L'Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle is a masterclass in understatement. A sleepy Provencal inn under an hour from glittering St Tropez and minutes off the main autoroute across the Cote D'Azur.
In spirit, L'Hostellerie could not be further from the glamour of the seaside resorts. No stuffy pomp and ceremony - staff are helpful and friendly. When we mistakenly swung our hired Fiat 500 into the crunchy gravel driveway in front of the conservatory bar area, the beaming receptionist ushered us to comfortable leather armchairs and had a cocktail in our hands, and the car properly parked before we could say "Bonjour".
With Alain Ducasse as patron, a trip to L'Hostellerie will always be about the food. Ducasse is foodie royalty. The first chef to hold restaurants with three Michelin stars in three cities, Ducasse is one of only two chefs ever to hold a grand total of 21 stars.
This one-star Michelin venue focuses on simplicity and relaxation. The bonus is that after a gourmet guzzling session, instead of negotiating taxis or transport, guests can retire upstairs to one of five airy rooms in the converted convent building or five garden rooms situated outside in the grounds.
All are decorated in neutral tones with huge beds, oversized bathrooms and views of well-manicured gardens where the restaurant grows its own herbs and as well as a large number of vegetables. There are enough grape vines to produce 4,000 bottles of wine each year. From May onwards, calories can be burned in the discretely situated swimming pool and the long lunch slept off on sun beds by its side.
Lunch was outstanding - simple local ingredients: new season's white and green asparagus, baby artichokes, morelles and fish straight from the Med. No foam or gastronomic pearls, this is honest Provencal cooking, with five-star service and bedrooms so calming you'll be fighting the urge to retire upstairs for that post-meal shluff from the minute you check in.
