Here we go. The review I never thought I'd write. The review for the best restaurant I've ever…read moreeaten at in my life.
My father bought a house in France almost ten years ago. He was inspired, in part, by Peter Mayle who wrote A Year In Provence. In among his many books, he mentions Auberge de la Mole as one of the places he loves. Therefore, my dad insisted on taking us.
I couldn't believe that La Mole is a one stoplight town, almost impossible to find in Provence. I also couldn't believe how easy and quick it was to get seated here on a warm summer night during tourist season.
The restaurant itself is completely unassuming. From the outside, it looks no different than a big brasserie. The chairs are plastic patio chairs. The awning is a tacky blue and there's a gas pump just outside of the restaurant because it used to be a filling station.
However, to say this place is incredible would be an understatement. To say it isn't as close to perfect as a restaurant could get would also be wrong. Auberge de la Mole excels on every level.
It's a family-run restaurant. It's an auberge (in this case, similar to an inn). The waitstaff, the cooks, the barmen are all members of the same family. They were extremely kind and the service was excellent.
The way this meal works
It's a feast. You only choose two dishes, the starter, and the main course. The rest of the courses are a wide assortment of different dishes that you can pick or choose from. The cheeses, the breads, the pates/foies, the desserts are all brought out in huge trays from which you can pick and eat your fill for as long as you'd like. The main dishes were of course to die for. They are all incredible and it is a feast fit for a king. The ingredients are fresh off the farm, the dishes are perfectly cooked, every bite melts away in your mouth and you find yourself unable to stop eating. You sit there for hours and you eat. It's not a dinner, it's a comprehensive dining experience.
Moderation is key at this place. Because it is essentially set up as all you can eat, you need to practice self-control. You've never had better food in your entire life, so it's tough not to want to eat as much of everything as possible. However, not having known how much food there would be, we ate too much too early. But this was a lesson learned. I can't wait to go back with some friends this summer, and once again eat the most incredible meal of my life.
Note: It is cash-only, so come prepared.
