Baumanière Les Baux de Provence

L'Ousteau de Baumaniere is a mythical destination in French cuisine. Set in the other worldly moon like bauxite mine region of Les Bau de Provence, the main building/restaurant is nestled into the surrounding valley. Three Michelin star chef Glenn Viel has brought new youthful treasures, while also continuing traditional dishes of Chef Charial, and his Grandfather who originally started L'Ousteau after the War. Excellent cuisine, superb service, and one of the most extensive wine lists in the world. A truly exceptional dining experience.

We stayed at Baumaniere for three nights - 8th - 11th Sept 24. Baumaniere was one of five Relais and Chateaux properties that we stayed at on our two-week tour of Provence. It was the worst by some considerable margin. When you pay over €900 per night, you expect a certain quality, which, sadly, Baumaniere lacked. To be clear, there were no absolute disasters, although our evening meal at The Cabro d'Or was akin to visiting the Circus. I shall try to provide an overview of why we felt let down. The hotel is divided into two areas, 750 m apart and not connected in the way you might expect. Most resorts of this type are easily navigable, with signs and footpaths allowing easy access to the areas that you may want to wander to. The hotel does offer a shuttle that will take you from one area to the next, and whilst it was efficient, it was a pain to have to use when a stroll might have been preferable. I should say that our room was in the old/original building, the same building that houses the 3-star Michelin restaurant. There were other rooms in this building, too. We felt that little to no attention was paid to guests who stayed in this area. Indeed, I suspect that the hotel is fully focused on the Michelin Restaurant to the detriment of those staying in the building. Guests staying in this area of the hotel have no reception, no concierge, absolutely no one. If you want to see a staff member or have a face-to-face, you have to travel (via shuttle) to the reception 750 metres away. I am aware that villa resorts work in this way, but this is a hotel in the traditional sense of the word. We had to hop through puddles outside the front door daily. There must have been a leaking plant watering system, which nobody bothered to fix; it was just left...predominantly because nobody ever bothered to attend the area. The seating in our room was very uncomfortable and pretty scruffy. Other than a nice view, it had no redeeming qualities and was probably worth half of what we paid. When checking out, I always try to provide feedback (good or bad). I met the charming owner of this third-generation family-run business, who listened attentively to my concerns and made all the right noises. She also provided us with a bottle of Champagne as a "sorry," which was greatly appreciated. To be honest, we still felt a little short-changed after spending well over €3000 for three nights and one dinner. In summary, I can't help feeling that someone at this property is asleep at the wheel. It has lots of potential but failed to deliver. Caveat Emptor!

We really enjoyed the beautiful and very large garden, the many fountains and swimming pools. It’s an ideal place where to slow down and relax. The room was extremely large and our terrace was a great addition to it. Both restaurants are delicious. The chocolates that are sold in the boutique are to die for. Service is very attentive. It was just perfection.

We stayed for three nights to visit Arles and Saint Remy de Provence. Super friendly and motivated staff. We were up graded to a suite. Great swimming pool area with bar services, tennis court and gym. The landscaping is beautiful. We visited the two restaurants. Both very recommendable. The 3 Michelin Star is an experience. We didn’t like the wine paring. Your are better of getting a nice bottle of Bordeaux.

Baumaniere is a beautiful estate with well manicured gardens and fountains throughout. There are two restaurants - La Cabro D’Or and L’Oustau (3 Star Michelin). La Cabro D’Or was very subpar - multiple times we had to call the waiters over to order drinks or food. We’d felt forgotten throughout the experience. Of the 3 dishes we received, one was fish with olive oil. It was bland and, really - olive oil is the drizzle you come up with to coat your fish which is already cooked in oil? We felt this restaurant was lacking creative. L’Oustau was a better experience but having been to other 3 Michelin Star restaurants, we didn’t feel it deserved to be in the same category. Further they’ll come up to you and ask if you want champagne. It is not a part of the experience and you will be charged for it - which was a surprise to other couples who attended as well, especially when it is over €50 each glass. Next, the wine pairing is about a 450% markup and is not exotic or unique. Read reviews and avoid if you can. Lastly, the desserts were not great. Ice cream and a crepe soufflé was what we ordered. Ice cream tasted like the ones you’d get at any gelato shop in the nearby towns. Soufflé was a bit too eggy but not bad. Other dishes were just okay, with the caviar being the best of them all. I had high expectations for this property and its restaurants but it was severely disappointing. Do yourself a favor and look at other 5 star estates nearby.