Restaurant in Joucas, France
Luberon views, ranked Provençal dining, Relais & Châteaux.
Mas des Herbes Blanches is a Relais & Châteaux property in Joucas with a Provençal kitchen ranked #344 on Opinionated About Dining's Classical Europe list in 2025 — and rising year on year. With rooms, a Provençal spa, and Luberon views, it's the most complete dining-and-staying proposition in the village, best booked for late spring or early autumn to avoid peak-summer crowds.
Mas des Herbes Blanches is a Relais & Châteaux property in Joucas, a small hilltop village in the Luberon, and it's one of the most complete dining-and-staying propositions in the Vaucluse. Chef Cyril Mendes runs a Provençal kitchen that earned an Opinionated About Dining Classical Europe ranking of #344 in 2025, up from #364 in 2024 and a Recommended listing in 2023 — a consistent upward trajectory that signals a kitchen improving year over year. Google reviewers rate it 4.5 across 454 reviews. If you're planning a stay in this part of Provence and want one meal that anchors the trip, this is the reservation to make first.
Joucas sits quietly between Gordes and Roussillon, two of the Luberon's most visited villages, which means it gets a fraction of the coach-tour traffic while still being within easy reach of the region's main draws. Mas des Herbes Blanches is the reason most visitors make a deliberate detour here rather than passing through. The kitchen's Provençal focus isn't decorative — it reflects where the venue sits geographically and what grows nearby. For a food and wine traveller building an itinerary around the region, this is a natural anchor point rather than an add-on. Compare it with the broader Provençal dining circuit: Alain Llorca in La Colle-sur-Loup and La Bastide Bourrelly - Mathias Dandine in Cabriès both work similar Provençal territory, but neither gives you the rooms-with-private-patio and Luberon-view combination that makes Mas des Herbes Blanches a full overnight proposition.
The property is a classic mas , a Provençal stone farmhouse , and the dining room carries the calm, unhurried energy you'd expect from that setting. It's not a loud room. Guests here tend to be residents of the property or travellers who've planned the evening deliberately, which keeps the noise level low and the mood relaxed. If you're looking for a buzzy urban dining room with energy and crowd noise, this is not the right call. If you want a long evening meal in a quiet Provençal setting with views of the Luberon and a spa to return to, the atmosphere is well-matched to that expectation. The OAD rating and Relais & Châteaux membership both suggest a room that takes its service seriously.
Summer in Provence runs hot and busy from late June through August. Mas des Herbes Blanches, being a hotel-restaurant with terraces and Luberon views, is at its most compelling in late spring (May to early June) and early autumn (September to early October) , warm enough for terrace dining, less crowded than peak summer, and with the Luberon's landscape at its most photogenic. If you're visiting in July or August, book well ahead: the Vaucluse fills quickly and hotel restaurants in Relais & Châteaux properties get reserved by staying guests first. Shoulder-season visits give you more flexibility and a more relaxed version of the experience.
The property can be reached via the website at herbesblanches.com or by email at masherbes@relaischateaux.com, or by telephone on +33 (0)4 90 05 79 79. The address is Route de Murs, 84220 Joucas. Booking is direct , difficulty is rated Easy , but shoulder and peak season fill faster than that rating implies for weekend dinners. Non-residents can book the restaurant independently of a room stay. Price range is not published in our data; for a Relais & Châteaux property in this category, expect dinner to sit at a level consistent with other serious Provençal hotel restaurants. Highlights specific to the property include rooms with private patio, Luberon views, and a Provençal spa.
Quick reference: Relais & Châteaux property, Joucas (Vaucluse) | Chef: Cyril Mendes | Cuisine: Provençal | OAD Classical Europe #344 (2025) | Google 4.5 / 454 reviews | Contact: +33 (0)4 90 05 79 79 | masherbes@relaischateaux.com | Booking: Easy.
The OAD Classical Europe list positions Mas des Herbes Blanches in a tier below the country's top-ranked French destinations , venues like Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Mirazur in Menton, Flocons de Sel in Megève, Troisgros in Ouches, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, Bras in Laguiole, and Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or , but that context is more useful for calibrating expectations than for discouraging a booking. Within the Luberon specifically, a #344 Classical Europe ranking is meaningful. For the full picture of what to eat and do in the area, see our full Joucas restaurants guide, our Joucas hotels guide, our Joucas bars guide, our Joucas wineries guide, and our Joucas experiences guide.
