Small Town Fine Dining Experience in Maillane in Provence’s Alpilles

For fine dining in a comfortable setting, it’s hard to beat Maison Bernard in Maillane. The chef, thirty-something Jérémy Scalia, has already been honoured with a Michelin star for his work at Hotel Tourrel in St-Rémy-de-Provence. Now with his own restaurant, Scalia offers Mediterranean-Provençal cuisine, featuring local, seasonal ingredients and an emphasis on seafood. He calls it “accessible gastronomy, offering a refined culinary experience while remaining affordable.”

Photo credit ©Maison Bernard

Fine Dining in Maillane

The menu is small, allowing Scalia to focus on quality. He offers two fixed-price menus at 59€ and 79€, both excellent values. And he’s happy to accommodate his guests’ food intolerances. As he says, “Customer satisfaction is paramount! We accommodate all dietary requirements, whether gluten-free, lactose-free, or nut allergies. Simply let us know when making your reservation.”

The menu changes monthly to take advantage of Provence’s bounty. As Scalia explains, “We work with seasonal ingredients and eagerly await suggestions from our producers to create new dishes. Our menus change entirely every month, as every element is carefully selected to harmonize and balance perfectly with the others.”

Photo credit ©Maison Bernard

The Chef

Scalia knew from a young age that he wanted to become a chef. Born in Marseille, at 15 he became the city’s youngest apprentice cook, then worked in Corsica before training under top chefs in Marseille and Paris.

When the luxury Hotel Tourrel opened in St-Rémy-de-Provence, he embraced the opportunity to return to Provence as its chef, and within a few years had earned a coveted Michelin star. A year ago, he opened his own place, Maison Bernard, a hotel-restaurant in a 14th-century building in the heart of nearby Maillane.

Photo credit ©Maison Bernard

There, his cozy dining room seats about 20, and the service is friendly and helpful. During warm weather, diners can choose an outdoor terrace on a charming square. For those who would like to stay in Maillane, Maison Bernard also offers three rooms, plus a top-floor suite with a rooftop view.

Practical Information

Maison Bernard (website)
1 Place Frédéric Mistral, Maillane
Telephone +33 (0)9 73 35 39 33

Open Tuesday to Friday evenings, and on Saturdays for lunch and dinner.
Reservations recommended.

Maillane in Spotlight

Dotted with villages, the Alpilles includes well-known ones, such as St-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux, Maussane-les-Alpilles and Eygalières. Despite its charming town centre, Maillane is one of the towns that might be missed on a typical visitor’s itinerary, which is a shame. Maillane is a quintessential Provence village complete with stone facades, bright shutters, and a local bar-café where stories are told over pastis and draft beer.

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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.