27th stop in my Michelin 3 Stars Marathon in France. Follow me for updates and more reviews. The intellectual, the poet and the actor. So what’s extraordinary here? It’s a 3 stars, you should expect no less. Well, first of all, it’s a notch above extraordinary like all the Cheval Blanc. A lot to say but I’ll limit to 3 points The first two are actually the tension between the intellectual side and the emotional side. The chef Arnaud Donckele is the extremely well known for his dedication to sauces, and bringing them back to the forefront. But something was still bugging me: reducing (no pun intended) him to the superstar of the sauce was missing the point. Until I came to this Cheval Blanc. Here you can see how his intellectual part pushes him to look (dig, extract, isolate, magnify) for the essences and how a romantic part uses it not only to express, but also even fuel, his emotions. He’s like a Nerd in love. When they are, and when they manage to express their emotions correctly, they can conquer any heart because they turn the loved object in something even more sublime. He’s expressing himself correctly… and this Romantic side is perfect with the location, bringing back to Saint Tropez the intellectual and the freshness of the late 50s, without the bling. What’s in it for you? A very refined, diverse and yet coherent cuisine. But this will not be complete without mentioning Thierry Di Tullio. Gastronomy is closer to the living arts than any other art. You have the chef that is the author and very often the director, and then the producers (literally), the brigade who every night put a bit of their souls into making a recipe a reality, etc… The dining room is where you have the actors, forming a band. They will play their roles, with their personal touches and sensibilities, to you, dear reader and spectator. A plate without a good service, is like a script without a voice : Some great material. Thierry Di Tullio, the maître d’hôtel, is an actor, is an artist. The mood was chic and suave. I’ve seen friends, family and couples. I was alone but with total fullness enjoying the view, the cuisine, the moment. Some may call this Plenitude. A top tiers 3 stars. I barely can wait to come back.

After having eaten at some of the highest rated Michelin restaurants in the French Riviera, we decided to check out La Figuier. This wonderful restaurant was BY FAR the best restaurant we attended. The turbot was exquisite, the wine pairings were fantastic and the chef is a wonderful person. He came out and chatted with every customer after their meal - something which every other chef refused to do. This is my highest recommended restaurant in south France.

Started off the evening with a tour of their aromatic garden. This was a unique sensory experience as you got to smell all of the different herbs and flavors that were growing there. Dinner was a nine course tasting menu. You will feel extremely full by the end. Be ready for some really bold inventive flavors. A few dishes were a bit off the mark for me but overall amazing experience. Some highlights include dishes like the potato garlic cream with caviar and the intro tapas. The dining room had a great view of the Riviera but the interior is a little bit more minimalist and leaves something to be desired. Phenomenal service.

The minute the door opens the aromas overwhelm your senses! It smells fantastic and you can taste the food. I had the pesto pasta and sardines to start along with the house red. Both are amazing. I am not a fan of red, prefer white, but was impressed with the wine. My main course was the beef stew. The flavors were outstanding. I finished with the Lemon Tarte. The best lemon Tarte I have ever had. If you do not go you are miss6 a fantastic experience.

A beautiful place, with a great history, too. The view is fantastic, and the chef and his team have enjoyed our evening with interesting creations.