"We live locally but it is several years since we visited this restaurant. Having seen some good reports since the current owners took over, we decided to try again.The setting is as lovely as it ever was, and guests at the hotel must truly believe they have arrived in a Provencal paradise.Although it was quite early, several tables were occupied by English-speaking clients and staff were helping them choose their drinks and meals. It has been exceptionally hot for the time of year and so we were rather disappointed to find that the menu, which we were told changes daily, leaned rather heavily towards autumnal dishes like foie gras, ox cheek in red wine.We chose the other starter on offer. Pan-fried prawns on seasonal vegetables with a saffron sauce. The mise en bouche, which preceded it, was far better. A small portion of fish soup with a crouton and cheese, but unfortunately no evidence of the rouille which would have make it perfect.We were brought two very small bread rolls of the pre-baked variety. No 'pain maison' here.The prawns were a little woody but adequate, the vegetables overcooked and rather dull and the sauce may have been saffron coloured but the taste was just not there. It was also overly creamy and under seasoned. Saffron is produced very locally. What a shame chef doesn't appear to know this and make a feature of it. The orange powder which decorated the plate was most certainly not saffron.On the other hand the wine, chosen from the correctly priced and well-chosen list, was very good.Service was at this point rather too brisk, although friendly, once we had persuaded them that we did really speak French.The main course was monkfish served with "old" (the translation) tomatoes, potato and buttered fennel. It was not impressive in concept, execution or presentation.Once again it was seriously under-seasoned, lacking in flavour and various elements were poorly prepared and overcooked and others, especially the potato, were hardly cooked at all. The really worrying thing was that when I left much of my dish it was cleared away without comment or enquiry.I began to get the impression that the chef is worried about scaring the visitors by hitting them with true Provencal flavours!There followed a much longer delay, during which a fairly large table of guests arrived and were duly fussed over. I admit I had chosen the mirabelle clafoutis which had to be pre-ordered and of course took a bit of extra time.I'm afraid my husband's dessert, when it arrived, was laughable. A concoction of vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce in a very retro tall glass with long spoon. It may have produced shrieks of delight to our children, when they were about 8, but did not thrill the recepient. My clafoutis was a very passable fruit sponge - not a clafoutis.Back to the service. As i said, friendly but not at all observant. My unfinished main course being just one example. Another was the experience of the young oriental couple sitting near us. Obviously on a very special holiday, but none of the serving staff noticed they were taking photos of each other but clearly wanted one of them both. My husband offered and they were really sweet about it. It is little touches like this that make for great, rather than efficient and somewhat detached, service.We will be leaving this place to the tourists in future."
