Le Mas Bottero

In this restaurant near Aix-en-Provence, head chef Nicolas Bottero (previously in Grenoble) serves up exciting, flavoursome and fragrant cuisine. As a child, he used to spend time in the region visiting his grandmother, and has retained an affection for the colours of the South of France and an attachment to the land. You can tell as much from the green asparagus from Mallemort, sautéed à la minute, with creamy morels and a vin jaune emulsion, or the blood oranges on a baba au rhum infused with star anise and a refreshing sorbet. Local farmers are among his suppliers, and a small kitchen garden provides the aromatic herbs. The terrace to the rear of the building overlooks a small garden. Discreet, humble and enthusiastic, Nicolas Bottero gets our vote.

• A modern one star address near Aix-en-Provence built around Provence produce, seasonal colour, and disciplined cooking times.
• The menu often spotlights a single ingredient in different textures, with perfume and acidity doing as much work as richness.
• Terrace dining at the back of the house, looking onto a small garden, gives the meal a slower, rural cadence.

• Green asparagus from Mallemort, sautéed à la minute, with morels, cream, and a vin jaune emulsion.
• Blood oranges with a rum baba infused with star anise, served with a refreshing sorbet.
• Aromatic herbs from the on-site kitchen garden.

Modern Provençal tasting menus shaped by the market and the seasons, served lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, plus Sunday lunch. Cooking centres on precise doneness, perfume, and local producers, with herbs picked from the restaurant's small kitchen garden.