3-Star Michelin | L’Oustau de Baumanière in Provence 🌿✨

By serendipity, L’Oustau de Baumanière —helmed by France’s youngest 3-star chef, Glenn Viel —welcomed me today. Nestled within the Relais & Châteaux 5-star Hôtel Baumanière , this legendary spot has held Michelin stars since 1954 . After Viel took over in 2015, it reclaimed its third star in 2020 . Past guests? Queen Elizabeth II, Churchill, de Gaulle, Picasso... 👑🎨 🏡 The Setting : "Oustau" means *home* in Provençal dialect. The restaurant, tucked below the medieval stone village of Les Baux-de-Provence , feels like a sunlit aristocratic salon —where Viel orchestrates a multi-sensory feast . 🍽️ The Experience : - Amuse-bouche #1 : Seaweed crisps + oyster-shaped cucumber gelée. - Amuse-bouche #2 : Mango-based fruit medley (*pleasant but forgettable*). 🎴 Unique Touch : Before each course, an olive-branch card with poetic riddles hints at the dish. Example: *"Royal Cauliflower - Serenity"* (a cauliflower & caviar masterpiece ). Imagine an IMAX theater for your palate —earthy sweetness, zero bitterness, just pure, ethereal veggie bliss . (This alone outshone my benchmark: Switzerland’s 2-star Skin’s .) 🍠 Second Starter : *Betterave Flétrie - Surprising* (withered beetroot). Polarizing but profound : - Flavor : *Too sweet/salty/sour/bitter*—objectively *not* delicious. - Impact : Like a Hitchcock film or flamenco dance —visceral, thrilling, *transcending taste*. Skin’s never dared this bold. #Provence #MichelinMagic