La Bastide Saint Antoine is a lovely property just next to the perfume capital of the world, Grasse. Combine, give and receive are the key words for Chef Patron Jacques Chibois when he develops his new recipes and runs his property with a warmth and generous attitude together with his wife Odette. For more than 15 years the Chibois family has taken good care of La Bastide Saint Antoine, with a history that spans all the way back to the seventeenth century.

The main building site was originally built by Ligurians, and the property has had many owners over the years. The English aristocrat John Taylor acquired La Bastide Saint Antoine in 1864 and made several improvements that eventually attracted more and more people, like the Kennedy family who spent their vacations at the property before the Second World War started, and the place became more and more popular among celebrities and the upper class after the war. 1975 the Rolling Stones spent a full year at the property and that made global news.

The restaurant is open all year around with a vast truffle market held by Jacques Chibois in the middle of January each year which is paradise for all lovers of the black forest gold. In addition to the truffles the chef also favours the olive oil, being among his favourite ingredients which also appears all over his traditional French Provencal cuisine, and in summer time you can enjoy his cooking out on the terrace with a beautiful view of Grasse.

Jacques Chibois has certainly adjusted himself and his property to fit the twenty-first century, with a great transparency in his cooking and an open mind that shows both in his busy dining room with 70 seats and among his cooking classes. Not much on the menus surprises the experienced gourmet diner, but that is not necessarily a bad thing and the wine cellar with around 20,000 bottles is awesome with more than 1,000 references of which several are organic.

La Bastide Saint Antoine is a typical French luxury restaurant with a big busy kitchen and a big dining room serving a lot of traditional haute cuisine, but much more of a rewarding experience than for those just looking for a posh evening out.

Written by Andy