aix-en-Provence, France
Jon and I just returned to London after a week in Provence. It was nice to get away, but the trip didn’t turn out the way I’d pictured. On the three days of sunshine we had, it was hard to relax because outside our rental house, workmen were chain-sawing the branches off gorgeous plane trees (WHY?). And then we had three days of rain. Not even light, drizzly rain. Full-on gale-force downpour rain. [On the plus side, during one of those rainy days, Jon and I took refuge at the Thermes Sextius Spa, whose treatments were very good, but whose bath facilities weren't half as nice as those of the Bath Thermae Spa)].
In any case, after two days of exploring Provencal villages in the rain, Jon and I needed a Michelin-pick-me-up. Staying as we were in St. Cannat, there were “only” three Michelin-starred choices: La Table de Ventabren, Le Clos de la Violette, and Pierre Reboul.
I couldn’t get through to anyone at La Table de Ventabren, and Le Clos de la Violette was dinged for being listed in every guidebook about Provence; for being demoted from 2 stars to 1 in 2008; and for having been referred to in a September 2009 Chowhound post as having “sucked.”
So, off to Pierre Reboul. I had misgivings about going there after this July 2009 NYT article described a Pierre Reboul dish of chopped-corn “cocaine” that you eat through a straw, but it still sounded better than going to Le Clos.
And it turned out my skepticism was entirely unfounded. Our meal was great from start to finish. Every server was friendly and helpful, following our lead and generally speaking to us in French. And while I’m not a huge fan of molecular gastronomy (e.g., I didn’t enjoy eating at the Fat Duck), I thought the food at Pierre Reboul was creative and fun while still being something I’d want to eat. In short, I’d love to go back.
Jon and I chose the “mid-priced” 78-euro menu, somewhat insultingly named “Les Amateurs.” (The high-priced “Les Experts” menu is 120 euros a person, and the low-priced “L’Initiation” menu is 47 euros).
Highlights of our evening were the pot au feu, pan-seared foie gras, the filet de pigeon and the chocolat courses. All these dishes stood out for being unusually-presented, delicious and a lot of fun to eat. For example, the pot au feu was served (from left to right in the below photo) with the meat stew in gelatin form; the carmelized onions in a crispy shell and topped with vinegary, crunchy sprouts; the leeks in ice cream form; and the carrots in a foamy puree. Eaten together, the ingredients tasted exactly like pot au feu, and the variety of textures and temperatures elevated the dish from humble to elegant.
deconstructed pot au feu
- pan-seared foie gras with apple and passionfruit
Drome pigeon filet with petits pois ice cream and creme brulee
chocolate ravioli in a spiced coulis, with white chocolate sorbet on the side
Dishes that were still pretty tasty but didn’t 100% work for me were: the sous-vide salmon (because it’s hard to get excited about salmon, no matter how silky), the Munster profiterole (because the Munster was just too stinky, stiff and cold), and the Granny Smith “ile flottante” (for the meringue bit being too spongy).
sous-vide salmon with grapefruit
Munster profiterole with carrot-cumin sorbet
Granny Smith apple fake ile flottante
A wine pairing for the “Amateurs” menu is 52 euros, and I’d highly recommend it. The pairing choices perfectly heightened and/or complemented the flavors of each course (as they are supposed to do), and the options reflected a refreshing broad-mindedness (especially for a Michelin-starred French resto) with only three of eight pairings hailing from France and one even coming from Canada (!).
The one drawback of our meal was that I wasn’t a fan of the restaurant’s decor, which was too heavy on the pastels. Of course, when the food is this interesting and tasty, the decor is pretty irrelevant. At 78 euros, the Amateurs menu was great value, and next time I’m in Aix, I’d love to try out the 120-euro Les Experts menu.
Restaurant Pierre Reboul, 11 petite rue Saint Jean, 13100 Aix en Provence, +33 (0)4 42 20 58 26
I have yet to try molecular gastronomy…we certainly need one here in Toronto. Whenever we travel (recently to Barcelona), we always have our daughter with us, and so we never get a chance for an “adult” night out.
somewhat insultingly named “Les Amateurs.”
Well as the French use the word somewhat “Amateurs” to also describe enthusaits, fans and basic persons who have a strong interest in a an activity, one should not be insulted
Although this kinda thing isn’t my normal cup of tea, I do like the presentation. Especially the ‘foie gras in a tin’.
BTW was the Canadian wine, a dessert wine ?
Food looks fantastic! Sorry to hear about the weather, it was actually sunny in London for a change!
Sounds great and the food looks beautifully presented from your photos.
Jen – Other than having your daughter sleep in a pram at a restaurant, I can see what you mean. Good thing there’s always lunch.
Stella – Good point, but of course I can help wanting to be an expert rather than an amateur, regardless of connotations en francais.
Mr. Noodles – Yes, the foie gras in a tin made me laugh, and yes, the Canadian wine was dessert-y. It was an apple-tasting “ice cider” by Hemmingford. Tasty stuff and could be ordered for 11 euros a glass.
Jane – Was it really sunny in London all week? [I can't help feeling disappointed to hear that, lol.]
Gourmet Chick – Yes, it was. I was glad for your posts on Aix in order to know which places to avoid as you didn’t seem to really enjoy your meals there (save for your “OK” rating to Le Passage, which I walked by multiple times).
It’s funny how Les Amateurs translates so badly. I would have felt the same!
Looks like a fantastic meal. Something on the pigeon dish looks like it’s on fire?
FT
funthyme – You have an eye for detail. Indeed, there was a petits pois “creme brulee” that our server lit on fire to create a crackly sugar crust. Beneath the crust was a bit of mashed potato and peas. It wasn’t bad, but mostly it was there to be a temperature and texture contrast to the petits pois ice cream on the lollipop stick.
Thanks for clearing that up, I would never have guessed. That is a truly ridiculous plate of food but at the same time it makes total sense and I desperately want to eat it.
[...] markets in l’Isle sur la Sorgue, getting some sun and sea in the pretty port town of Cassis, enjoying a splashy meal at Pierre Reboul in Aix, and revisiting some old favorites in Nice. And the restaurant adventures in London continued, with [...]