SERVICE
Rooted in Provence With five Michelin stars to her name, acclaimed chef Hélène Darroze pours her creativity into Provençal produce at the new Villa La Coste culinary draw. Words: Lauren Jade Hill • Photography: © Bernhard Winkelmann
Y
ellow peach, radish, fennel and courgette
prawns in tandoori spices and a Cubeb pepper reduction
flower are just some of the freshly picked
with brown butter, spring onions and fresh coriander. The
ingredients highlighted alongside locally
Guillaume Galoppini Apricot in Bellegarde dessert then
sourced products in the garden-to-plate
pairs apricot with fermented milk, orange blossom ice
menu of Hélène Darroze à Villa La Coste, aptly
cream and an olive oil crumble. “At the moment, there are
titled ‘Walk in the Gardens of Provence’.
so many ingredients in the villa’s own garden; tomatoes,
July 2021 saw the opening of the globally renowned chef’s
cucumbers, courgette, aubergine, spring onions, potatoes
latest eponymous restaurant at the recently opened grand
and fruits like apricots and peaches,” explains the chef. “I
hotel, Villa La Coste, near Aix-en-Provence, where emotion,
have also discovered products I hadn’t used before, like fresh
sincerity and authenticity are imbued into the Provencal
chickpeas. I used these to cook a Provençal specialty called
hideaway’s culinary offering. “This is fine dining in the
Panisse, which is made by frying a chickpea dough until
middle of Provence, completely surrounded by countryside
it’s crispy. You can find salt, olive oil, almost everything
in this beautiful place; it’s just magical,” says Darroze. “In
in Provence, so that’s what we focus on. And with gardens
Provence the best products are found in the gardens and
surrounding the restaurant, the landscape is also a part of
landscape such as the forest, so my approach is based around
the design.”
these locally grown ingredients. Meat and seafood are used
The dining room is set within a glass-walled pavilion that
to support the vegetables, contrary to the usual approach.”
appears to be suspended over water, with a walkway leading
The restaurant’s eight-course, garden-inspired menu
to an outdoor terrace. Transparent drapes and elegant
was developed by Darroze alongside Marco Zampese –
furnishings in wood and white complement the panoramic
her head chef from Hélène Darroze at The Connaught in
views across the estate towards the Luberon Massif. The
London – Thomas Pézeril, Executive Chef at Villa La Coste,
artwork of acclaimed artist Louise Bourgeois hangs from
and Pastry Chef Kirk Whittle. Through the menu, this fine
the ceiling, and the contemporary creations of artisans
dining restaurant at the heart of the Château La Coste Estate
feature throughout. “Our art de la table is very special.
celebrates the opulence and diversity of fruit and vegetables
We collaborated with ceramicists to design unique plates
cultivated in the Provençal countryside.
in different colours and an artist from Venice to create the
The plate entitled Carrots by Bruno Cayron in Cayre de Valjancelle comes with candied citrus, roasted San Remo
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glassware, with flowers from the gardens then decorating the tables each day,” says Darroze.
