GO:: Reaching today’s featured restaurant takes a bit more effort than a usual metro ride, but the reward is worth it. This ferme-auberge, owned and run by Gianni from Sardinia, sits on top of the Luberon ridge and is reached after a scenic two-hour walk along winding, dusty tracks. The climb isn’t extreme, but it does guarantee rosy cheeks, a hearty appetite and a proud sense of accomplishment when you arrive. If you prefer, you can reach the farm by car, though the drive lacks the same drama and satisfaction.
One of the stone farm buildings houses the restaurant, a large room with low ceilings and two long communal tables stretching across its width. Guests gather as staff—some local, some Sardinian—prepare the meal. Children run and play among the tables while everyone settles in for the shared feast.
DRINK:: Pitchers of homemade sangria, a red wine and fruit cocktail, are placed on the tables before the meal begins. Guests often take their glasses outside to the wooden terraces to admire the view, or walk with the children to see the brown goats grazing on the little hill behind the farm. During the meal an unending procession of jugs arrives: plenty of red wine and mountain spring water to keep everyone refreshed.
EAT:: The restaurant offers a fixed menu that changes daily, and dishes are shared family-style from large platters. To start, we enjoyed a lentil salad, a rich game terrine and slices of homemade boudin noir (blood sausage), all served with fresh country bread.
The main course arrived next: racks of lamb à la broche, fire-roasted and brought into the room in clouds of steam and smoke. Gianni and his team expertly carved the meat at the table. It was served with stewed potatoes and turnips that complemented the flavorful lamb perfectly — tender and rosy in places, with wonderfully crispy, smoky edges.
The cheese course followed, featuring a generous selection of goat cheeses from the farm’s own herd. The cheese was presented with small wooden cups of farm-produced lavender honey and tiny spoons. The platter displayed cheeses at every stage of ripeness: from fresh and creamy to ripe and melting with a surprising walnut note, to very aged, dry rounds that delivered a sharp, mouth-puckering intensity. Not everyone prefers intensely aged cheese, but I’d take that memorable complexity over forgettable, neutral cheeses any day.
Dessert finished the meal: square pieces of chocolate cake that were dark, moist and richly chocolaty without being overly sweet, topped with a soft, velvety glaze. After a long walk and a generous meal, dessert felt just right.
PAY:: 30€, all included.
REMEMBER:: The warm, welcoming service; the hearty, satisfying food; and the boisterous, joyful atmosphere. There was an unmistakable feeling of belonging and contentment as I shared an Easter Sunday lunch with twenty family members who spent the weekend together. The meal ended with Gianni’s spirited guimbarde (Jew’s harp) performance, a charming finale that sealed the experience.
FORGET:: It’s hard to find fault with the day. If pressed, I’d say our ill-advised return trek was the only hiccup: ten of us set off on foot while others drove back, and under my cousin’s guidance we repeatedly mistook vague clearings for paths. We scrambled through underbrush, ducked beneath low branches and slid on loose rocks, repeatedly thinking we’d regained our bearings only to realize we hadn’t. It was tiring, but in retrospect it added to the adventure.
Even getting lost was part of the memory: we were in good spirits, the sun was still up and we had cell phones, so there was no real worry. That kind of slightly reckless countryside fun—an experience this Parisian welcomed on a weekend escape—made the day feel complete.
Ferme-auberge refers to a farm that also operates as a simple inn and restaurant, typically serving dishes made from the farm’s own produce and products.
LE CASTELAS
84400 Sivergues
[email protected]
+33 (0)4 90 74 30 81