December for me is all about reminiscing about the best experiences of the year that is almost about to come to an end. and so this December, i’m starting a blogpost about the best experiences i’ve had this year. and what better way to begin this than by talking about food.

the best restaurant experience i had was of course back in France during our family visit in the summer. my in-laws took us to this nice restaurant called La Ferme aux Grives in a small ville called Eugenie-les-Bains, in the South of France, not far from where my in-laws live.

the restaurant was set in the middle of a lovely garden, at the edge of a huge farm, and is owned by a two-Michelin starred chef, Michel Guerard.

the ancient stone house that makes up the restaurant of La Ferme Aux Grives

Charming signage by the main entrance right on top of a small pear tree

we were seated right across this table with fresh produce, right behind is a huge oven

suckling pig, quietly roasting in a corner

jambons and herbs hung on ancient chandeliers

no meal is complete without fine wine

the strawberries in this slice of heavenly Charlotte were extraordinarily fresh and delicious

lovely window framing

charming and rustic — just the way i like it

even the toilet is lovely and full of character

dandelions growing through holes on this rusty garden chair

Un rêve accessible (a reachable dream)

having a meal at La Ferme aux Grives is one of the best experiences i’ve had in 2014. it was a perfect summer day with family and friends in a lovely setting. the food in the dishes was fresh and each plate was beautifully-presented, the ambience was wonderful, calm and relaxing. the service was impeccable and the staff were friendly. they even made an impromptu birthday cake and bouquet from their garden for my belle-mère. and most importantly, taking pictures was supposed to be prohibited but nobody stopped me from shooting away anyway with my huge camera. i guess they make exceptions for rare asian tourists. 🙂