If any of you lovely readers haven’t seen the film A Good Year (2006), stop reading immediately and go and watch it! Just kidding, maybe keep reading and then watch it later, it’s a must-watch! Based on a Peter Mayle novel, the film depicts a British investment banker played by Russel Crow, who inherits his uncle’s chateau and vineyard in Provence, where he spent much of his childhood. He rediscovers his love of Provence and falls in love with a new laid-back lifestyle (and a gorgeous French lady of course), as he tries to renovate the estate to be sold. The film beautifully depicts the stunning landscapes and towns of Provence, including sweeping shots of Gordes, ranking as one of the most beautiful villages in France, it also happens to be the location of L’Orangerie. Having seen the film, it became my mission to sip rosé and eat cheese amongst the vineyards and lavender fields of Provence. 

If you google pictures of Gordes, you will see a stunning medieval walled labyrinth of stone houses, cobbled streets, corridors and viewpoints all built on medieval ramparts. Other than the view of Gordes itself from a viewpoint across the valley, the most common photos are those of the iconic hotel La Bastide de Gordes. Built in the  16^th Century, the castle’s architecture has remained largely unchanged since it was the home of the Count of Provence, which makes it a magical dinner setting, beautifully reflecting the character of the French village. 

Having been led through the castle we came to a breath-taking terrace with gorgeous panoramic views over the Lubéron. L’Orangerie is a Provencal style bistro set under the shade of numerous mulberry trees, with black iron chairs and crisp white table cloths. The perfect spot for a romantic sunset dinner, with unbeatable views of the French countryside. 

First things first we ordered a bottle of Lubéron rosé, of course, by the end of our trip rosé was flowing through our veins. They then brought us some delicious meaty olives and a couple of amuse-bouches, and some incredible crusty mini baguettes. I don’t know about you but I love going to a restaurant that serves amuse-bouches, it really does amuse my bouche! 

Speaking of amusement, before the first course arrived a magician came to our table and started performing the most insane magic tricks I have ever seen in real life. Besides pulling a full bottle of wine out of thin air (a trick I would desperately love to perfect), his best trick will take some explaining so bear with. He presented me with a deck of cards, with names of famous people on them and asked me to pick one at random. I picked Charlie Chaplin, and he proceeded to ask me questions (e.g. is this a man or woman), and he had to try and glean the answer from me without me responding. Then he folded a piece of paper and started to cut it, like you do when you cut snowflakes as a child, whilst still asking me questions. He unfolded the end product and my mind was blown…

After having my mind completely blown, my starter arrived. For my starter, I ordered the Crispy Octopus, Tomatoes and Artichokes Confit, Pesto, Olives and Arugula. The textures of the dish were really well balanced with larger pieces of soft octopus contrasting with smaller crispier pieces, and the sweet tomatoes beautifully complimented the saltiness of the artichokes. The dish as a whole was a delightful mélange of textures and flavours. 

For my main course there was a clear winner for me when it came to my order – Beef tenderloin ‘Rossini’ style, mashed potatoes, braised greens and truffle jus. I ordered my steak medium-rare, and it came perfectly cooked with a jus deliciously rich in both colour and flavour. The velvety smooth mashed potato was the perfect accompaniment, and the shavings of truffle made me all too happy, I am the truffle queen after all. A minor criticism of this dish was that the ‘braised greens’ was one green leaf and for the sake of a balanced dish I could have done with slightly more. As is the way with Rossini style beef, it was served with a hot slice of fresh whole foie gras briefly pan-fried at the last minute. I left this however as I am not a foie gras eater but if you are then I’m sure it would have been a delicious addition to the dish.

Despite the fact that I was more than full by this point, stuffed to the brim would be a more appropriate phrasing, the dessert menu was calling, and as its loyal subject, I responded. The dessert menu was extensive and diverse, but one dessert rose above them all (literally). The ‘Louis Alexandre’ Grand-Marnier soufflé with Bourbon vanilla ice cream was the clear queen of this dessert menu, and it did not disappoint. It had risen the perfect two inches clear of the ramekin, and the top of the soufflé had a firm golden-brown crust and was moist, warm and deliciously creamy inside…perfection! It went beautifully with the Bourbon vanilla ice cream, and the entire dish was the perfect end to the meal; I mean you have to go all out once in a while, right? 

When I had finished my insanely rich three-course meal, the waiters brought out two raspberry macarons with cream and fresh raspberries, I ate both of them of course…you can’t go wrong with a good macaron! 

If you want to feel like kings and queens of the world (and are willing to pay a royal amount), this is the perfect place to treat yourself to a breath-taking dinner with unrivalled views and delicious food and wine! 

N.B Before dinner we went to Le Tigrr for a glass of rosé, which is in the same hotel and has a beautiful lounge area on the terrace with similarly picturesque views to L’Orangerie, so I would definitely recommend extending your evening with an aperitif there first. They also serve some incredible looking sushi, but this didn’t really fit my provincial French holiday.