Auberge Les Olivades - Mallemort

We were a group of 18 for a mid week outing with retired work colleagues. The meal was awesome despite being a set meal at 40€ nobody was disappointed. From the apperitif to the desert not a wrong note. The set meal was Tourteau (crab) tartar in a delightful arists ceramic pallet plate (so cute), followed my lamb tenderloin, with Morilles, fresh peas, courgettes ... so yummy!! Dislike lamb so the swap was Guinea Fowl supreme ... too good. Followed by local cheeses and a fresh strawberry panacotta ... delightful!! Highly recommend this lovely restaurant. To be noted some outstanding paintings hanging in the main room of the beautiful Arlesienne costumes - brilliant! OOOppps nearly forgot (weather was pretty awful today) but there is a beautiful patio with a pool and the flowers are outstanding - Thank you to the very kind staff.

We dined at this restaurant on the basis of the TA overall rating but came out disappointed by the evening. On the + side, the patron did a very good job at welcoming us at his restaurant and spent much time giving us a verbal tour of the region which he obviously knows well. There was a wide selection of wine and the one we had, on his advice, was good. For these 2 reasons, we give this 2 stars. The food, on the other hand, was fatty, my order came out wrong, the desert was a poor copy of the same one I had at another restaurant in the region. Reading other travellers' comments it may be that we were there on an 'off' night (there were no other clients that evening) which can happen but on the basis of our experience it is unlikely that I would return.

We have passed this place many time on our trips from Lourmarin to Les Beaux and St. Remey and it always seemed closed. This year we stopped and I am glad we did. First disregard any comments about the décor. It is a lovely large room, well lit with reinforced glass that keeps out the road noise. (It is on a busy road). The food is good without being great but you get your money's worth. The asparagus gespacho was really an excellent entrée. It was very delicate and comes with shrimp and baby crawfish pieces. The dessert of chocolate mousse between lawyers of thin pastry was also excellent. The plat pretty much let the side down. It was chicken over pasta. Granted the chicken was very tender but it basically was just a piece of grilled chicken over penne. Nothing special. The price with wine for two of us was 50 E, so a good value. Actually if the plat was of the same quality as the entrée and dessert it would be an extraordinary value for the money. A good restaurant with room for improvement.

My wife and I have dined at Auberge Les Olivades on three occasions, once for dinner, twice for lunch. The lunches were on a shaded terrace with flowering plants and a great view of the Luberon Mountains. The owner/chef is extremely talented. All of the dishes that we have tried have been excellently prepared and elegantly presented and a delightful melange of flavors and textures. A three course lunch or dinner costs between 25 and 30 Euros, not counting wine, which is a very reasonable price for food and ambiance of this quality.

In an area redolent with the fragrance of lavender, abounding with quaint villages, and close to historic landmarks, Auberge Les Olivades is a landmark of its own. Having exhausted the restaurants on the doorstep of Pont Royal, we took a drive down the N7 and, right on the road, we discovered this comfortable, little restaurant. Offering bistro fare at affordable prices it is well worth stopping on your way from Aix en Provence to Avignon to sample its wares. Fresh, inviting and affordable, this is an eatery that has carved a name for itself in the area.