L’Artemise

L’Artemise has earned accolades for its cuisine, atmosphere and service, and based on our experience, we certainly understand why. We stayed at the chambres and enjoyed dinner on our final night (a 20^th anniversary celebration); this was a dining experience to remember. L’Artemise offers unforced, relaxed charm and exceptional service — warm but professional, along with unbelievably amazing food reflective of the region. Our ten courses, from tomato mousse to monkfish to duck to coconut ice cream, were amazing; presented in a thoughtful sequence. This is as good as it gets.

Heavenly experience! The food, service, and atmosphere were all spot-​on. The weather was perfect for dining outside in the peaceful garden. We went with the 70 euro tasting menu, which included amuse-​bouche, 2 starters, 2 main courses, cheese and 4 desserts.
Amuse-​bouche: roasted tomato on warm mozzarella with olive oil
Starter 1: Foie gras, diced beets and beet chutney
Stater 2: Gazpacho
Main course 1: bone fish with sweet potato purée
Main course 2: Roasted pigeon, buttered cabbage, potato cake and porcini mushrooms
Cheese: Pears soaked in red wine atop blue cheese and pastry
Dessert 1: peach sorbet shooter
Dessert 2: Pistachio ice cream loaf with fresh raspberries and sauce atop caramelized pastry
Dessert 3: Chocolate mouse served with madeleine cakes
Every course was stunning and perfectly paced. Portion-​size was just right and although it sounds like a lot of food, we never felt stuffed. The entire experience lasted 3 hours. This was a meal we will never forget!

Simply stunning setting and gardens surrounding an ancient bishop’s palace makes this worth a visit, if not a full meal. If you stay, make sure to get a window table, sweeping views over surrounding countryside relieves the slightly stiff atmosphere. You’re in for a very self conscious evening but one of excellent food — a seasonal pre-​set menu devised by the chef. Service is attentive and flawless. Food is four star but the restaurant retains a worshipful quality from its past that dampens too much pleasure.

If you ever find yourself in the Languedoc-​Rousillon region of southern France, make sure to visit L’Artemise (in Uzes) for dinner. Actually, I think it’s worth the trip to France just to have dinner at L’Artemise.
On the evening (in August) that we visited L’Artemise, it was comfortably warm – mid 70s, or so. Earlier in the week, we made a reservation for our group of four. Our reservation was for 7:15, but we were running late after a full day of visiting various spots in the region. L’Artemise was very accomodating and changed our reservation to 8 (does that happen anywhere else in the world? I have not witnessed such acts of kindness in Chicago.).
From the outside, the restaurant is an impressive site. It’s housed in a castle-​like structure, at the top of a long and winding road, with amazing views of the countryside. Upon arrival, we were quickly seated at a table in a fabulous garden-​like area on the inside of the castle walls. The waiter spoke both French and English very well. When I told him that I was a vegetarian but that I could eat seafood, he looked at me with a nervous grin and said «but…do you eat cheese, I hope?» Of course I do.
The next 4 hours were unforgettable. Yes, our meal lasted 4 hours, but that’s very normal for a restaurant with a menu of this caliber and extent, especially in this region (and it certainly didn’t seem like 4 hours. I wish I was still there…).
We ordered the prixe fixe menu, which began with mint and pea gazpacho. We also selected a bottle of 2007 «L’Heritage» red wine by D’Aqueria (2007 was a very good year). The gazpacho’s unusual mint and pea combination left me wondering if, upon my return to Chicago, I could cross-​breed a mint plant with a pea plant. So far, no luck. I am also trying to find a mint and pea gazpacho recipe that compares to the one we had at L’Artemise, but I haven’t yet been successful.
The next course was fantastic as well. For me, the seafood-​eating vegetarian, this 2^nd course consisted of marinated tuna with melon roses and cucumber grapefruit salad. I think the non-​vegetarians at the table had some type of meat. Since returning home to the US, I have asked my husband several times for a bouquet of melon roses, to no avail.
The 3^rd course was comprised of tomato gazpacho with salmon and a lemon ‘cracker.’ Also unique and wonderful. We ordered another bottle of wine – 2010 «Gigondas» by domaine Santa Duo – which was very enjoyable (since there aren’t any sulfites in real French wine, drinking it is actually like eating vitamins, right?).
I should note that while there have been 3 courses so far, and more to come, the portion sizes are very appropriate. Not too much, not too little.
The 4^th course was a salad with lobster and mango. I’m glad to finally realize what lobster has always been missing – it’s mango. In addition, the creamy dressing on the salad had an interesting citrusy tang to it, which served as a fabulous complement to the lobster and mango.
Yes, of course, there’s a 5^th course: vegetables with mint sauce and whipped potatoes. The potatoes seemed a bit «loose» (soupy), but the flavor was so wonderful that it didn’t even matter, very tasty.
Next, our server brought out a pamplemousse-​basil palette cleanser, along with an amazing cheese selection. The cheese plate was a sure signal that the unforgettable meal was coming to an end.
Of course, the night could not really end without dessert. The final ‘piece de resistance’ dessert was a tangy pepper-​nectarine sorbet with peaches and verveine. Yes, there was pepper in the dessert. And it belonged there.
In conclusion, while our meal was not inexpensive, it was worth every penny. There were multiple courses to our meal, as is typical in this region, yet the portion sizes were just right. The food and service at L’Artemise were absolutely perfect and I hope to return in the near future.

