La Bastide de Moustiers
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France
⭐1 Star
The Experience
From Michelin Guide
A swish handsome bastide sets the scene for a Mediterranean score that stars ingredients from the market and the kitchen garden managed by two full-time staff (don’t miss the adjoining herb garden). The chef pays tribute to the Provençal and Mediterranean repertory so dear to Alain Ducasse, such as lightly seared giant red shrimp paired with courgette flower stuffed with ricotta and ‘nduja. Vegetables take the limelight and boast their own bespoke menu. The pleasant setting, including a plethora of olive trees and a plane tree-shaded terrace, adds to the attraction of this quintessential Provençal postcard.
Unique Things
From Visitor Experiences
Integration of Alain Ducasse’s personal art collections in themed lounges: The restaurant features several uniquely decorated lounges that reflect Alain Ducasse’s passions, such as the "Salon Voyage en Asie" with Japanese lacquer objects and a walnut fireplace, the "Salon des Arts décoratifs" showcasing works by René Lalique and Jean Luce, and the "Salon hommage à Moustiers-Sainte-Marie" honoring local ceramic art. This blend of culinary and artistic experience is unconventional for a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Exclusive private dining settings including a single-table salon for couples: La Bastide de Moustiers offers a very intimate dining option with a salon that contains only one table, designed specifically for romantic dinners, providing a uniquely private and personal experience rarely found in Michelin-starred establishments.
Use of a kitchen garden on the property to source fresh, seasonal ingredients: The restaurant’s menus change according to what is freshly harvested from its own vegetable garden, emphasizing a sincere and authentic cuisine that highlights plants and seasonal produce, which aligns with its Michelin Green Star recognition for sustainability.
Ingredient Stars
From Visitor Experiences
The most honored or signature ingredients at the Michelin-starred restaurant La Bastide de Moustiers in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie are:
Vegetables from their extensive kitchen garden: The restaurant boasts a 2000 m² vegetable garden and a 200 m² herb garden on its 4-hectare estate, providing the majority of its vegetables. These seasonal vegetables are central to the cuisine and often take the limelight with a dedicated vegetable menu. The chef uses a bio-intensive approach on living soil aiming for organic conversion, emphasizing freshness and terroir.
Herbs from the adjoining herb garden: Fresh herbs grown on-site are essential in flavoring dishes, reflecting the Provençal and Mediterranean culinary traditions that the restaurant honors.
Giant red shrimp: Featured in signature dishes, such as lightly seared giant red shrimp paired with courgette flower stuffed with ricotta and 'nduja, showcasing the Mediterranean influence and the balance of land and sea ingredients.
Courgette flowers: Used creatively, for example stuffed with ricotta and 'nduja, highlighting the restaurant’s focus on delicate, seasonal produce and refined presentation.
Goat cheese: Featured in signature dishes like creamy goat cheese tart, reflecting local dairy traditions and adding richness to the menu.
These ingredients are significant as they represent the restaurant’s philosophy of seasonal, local, and garden-fresh produce, prepared with simplicity and skill to highlight their natural flavors and the essence of Provençal cuisine.