66 restaurants with one star, plus six each with two stars and three stars, 44 Bib Gourmand mentions, 10 green Michelin stars and more than 280 restaurant recommendations can not be mistaken. Provence is simply a hotspot for gourmets. But what does the region offer outside of its starred restaurants? Plenty! Here are five top addresses.

Highest craftsmanship by Adrien Brunet

© Hôtel Crillon le Brave

The executive chef at Hôtel Crillon le Brave is committed to an environmentally conscious approach. "A recipe should not transform the product, but bring out its noblest: its original flavor," says the ambitious Frenchman. For his guests, he conjures up the best cuisine from the south of France in the two hotel restaurants Madeleine and La Table du Ventoux. The more elegant of the two, La Madeleine, is particularly exclusive. Here he cooks for just 20 guests. The menu includes pigeon breast from Sarrians on lavender and with cherries from the Ventoux, lukewarm oysters and eggplant millefeuille.

Hôtel Crillon le Brave
Place de l'Eglise, 84410 Crillon-le-Brave, France
Web: crillonlebrave.com
Tel: +33 490 65 61 61
Price: Doubles from € 420

Pierre Marty strives for excellence

© Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa

The Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa should definitely be on the bucket list of foodies in Provence. And not only because of its wonderful location or the fact that you live here as a guest in the villas of a former village. Gourmets should also visit the property because it has its own winery. In addition, Pierre Marty joined the team earlier this year. As Chef de Cuisine, he strives for excellence in the hotel's three restaurants and two bars now. His previous stations leave no doubt that he'll succeed. Among other places, Marty worked at the Restaurant Louis XV in Monaco, which was awarded three Michelin stars. At Morpheus, which he opened for Alain Ducasse in 2018, he cooked up two Michelin stars in just five and a half months.

Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa
Le Perotet, 84400 Gargas, France
Web: coquillade.fr
Tel: +33 490 74 71 71
Price: Doubles from € 650

Enjoy art and culinary delights

Art on every corner © Saint Paul de Vence

The Colombe d'Or is a legend. It's located in a privileged location in St. Paul de Vence. And in addition to an atmospheric, authentic ambience, it also offers beautiful views. This was already known by such extraordinary guests as Pablo Picasso, Jacques Prévert, Matisse and Aves Montand. They were among the restaurant's regulars. Where they once dined, their works hang on the walls now. The restaurant is part of the same-named hotel, which scores with 13 rooms and 12 apartments.

La Colombe d'Or
Place du Général de Gaulle, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
Web: la-colombe-dor.com
Tel: +33 493 32 80 02
Price: Doubles from € 385

Ultralocal surprise

Ultralocal in the guest garden © Gallifet

An indoor tea room in winter, an outdoor kitchen in summer: the Gallifet in Aix-en-Provence shows itself to be changeable. This applies to the menu as well. At lunchtime and in the evening, it features whatever the harvest, the season, and the markets are currently offering. Many of the vegetables come directly from the own vegetable garden. In the evening, a fixed 5-course menu is served. The cuisine is fresh and refined and offers plenty of choices, even for vegetarians. The setting is also beautiful. Gallifet is located in the garden of the former 18th century Hôtel de Gallifet. This is now a center for modern art.

Gallifet
52 Rue Cardinale, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France
Web: hoteldegallifet.com
Tel: +33 9 53843761

Rural luxury at Ducasse

The food: A poem © La Bastide de Moustiers

Alain Ducasse is known as one of the best chefs in the world. He was the first and only one to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide for three of his restaurants at the same time. With La Bastide de Moustiers he went among the hoteliers. Lush lavender fields stretch around the 17th-century bastide. There are numerous shaded terraces, elegant interiors and, of course, excellent cuisine. The chefs gather the ingredients every morning in the hotel's own herb garden. The restaurant has one star.

La Bastide de Moustiers
Chem. de Quinson, 04360 Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France
Web: bastide-moustiers.com
Tel: +33 492 70 47 47
Price: Doubles from € 370