Keith Van Sickle Restaurant Recommendations Taste

Maussane-les-Alpilles: A Friendly Hotel-Restaurant with Excellent Food

©L'Oustaloun Hotel Restaurant

“We love our clients and treat them like honoured guests.”

These are the words of Marielle Fabregoul of l’Oustaloun, a charming hotel-restaurant in Maussane-les-Alpilles. She and her husband Thierry share a passion for customer service, which shows.

©L’Oustaloun Hotel Restaurant

A Local Institution

L’Oustaloun has long been an institution in Maussane. It began as an abbey in the 16th century and later became the mayor’s office, before evolving into the town’s first hotel-restaurant.

Marielle and Thierry purchased L’Oustaloun in 1990 and began a program of steady upgrades. Under their management, L’Oustaloun has received the French government’s Certificate of Quality Tourism, and its official hotel rating has risen from 2 stars to 3.

A Top Chef

The most important improvement came in the restaurant, where chef Jérôme Sauton has received France’s prestigious title of Maître Restaurateur. This certifies that everything is handmade, on-site, and with fresh ingredients. It also means that the chef knows what is in every dish and can modify it to deal with food intolerances. “Whether it’s gluten-free, lactose intolerance, or a nut allergy, we always find a solution for our guests,” says Mareille.

©L’Oustaloun Hotel Restaurant

The restaurant’s food is so good that nearby luxury hotels Beaumanière and Manville, each with a Michelin-starred restaurant, point to L’Oustaloun when guests want to try something new. They know these guests will enjoy a meal that meets their high standards.

©L’Oustaloun Hotel Restaurant

Authentic Cuisine

L’Oustaloun serves authentic Provençal cuisine using fresh ingredients, most of which are sourced locally. The menu changes with the seasons. Two starters are so popular that they never leave the menu. The first is a crème brûlée infused with foie gras, and the second is an eggplant timbale—a generous portion of eggplant confit surrounded by tomato coulis.

Dining Room L'Oustaloun Maussane Hotel Restaurant

©L’Oustaloun Hotel Restaurant

Depending on the weather, diners can eat outside on the terrace—part of Maussane’s lovely central square—or under the restaurant’s ancient, vaulted ceiling indoors. No matter the spot, they will be assured of excellent food and a warm welcome.

Practical Information

4 Place Joseph Laugier, Maussane-les-Alpilles
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 54 32 19
Website

Restaurant hours: open Friday through Tuesday, 12:00-1:30 and 7:30-8:30, closed Wednesday and Thursday

Both the restaurant and its bathroom are adapted to accommodate wheelchairs.

The hotel’s seven rooms are 15 to 20 square meters, with air conditioning and private bathrooms. Prices start at 120 to 180 euros/night.

English is spoken.

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of L’Oustaloun

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Keith Van Sickle

Keith and Val Van Sickle made their first trip to Provence decades ago, and it was love at first sight. After that, they came back every year until 2008, when they began a part-time life there, splitting their time between Provence and California.

Over the years, they’ve travelled all over Provence, seeing sights both well-known and obscure. Their French friends have introduced them to favourite restaurants and wineries and picnic spots and taught them funny local expressions (not all for polite company).

Keith now shares this local knowledge in his new book, An Insider’s Guide to Provence. Packed with the Van Sickles’ favourite things to see and do, it’s a must-have for anyone travelling to this glorious corner of France.

Keith previously published two books about the couple's experiences in Provence. One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence, and Are We French Yet?, both are available from Amazon.

You can see all of Keith’s blog posts at Life in Provence.