"La Chassagnette is a bit off the beaten path, about 20 minutes from Arles in the heart of the Carmague National Park. A very pleasant detour through beautiful green fields, marshy land, and animals grazing that added a new dimension to my time in Provence....During warmer months the menu is served in a sheltered outdoor area but as I was visiting in off season, I enjoyed the beautifully appointed dining room. There are three menus offered, as well as some shared meat and fish dishes, that change each week and I went for the full degustation at 115 EUR to maximize the experience. The menu is centered around produce from the garden there are superb meat and fish courses but the starters are mainly plant based which makes the meal a bit lighter and more approachable. The other unique element is the restaurant is entirely gluten free which also makes the menu more vegetable centric, and I have to say the rice flour grainy bread was superb quality and rivaled a crusty baguette. Every course was its own unique highlight but the standouts included the wild herb veloute with daikon (you could taste the flavor of the garden), a variety of colorful beets with apple and lavender honey, turbot with multi colored cauliflower and fish dashi, the potato “ravioli” (ie wafer thin potato slice) with spinach and artichoke cream, and the pigeon served in its own jus with butternut squash. Dessert was even special delicious chocolate preparation served with tart pomegranate and red pepper. If you appreciate good food and are looking for some variety from heavier protein based cuisine, I highly recommend making the excursion to La Chassagnette and exploring the gardens and the unique scenery of the Carmague region. Thank you to the team for such a memorable experience during my visit to Provence!"
