La Gloire de mon Pere, Seillans

We were in Provence with one birthday down for the week, with another to come. We had stumbled upon La Gloire de mon Pere whilst wandering around Seillans. It is set within a beautifully rustic cobbled square in Seillans, high up amongst the mountains. The square also boasts an old fountain and a (Roman?) water bath. In addition, the restaurant also had a fairly extensive and interesting selection 'pour les vegetariens'. Perfect.

It was here that sister in law Spread decided she wanted her birthday dinner; by candle light and under the Provence night sky. We had called ahead to reserve a table and arrived to the surprise that our table was next to the old bath.

The restaurant has set dinner menus (as well as an a la carte menu) which start at 29 Euros for three courses. Everyone other than the vegetarians opted for this. Sister in law spread and I opted for two courses chosen from the vegetarian selection.

I had the 'gazpacho de tomates fraiches et tartare de courgette a la buffala'. Brother in law Spread also opted for the same. He mentioned that the last few times he had ordered gazpacho in restaurants that he had been disappointed. This was not the case on this occassion.

Gipsy Spread had the 'salad de Saint- Marchellin' which was a deliciously salty and nutty local goats cheese served with sundried tomatoes. Perfect selection from him, as I also got to sample. Another starter which mother in law Spread opted for was the salmon gravadlax.

The weather starts to change in Provence towards the end of September and whilst still 28 degrees during the day, the temperature does fall at night. The restaurant was clearly prepared for this and handed out blankets to those who might feel the evening chill. This included me and I was grateful for the consideration. I was nice and toasty when the mains were served.

I had opted for the 'salade de ravioli frits au fromage et pistou'. This was ravioli unlike any other I had tasted. The pasta was fried and not boiled and took on an almost patry like texture. It was stuffed with goats cheese and the pistou was a herby pesto like sauce. I have to admit that whilst it was tasty, I would have preferred the ravioli boiled.

Other main courses that my fellow diners ordered included red mullet and lamb.

Well, four out of the six of us had dessert included in the set menu, so four desserts sufficed for the table. Gipsy Spread knows I love a creme brulee and ordered this classic dessert for us to share. I was not disappointed. Other desserts included a sabayon which was rich and creamy and a deep dark chocolate mousse.

We drank Chateau des Selves in red and rose, which is produced just a couple of miles down the road. I'd highly recommend the local wine, alongside the restaurant and the food. The service was excellent, with dessert being brought out with sparklers on for the birthday girl.

We also thought it was reasonably priced for the quality of the food, especially if ordering from the set menus. If you are in this part of the world, it would be a crime not to stop here for a magical al fresco dinner amongst the stars.

Thanks again La Gloire de mon Pere for a fantastic night. The only thing that could follow this was the celebratory pink champagne we drank when we got back to our Chateau.