AUBERGE DE CORRENS — Restaurant in Brignoles

Saturday last, a friend and I had been driving around La Provence Verte for hours. It was 1pm. We were starving. Because the village of Correns is all about growing organic foods we chose to try to have lunch there. The town square had two chancey looking cafés. The owner of the less chancey told us to go across the road to the Auberge du Parc and to hurry because they might close early. From outside this hotel/restaurant looks older than dirt and maybe not too savory. But inside! It's a romantic poem. Decorated with taste yet not pretentious. The garden restaurant is large and was crowded with happy lunchers. The woman waiter was in such a hurry she asked us to wait for a table. We did that. She set us up in no time and brought out bread and water and a bottle of the delicious local rosé. I ordered the lunch at 30 euros. Foie gras, roast lamb and nougat glacé. The best of everything! Just the best! My friend had the organic menu. A lovely mixed salad, chicken tajine style and a special home made caramel cream in a glass. We loved it all. At the end of our meal, the rail thin chef and his rail thin wife came out to fold up cushions and get the outdoor dining room ready for the dinner crowd, I told him how impressed we were with his cuisine. He smiled a modest grin and nodded "merci". Then I said, "I have never eaten a better nougat glacé. Anywhere." He replied, "You are not the first person who has said that to me." I said I understood why. He then set about telling me how he makes it. "You start with nougatine" I don't know what nougatine is. Turns out it's crunchy like peanut brittle only instead of peanuts and sugar it's made of honey and almonds. After smashing the nougatine to smithereens, he adds all the rest of the ingredients - including "a confetti of fruits confits" (glazed fruit bits). It's crunchy and creamy and fruity honey ice cream. Put Auberge du Parc at Correns on your bucket list. You can sleep there too. They have 5 rooms. Average price 89 euros. ($104). Quiet. Elegant, Unostentatious and the food. And the food! And there is a pool and what's more Angelina and Brad lived in Correns for a few blissful years before folding up their tent and moving on. Correns remained...

Saturday last, a friend and I had been driving around La Provence Verte for hours. It was 1pm. We were starving. Because the village of Correns is all about growing organic foods we chose to try to have lunch there. The town square had two chancey looking cafés. The owner of the less chancey told us to go across the road to the Auberge du Parc and to hurry because they might close early. From outside this hotel/restaurant looks older than dirt and maybe not too savory. But inside! It's a romantic poem. Decorated with taste yet not pretentious. The garden restaurant is large and was crowded with happy lunchers. The woman waiter was in such a hurry she asked us to wait for a table. We did that. She set us up in no time and brought out bread and water and a bottle of the delicious local rosé. I ordered the lunch at 30 euros. Foie gras, roast lamb and nougat glacé. The best of everything! Just the best! My friend had the organic menu. A lovely mixed salad, chicken tajine style and a special home made caramel cream in a glass. We loved it all. At the end of our meal, the rail thin chef and his rail thin wife came out to fold up cushions and get the outdoor dining room ready for the dinner crowd, I told him how impressed we were with his cuisine. He smiled a modest grin and nodded "merci". Then I said, "I have never eaten a better nougat glacé. Anywhere." He replied, "You are not the first person who has said that to me." I said I understood why. He then set about telling me how he makes it. "You start with nougatine" I don't know what nougatine is. Turns out it's crunchy like peanut brittle only instead of peanuts and sugar it's made of honey and almonds. After smashing the nougatine to smithereens, he adds all the rest of the ingredients - including "a confetti of fruits confits" (glazed fruit bits). It's crunchy and creamy and fruity honey ice cream. Put Auberge du Parc at Correns on your bucket list. You can sleep there too. They have 5 rooms. Average price 89 euros. ($104). Quiet. Elegant, Unostentatious and the food. And the food! And there is a pool and what's more Angelina and Brad lived in Correns for a few blissful years before folding up their tent and moving on. Correns remained...

We only spent one night in Auberge du Parc since we had to proceed to Nice the following day to catch our flight back to Nairobi. We had a most pleasant stay though. ||We were quite surprised to find the hotel located in the middle of Correns but it's such a small sleepy village that it really doesn't matter - the only thing is that you don't have nice views of the Provence landscape from the rooms. Correns is situated in the middle of the beautiful Provence and the trip to Auberge du Parc alone already makes you feel excited about being there – beautiful scenery!||The hotel is small (5 or 6 rooms?) and very charming with beautiful decoration in a sort of Italian-Provencal style. Our room was spacious and fitted with elegant antique furniture; the bathroom was large, well equipped and clean.||After our late-afternoon arrival we had a stroll through and around Correns before having a nice glass of champagne in the auberge's garden prior to dinner. The 3-course set dinner (you can indicate dislikes & allergies) itself was simple but very enjoyable. Although the chef / owner is not French, I must say his cooking is excellent: creative, honest and full of flavours, mixing traditional French cuisine with some more contemporary elements and using the fresh produce of the region. They serve good local wine by the glass at reasonable prices although a wider choice is obviously also available. Service was courteous, pleasant & professional.||We had a very good night of sleep in a comfortable antique bed and the next morning, after a freshly brewed cafe au lait we had to leave already, feeling we would have wanted to stay longer.||The hospitality of chef / owner Onno Stijl is outstanding. With his warm and personal yet professional style he really makes you feel at home. We...