La Vague d’Or – Cheval Blanc

27th stop in my Michelin 3 Stars Marathon in France. Follow me for updates and more reviews. The intellectual, the poet and the actor. So what’s extraordinary here? It’s a 3 stars, you should expect no less. Well, first of all, it’s a notch above extraordinary like all the Cheval Blanc. A lot to say but I’ll limit to 3 points The first two are actually the tension between the intellectual side and the emotional side. The chef Arnaud Donckele is the extremely well known for his dedication to sauces, and bringing them back to the forefront. But something was still bugging me: reducing (no pun intended) him to the superstar of the sauce was missing the point. Until I came to this Cheval Blanc. Here you can see how his intellectual part pushes him to look (dig, extract, isolate, magnify) for the essences and how a romantic part uses it not only to express, but also even fuel, his emotions. He’s like a Nerd in love. When they are, and when they manage to express their emotions correctly, they can conquer any heart because they turn the loved object in something even more sublime. He’s expressing himself correctly… and this Romantic side is perfect with the location, bringing back to Saint Tropez the intellectual and the freshness of the late 50s, without the bling. What’s in it for you? A very refined, diverse and yet coherent cuisine. But this will not be complete without mentioning Thierry Di Tullio. Gastronomy is closer to the living arts than any other art. You have the chef that is the author and very often the director, and then the producers (literally), the brigade who every night put a bit of their souls into making a recipe a reality, etc… The dining room is where you have the actors, forming a band. They will play their roles, with their personal touches and sensibilities, to you, dear reader and spectator. A plate without a good service, is like a script without a voice : Some great material. Thierry Di Tullio, the maître d’hôtel, is an actor, is an artist. The mood was chic and suave. I’ve seen friends, family and couples. I was alone but with total fullness enjoying the view, the cuisine, the moment. Some may call this Plenitude. A top tiers 3 stars. I barely can wait to come back.

One of the very best. We felt like royalty here. Food was mind blowing. Service was the best in France. Setting like a dream.

We absolutely loved this experience. Everything was perfect - from food to ambience. Service was also impeccable, and the manager/director was so passionate! We hope to be back, soon.

We formally always stayed at the hotel attached to the restaurant, before deciding we needed more space and started renting a villa in St Tropez, so when a friend ask for dinner recommendations I suggest this place and I'm happy to report that the food, service, and presentation is still excellent. In my opinion best 3 star for the price in the world

Favorite birthday! Best 3 star experience I’ve had. Perfectly executed—champagne exquisite! There were even fireworks after dinner!