La Table de l'Orangerie - Château de Fonscolombe

This 18C château is surrounded by listed grounds with many species of trees (including an Atlas cedar planted by the Queen Mother). Its restaurant has taken up residence in the luxurious-feeling salons laid out on the first floor; in summer, meals are served on the monumental terrace. The son of farmers from the Loire region, Marc Fontanne (formerly at Le Prieuré de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon) started learning the ropes from his brother, a butcher and charcutier, at a young age. He serves three tasting menus, one of which is completely vegetarian. Pressed lettuce with dehydrated olives, spring onions, green asparagus, lettuce cream, garlic croutons; carrot glazed in its carotene jus, cardamom purée, tangy sabayon; pain de Gênes with citrus fruit, orange marmalade, mousse and plant-based calisson ice cream. His dishes combine the freshness of local ingredients with playful, graphic plating and a subtle interplay of bitter, sweet and aniseed flavours (fennel, for example).