Pic

The first thing to mention about Maison Pic (in the Drôme département of southeast France) is its special atmosphere. An artfully lit room designed to cast light on the dishes, floral creations, a thick carpet that muffles the steps of a front-of-house team dressed in classic attire. Here, they serve food the old-fashioned way, on a porcelain plate under a cloche. The lofty culinary obsessions of a chef who has been dubbed "the tightrope walker of flavours" – adulation of Japan, original presentations – make themselves felt in the dishes. Anne-Sophie Pic now serves a single set menu with seven (lunch only) or ten "ports of call". A member of the highly exclusive club of female three-starred chefs, she is now director of the foundation "Donnons du goût à l'enfance". Beyond her boundless talent, she is an iconic figure.