When chef Christophe Baquié, formerly at the Hotel & Spa du Castellet, decided to hang up his apron and explore something new, he and his wife Alexandra found the postcard-perfect Provencal farmhouse surrounded by fruit orchards and an olive grove that would offer the extreme opposite of a Relais & Châteaux mega-resort experience. At Le Mas des Eydins, hidden away in a valley near Bonnieux, there are only five rooms, one suite and one studio; similarly, dining is an intimate affair with ten tables and one nightly fixed menu. The concept: to be closer to guests, like a maison de famille, with the added perk of utter peace, save rustling leaves and whirring cicadas. Nothing beats lounging at the dreamy pool beside a fragrant lavender field, but there’s also plenty to do and see in the Luberon. The spacious neo rustic rooms, designed by Alexandra, are a restful mix of grey, taupe and white, with exposed beam ceilings. Come dinnertime, Baquié serves an exquisitely refined six-course feast (plus tantalizing amuse-bouche tidbits and mignardises) to celebrate Provence—“modern” aioli with octopus, courgette flowers, lamb, langoustine, plus a cornucopia of local cheeses, cherries, strawberries, wild fennel, chocolate-olive madeleines, plus homemade elderberry sake to be savored under the stars.
This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
