Maison Chenet – Entre Vigne Et Garrigue

I'm really disappointed to have to give this place 3 stars. The chefs and food are outstanding but I wouldn’t want to repeat or recommend my experience because of the terrible service we received from our server at dinner on the first night. My wife and I booked a two night stay here in October as a highlight on our month-long French road trip as it seemed perfect on paper - converted farmhouse in the countryside, casual rustic surroundings, amazing food with rooms above. The food was great. We enjoyed the tasting menu and meeting Maxime at the end of the evening, who was very friendly and hugely talented. However, our server completely reinforced the stereotypical nightmare for non-French speakers dining in France: being made to feel inferior because you’re not fluent. Everyone else we met was very friendly but the server we were paired with - for the nearly 4-hour tasting menu - Initially only spoke to us in rapid-fire French, literally looking down at us with while we tried to catch the gist of what he was saying, with no interest in helping us understand what was going on. I’ve eaten at wide range of restaurants across France, and found pretty much without fail that even with a bit of broken French, the server will work with you to communicate somehow - at best, they appreciate the attempt, at worse they think you're funny for trying - both of which I'm OK with. This guy was taking himself far too seriously for any of that! After our aperitif, we waited for approx 45 minutes before we were served another drink, including while we were having the first starter - which is a shame (and annoying!) because we were here for a lengthy, celebratory meal and staying upstairs but couldn’t get the uninterested server to help us - despite being in a room of 5 tables. Midway through the service it turned out he did speak decent English and explained some of the dishes - but by the time the cheese trolley rolled out, which I had really been looking forward to, he was back to only French and was choosing all of the cheeses for us while we were trying to ask him about them and tell him our preferences! So all in all, an awkward and expensive night; we were meant to eat here two nights in a row but our experience on the first night caused us to cancel dinner for the second night and go into Avignon for sushi instead.

Excellent 1-starred restaurant close to Avignon where local ingredients are craftfully blended with interesting tastes. From Wednesday to Friday there's a special lunch menu with two entrees, a main course and a dessert. We started with a mix of peas and pods, where also cold (sorbet) vs room temperature was played out nicely. Next, we had a tomato gazpacho-like dish with a mustard icecream in the middle (fantastic combination). The main course was a superb cod fillet under a freshly made pasta sheet with a nice creamy fennel sauce. Our dishes were accompanied with a taille aux loups chenin blanc. The dessert was a well done puff pastry stick with strawberries. Would definitely go here again, worth the price considering the quality!

It’s true, a 1 Michelin star that does not speak English. Well, this is a French phenomenon but when you are paying crazy bills you expect them at least to memorize the product they sell. We had good food, but nothing to remember, what I will always remember is the fact that the waiter did not addressed at me once when he realized I did not spoke French. Not recommended at all, the only good thing is that the bar is so low that after this, even an average Parisian terrace will fulfill your dreams.

My impression about the hotel: 1. Staff (5⭐️) 2. WiFi (2⭐️) The connection was constantly interrupting. We couldn’t use WIFI for our needs. 3. Cleanliness (5⭐️) 4. Air conditioning (5⭐️) 5. Bed comfort (5⭐️) 6. Food (5⭐️) 7. Window view (5⭐️) You see mountain rocks from the window and road. 8. Bathroom (5⭐️) 9. Toiletries (5⭐️) 10. Sound insulation (3⭐️). In the morning it was hard to proceed sleeping, because we could hear other doors opening and closing. The traffic from the road is quite noisy. 11. Atmosphere (4⭐️) Good territory. But because of the proximity of road, not a place for total relax and countryside vibe.