Bel endroit tenu par des gens au goût très sûr en matière d’art contemporain.
Les chambres sont confortables, l’accueil sympathique et la table tout à fait à la hauteur des attentes. C’est ici qu’il faut venir en week-​end prolongé, pour se reposer ou pour découvrir la bonne ville d’Uzès.

Le cadre de ce restaurant est intime et il y flotte une atmosphère romantique à souhait. Les tables sont grandes, bien disposées, et bien décorées, et on a le sentiment d’être un peu à l’écart du monde, dans une Provence de carte postale, enluminée de chandelles et d’œuvres d’art.
Mais, comme le noteront les amateurs avertis, le chef peut sans doute mieux faire.
Regardons met par met. Menu surprise à 50 EUR, 4 plats.
–Mise en bouche: petite cuillère de concombre, piment, et pistache. Léger. Ça fonctionne bien. On en prendrait bien une seconde
–Entrée: foie gras cuit et demi oignon en saumure. Les deux éléments flottent dans une assiette bien trop grande pour eux. Il manqué sans doute une petite sauce ici, ou une légère émulsion. Le serveur prévient qu’il faut bien manger les deux en même temps, pour que les goûts se répondent. Il n’a pas tort, car le foie gras seul est un peu fade, et manqué singulièrement de relief. Un peu raté sur ce coup.
–Entremet: soupe froide de tomate au réglisse. Parfait. Les deux saveurs se mélangent et intriguent le palais. Au fur et à mesure des bouchées, c’est la saveur du réglisse qui l’emporte. Un plat à déguster dans la durée, donc.
–Plat: filet de canette roti, purée, roquette au piment fumé. C’est excellent. La cuisson de la volaille est parfaite. Mais l’impression laissée par le piment est fugace. L’assaisonnement serait à renforcer ici.
–3 fromages. Bien affinés, mais on en a goûté de plus intéressants (à la Laiterie du Col Bayard, par exemple, près de Gap).
–Dessert: tarte au citron, fruits des bois, pétales de fleurs et légère sauce à l’amande. L’assiette à une forme de petit creuset. A l’onctuosité de la tarte au citron répond l’explosion de parfums des fruits rouges. Ça marche bien.
Au final, tout est vraiment très bon, mais les préparations manquent d’inventivité, et un travail sur les sauces reste à faire. Encore un effort, donc !