L'Oustalet Restaurant, Gigondas

In Sablet, there is a wonderful restaurant called Les Abeilles which is owned by Marlies et Johannes Sailer. Prior to opening Les Abeilles, for many years, they were the owners of L'Oustalet Restaurant in Gigondas. We didn't get a chance to eat there while they owned the restaurant but we dine at L'Oustalet Restaurant now every time we are in Sablet.

I was at home in Sablet about eight weeks ago with friends Susan and Steven and we wined and dined our way around the area including lunch at L'Oustalet. L'Oustalet Restaurant is located in a historical house in the center of Gigondas at Place de la Marie.

The restaurant is now owned by the Perrin family who make wine at world-renown Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and at Tablas Creek in Paso Robles California.  The chef is Aurélien Laget who was previously sous-chef at Michelin-star Maison Bru in Eygalières.

We arrived for lunch at L'Oustalet and were seated in the dining room; it was April and the weather was not warm enough that day to sit outside on the terrace.

Friends Susan and Steven in the small dining room at L'Oustalet.

We chose a bottle of 2007 Domaine du Clos des Tourelles Gigondas to accompany our lunch. Incidentally, this domaine was bought by the Perrin family several years ago.

For an amuse-bouche, the waiter brought a platter with a selection of small appetisers to prepare us for our meal and give us a taste of the chef's cooking style. They included: chive butter mousse, bread sticks, prosciutto, almonds, tapenade and olives.

Our entrées - starters included grilled calimari (seches) and greens

and a salad of arugula, serrano ham and artichokes.

For our main courses, we chose grilled rascasse, a fish commonly part of a traditional Provençal bouillabaisse, with zuccchini

and grilled pork fillet mignon with spinach, potatoes, porcini mushrooms and sauce.

To finish our delicious meal, we chose the cheese course of marinated St. Marcellin cheese with greens

and pineapple beignets with a pina colada sauce accompanied by chantilly cream.

L'Oustalet is definitely one of our favorite restaurants and one of the best in this part of Provence. If you are fortunate enough to be in this area, I definitely recommend that you reserve a table for a meal at L'Oustalet. We are back in Sablet and we will be doing just that.

Bon appétit mes amis et à bientôt.