La Table de l'Orangerie - Château de Fonscolombe

This 18C château is set in listed grounds with many species of trees, including an Atlas cedar planted by the late Queen Mother. The restaurant has taken up abode in plush sitting rooms on the first floor, while in summer, meals are served on the monumental terrace. The son of farmers from the Loire region, Marc Fontanne (formerly Le Prieuré at Villeneuve-lès-Avignon) started learning the ropes from his brother, a butcher and charcutier, at a young age. He serves three tasting menus, one of which is entirely vegetarian. Tempura and roasted dwarf broccoli with a red onion and basil jus; flame-licked tomato, Lucca olives, iced tomato; raviole of marjoram-laced artichokes, hazelnuts, parmesan and vanilla emulsion. Fresh local ingredients with playful, graphic plating and a subtle interplay of bitter, sweet and aniseed flavours (like fennel).