Paris, France — Pretty pinks, glorious greenery, original olive oils, chilled rosé wine and wild herbs. Provence has come to the heart of Paris with the Jardin d’Estoublon, an ephemeral restaurant serving delicious Provençal fare showcasing carefully sourced regional products. Nestled on a corner in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, the restaurant has been installed by the Château d’Estoublon, an enchanting castle found in the Vallée des Baux-de-Provence, an estate surrounded by olive trees, vineyards, gardens and a rose garden adorning the forecourt of the 18th century chateau.  The house produces fine olive oils and the magical Designated Label of Origin Côtes de Provence wines in white, rosé and red. And this magic has been transported to the French capital until the end of September. 

The meal starts out with a tasting of the three olive oils that are made on the estate. Then  you can discover Provencal staples like the pissaladière, a thin flaky crusty pastry covered with black olives and sweet onion or sea bass carpaccio with olive oil, lemon and a gelée of the house’s emblematic Roseblood rosé wine for starters.  A tuna tartare with yellow peaches and black olives salt is an exciting turn on typical local fare but the real Provençal show stealer here is the slow-cooked terrifically tender lamb with wild thyme juice, sun-dried tomatoes and a basil condiment. The south of France show goes on with fresh goat cheese from Provence served with pungent and peppery Picholine olive oil from the Château d’Estoublon estate. Picholines are the local little green olives that are widely grown in Provence although they originally hailed from the nearby Gard region. And are packed with taste. 

Desserts include a strawberry tarte and one of the great specialties of the region, the calisson from Aix, that’s Aix-en-Provence. It’s somewhere between a cookie and a small cake revolving around three essential ingredients: Mediterranean almonds, candied melon from the Provençal town of Apt and sugar. It is also one of the 13 traditional sweets served during Provençal Christmas season. According to local legend the calissons were invented by Roy René’s confectioner for the king’s wedding in 1454. René d’Anjou, known as Roy René, was the King of Sicily and count of Provence from 1434 until 1480. And the good news is that the Paris restaurant, fit for a king, is open seven days a week and serves from noon until midnight. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. 131 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France. Tel: + 33 (0)1 43 73 73 44. https://lejardindestoublon.com