A dinner at L’atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel is something special that you will never forget. The Head Chef and owner Jean-Luc Rabanel has questioned everything that has to do with fine dining and has after many years of experiences from all over the world come up with his own universe that everyone is welcomed to.

The impatience that surrounds the relentless grand chef has forced him to develop and constantly taken him into completely new places of his mind and the result for his guests is a unique cuisine that will take them to food heaven. Over and over again Jean-Luc Rabanel has taken himself to new places and challenges all over the world and he did also leave his former top rated restaurant to start up his very own and very much personal universe in the ancient city Arles in the heart of Provence.

There is a focus on plants at L’atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel and the restaurant can not be on a better place with thousands of the finest vegetables and herbs just around the corner. The Head Chef uses a lot of fantastic combinations of plants in his cuisine, but the most present is the basil and artichoke that is made to absolute perfection whatever the way it is presented. Every single flavour you experience is pure and it is quite easy for you to know what you are having, but the next second you will get a bit confused by the sequence that follows of different combined flavours and the complexity of a dish that makes all you have interesting, fascinating and finally a dream for your taste buds. You will love every bite you have of the constantly changing and fascinating cuisine.

You start your dinner or lunch by sitting next to a narrow fish pond where you have your amuse bouche before entering the main dining room, without anything on the light white walls and the simplicity in the décor works perfect and feels contemporary when you sit in one of the black chairs, eating on black and red crockery. The colours follow everywhere in perfect harmony in L’atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel’s small dining room of only 30 seats and an open kitchen at the end of it.

The fairly young staff around Jean-Luc Rabanel performs beyond expectation and the wine pairings by Sommelier Claude Legoff are always spot on in the relaxing dining room far away from any suit requirements.

It is a pleasure to enter Jean-Luc Rabanel’s universe and every course you will have will give you a new sensation that will last in your memory. The constantly changing menu surprises you and opens your mind to what a contemporary fine dining experience really should be about.

Written by Andy