I’d like to be honest with you: La Bonne Étape literally stole my heart. This magnificent and luxurious Relais&Châteaux property in Provence is absolutely a must when you travel to this region! The owner, Mr. Chef Jany Gleize, keeps the family traditions alive in every detail inside the hotel. In addiction, he opened two restaurants: one is Michelin starred and the other is an lovely bistrot. The story of this place is so romantic and remarkable, I loved it so much:
Like magic, the Gleize family has been bringing this former 18th century post house to life for generations. It all began with a motorbike breakdown at the bend in a road near Château-Arnoux. Pierre Gleize, a confectioner by trade, crossed paths with Arlette Rey. Her family owned the former post house, which had been converted into an inn. It wouldn’t be too long before their son Jany was born, along with the hotel of La Bonne Étape, a symbol of their meeting.
All guests can feel that the soul of this place is so vibrant thank to its owner, Mr. Chef Jany Gleize who shows in his superb cuisine his love and passion for his region and his family traditions, as well as in providing to his guests excellent accommodations with a phenomenal staff always at their disposal. I hugely appreciated the high level of the hospitality, every single person that works there is so polite and helpful that make your stay even better!
Not only a great Chef but also a splendid person! I am so beyond grateful to have met him in person and shared with him some time to learn about his life, his passion for food and the property itself!
LA BONNE ÉTAPE HOTEL
This elegant and sophisticated 18th-century Provençal property is located in the heart of the Provence region in France. As soon as you get into the hotel, you feel a joyful atmosphere, thank to the fantastic staff that warmly welcomes every guest! You’ll love everything there, because the attention to details is absolutely on point.
All the windows painted with the “blue/lavender color” are very typical in the region. La Bonne Étape has also a beautiful ivy on its facade which gives a very unique touch on this chateau.
This hotel has 18 rooms and suites, each one with its own features. I had the immense pleasure to spend a few nights in a superb luxury suite that was overlooking the pool. Waking up there in the morning has been really a pure bliss!
Everything was extremely clean, with a good mini-bar, TV, all amenities, newly designed toilets with great products like shampoo, body-wash and body-cream. They provide also Relais&Chateaux branded slippers, and every towel and robe has the ‘Bonne Étape’ logo. You can also find a hairdrier and an iron.
I slept so well as the room was incredibly cozy! This place is absolutely a must while in Provence!
Furthermore, I need to highlight that the atmosphere at night is seriously magical.
MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANT “LA BONNE ÉTAPE”
As previously mentioned, La Bonne Étape has a gastronomic restaurant with 1 Michelin Star run by the Maître Cuisinier Jany Gleize. I truly had an unforgettable dining experience there! Hugely recommended!
Before having your meal, you can enjoy a drink in this fancy bar-room. The elegant decor will make you feel like being in a fairy tale!
The restaurant is open for lunch and for dinner – it is better always to check the opening times according to the season. The atmosphere is so amazing both at night as well as during the day!
You have the chance to get a romantic table for two as well as a big table for a business lunch or for some family time!
MY FINE DINING EXPERIENCE
You can imagine what I am about to say, but I have to repeat it over and over again: my fine dining experience at La Bonne Étape has been sublime! No wonder it is Michelin Starred! 🙂
Important: on my Instagram page (lustforthesublime) there is a stories highlight -LaBonneEtape- where you can watch the videos with every detail of my meals! And about my entire stay at La Bonne Étape of course.
We started with a pre-appetizers portion of snails (the famous “escargot”) that I LOVE. They were so good, I wish I could have had an entire plate of them! 🙂
Everything served at La Bonne Étape was incredibly fresh and tasty. The combination of flavors was absolutely sublime!
After a few dishes, I could not resist (as usual!) to try the cheeses selection! The waiter came with a big cheese cart, with many different options: one of the best I have ever seen! Also, there were several types of fresh jams and local honey. Food paradise for me! 🙂
For my dessert I chose the Chef’s signature: the lavender ice-cream with honey. No words are appropriate to describe it, you have to try.
I loved the bees detail on the plate, as when I went to the lavender fields in Valensole it was full of them! It’s a characteristic of this region, so many bees everywhere – but totally NOT dangerous.
THE CHEF’S GARDEN
While I was traveling around Provence and visiting some of the most luxurious places, I realized that the best restaurants with the best chefs have their own garden. From each garden, in fact, all the chefs take daily fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices and so on. That’s the reason why the food tastes so delicious!!!
I am so grateful to Mr. Chef Jany Gleize for the time he dedicated to me one morning. He brought me not only around the property, sharing many family stories, but also to a personal tour around his garden. It has been such a special moment for me, as I learnt several things about the local products and flavors.
Mr. Chef Jany Gleize made me smell and taste fresh herbs, fruits and vegetable just taken from the garden. It has been so amazing. It reminded me when I was a kid and I was doing that with my grandma in Italy. Adorable!
THE WINE AND CHAMPAGNE CELLARS
Obvious enough, such a great restaurant needs to surely have a remarkable wine cellar. And in fact, hidden on the lower floors, the property has wine and champagne cellars! I sneaked down with Mr. Chef Jany Gleize who told to me a lot about those great (French!) wines.
I am definitely a wine and champagne lover, I often drink and I like getting only the best ones. The Champagne cellar was of course my favorite part! 🙂
Some serious vintage champagne in the house! Yes!
THE BREAKFAST AREA
The breakfast is served in a separate elegant room away from the restaurants. There is a buffet and a menu for warm dishes like eggs, bacon and anything upon request.
Of course you can find fresh juices, cereals, yogurts, milk etc!
LE BISTROT “AU GOÛT DU JOUR”
Together with the gastronomic Michelin starred restaurant, Mr. Chef Jany Gleize opened a bistrot called ‘Au Goût du Jour’. Less sophisticated but equally great, this restaurant offers a simple but excellent Provençal dining experience. Typical dishes and flavors of the region, served in a casual ambience. Prices are of course more affordable than the other restaurant.
Even here, all the products come from the garden so obviously the quality is great. I ordered a selection of French cheeses again as I could not resist. So good beyond words!
Even here, Mr. Chef Jany Gleize spent some time with me explaining the stories behind each picture hanged on the wall. The one that I believe he likes the most is the one with his grandma when she was a kid in front of the chateau. How incredible! I love these family vibes and memories!
I will forever carry this experience with me, not only because of the luxurious environment and the superb cuisine, but also because of the intense human touch I felt every single day.
So beyond thankful to Mr. Chef Jany Gleize for having me at his property and for the time he spent with me! Really a splendid person, as a Chef, as a business man and mostly important as a human being. His passion and devotion to his activity are authentic and phenomenal. Congratulations Mr. Chef!
I hope my experience will inspire you to visit La Bonne Étape in Provence, France!
And you… Are you lusting for the sublime?
Always,
Carlotta