Best Restaurant in Aix-en-Provence - Le Formal

During our six weeks in Aix-en-Provence, we've been eating out almost every night, giving us a chance to try a large number of restaurants and go back to those that we liked. What a great experience! Aix has many excellent restaurants, and I've written about many that we've been to in other posts. I've also published a "best of" post that highlights what we like most in categories such as best traditional cuisine or best people-watching.

But in all our dining experiences in Aix, one restaurant stands out, and clearly merits the designation "The Best Restaurant in Aix-en-Provence":

Le Formal (32 rue Espariat - Tel: 33 (0)4 42 27 08 31) is quite a revelation, and given the somewhat obscure location (though close to La Rotonde) and modest signage, I was going to label it a "find," only to learn that it is one of the only restaurants in Aix that is full every single day throughout the year. It is obvious why.

Ambiance
After a long, modern, but narrow hallway at street level, you descend into a beautifully lit set of vaulted dining rooms, combining old stone work with modern art and seating. This is the way 'caves' should be, fresh and airy, yet imbued with a sense of age and history. This is a great and unique environment.

Food
On our first visit, we had the tasting menu featuring truffles (49 euro, the highest on the menu) and were stunned with how good it was. Interesting, innovative, complex, flavorful, and truly rewarding, our biggest question was how Michelin could justify not giving a star to a place that so obviously merits it.

On our second visit, we had the "Revolution" menu, at 39 euro, which only confirmed our initial experience. The first course was a "canneloni," really a light shell filled with a delicious goat cheese mousse, topped with a piece of fish, called rouget. It was beautifully presented on a triangular plate drizzled with two different reductions. The next course was a house-made foie gras pate which may be the best I've ever had, again stylishly presented. Then scallops, succulent, flavorful, and fresh, followed by a lamb that is the way lamb should be. To finish, a dessert in three parts that we greatly enjoyed, and a small plate of cookies arrived with the coffee.

Service
In a word, "impeccable." Undoubtedly inspired by the chef and owner Jean Luc Le Formal's low-key and accessible style (he's greeted us warmly both times at the top of the stairs as we left) the wait staff was competent without the least sense of pretension or over-formality. Food was delivered with excellent pacing, and our glasses were re-filled promptly and unobtrusively.

Wine
A good list, with an adequate but not quite broad enough selection of half bottles, Le Formal is clearly able to accomodate a wide range of wine palates and budgets. The selection of wines in the list was done with care and supports the quality of the dining experience, but doesn't break new ground the way the food does. I think a little more of the restaurant's philosphy and personality could be reflected in the wine list and its presentation.

Conclusion
Our experience at Le Formal was more satisfying than the one we had at Clos de la Violette, yet it was less than one third the price. I said in the beginning that I didn't understand why Le Formal has not been given a Michelin star. Perhaps, though, it would stop being a 'find' and a great value and become, instead, a hostage to that rating and acknowledgement. So ignore Michelin stars and have the best dining experience in Aix at Le Formal!