See the comparison section below for how Mas des Herbes Blanches stacks up against La Table de Xavier Mathieu, La Table du Mas, Le Phébus & Spa - Villa des Anges, and Le Café de la Fontaine.
Smart casual is appropriate for a Relais & Châteaux property dining room in the Luberon. Think well-cut linen in summer, a light layer in the evenings. There's no published dress code, but this is a formal-leaning hotel restaurant , shorts and flip-flops will feel out of place at dinner.
Yes, with caveats. The Provençal hotel-restaurant format works for solo diners who want a quiet, unhurried evening. It's not a bar-seat or counter-dining setup, so expect a full table. The calm atmosphere makes it a reasonable solo choice if you're staying at the property , less compelling as a standalone destination if you're driving in alone from Gordes or Roussillon.
Groups are manageable here given the property's hotel scale. For parties larger than six, contact the restaurant directly at masherbes@relaischateaux.com or +33 (0)4 90 05 79 79 to confirm table configuration and any private dining options. A Relais & Châteaux property of this type typically has the infrastructure for private group dinners, but confirm specifics before assuming.
Yes. The combination of a Provençal spa, rooms with private patio, Luberon views, and a kitchen ranked on the OAD Classical Europe list makes this one of the stronger special-occasion propositions in the Vaucluse. It works particularly well as an anniversary or milestone-birthday stay-and-dine rather than a standalone dinner reservation.
The closest alternative in format and positioning is Le Phébus & Spa - Villa des Anges, also a hotel restaurant with a French kitchen. For Mediterranean cuisine at a comparable spend, La Table de Xavier Mathieu (€€€€) is the direct peer. If you want Modern Cuisine at a slightly lower price point, La Table du Mas (€€€) is worth considering. For a more casual Mediterranean meal, Le Café de la Fontaine (€€€) is the low-commitment option.
No specific bar-dining option is confirmed in our data. As a Relais & Châteaux hotel restaurant, there will be a bar or lounge area for pre- or post-dinner drinks, but whether the full menu is available there is not confirmed. Contact the property directly to check if bar seating is an option before assuming it's available.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which means last-minute availability is often possible outside peak periods. That said, summer weekends in the Luberon fill quickly , for July and August, book two to three weeks out at minimum. Shoulder season (May, June, September, October) gives you more flexibility, but a week's notice is still sensible for a weekend dinner at a property of this standing.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mas des Herbes Blanches | Easy | — | |
| La Table de Xavier Mathieu | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| La Table du Mas | €€€ | Unknown | — |
| Le Phébus & Spa - Villa des Anges | Unknown | — | |
| Le Café de la Fontaine | €€€ | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Mas des Herbes Blanches and alternatives.
A Relais & Châteaux property with a formal OAD Classical Europe ranking calls for neat, polished dress at dinner — think collared shirts or evening wear rather than resort casual. Lunch on the terrace allows a slightly more relaxed approach, but this is not a venue where shorts and sandals will feel comfortable. check the venue's official channels at masherbes@relaischateaux.com if you want to confirm expectations before arriving.
It's workable for solo diners, but Mas des Herbes Blanches is structured around the hotel-restaurant experience — Luberon views, terraces, and an unhurried Provençal setting that suits couples and small groups better than solo tables. Solo diners comfortable in formal hotel-restaurant environments will find it fine; those wanting counter energy or a busier solo-friendly scene should consider a village bistro in Gordes or Roussillon instead.
As a Relais & Châteaux property, Mas des Herbes Blanches has the infrastructure for private events and group bookings — contact masherbes@relaischateaux.com or call +33 (0)4 90 05 79 79 to discuss arrangements. For large groups wanting a private dining space with Luberon views, this is a stronger option than most village restaurants in the area. Advance coordination is required; don't show up expecting to seat a large party without prior arrangement.
Yes — this is one of the cleaner calls in the Luberon for a milestone meal. The combination of Relais & Châteaux status, OAD Classical Europe ranking (currently #344 in 2025), Luberon terrace views, an on-site spa, and Provençal cuisine by Cyril Mendes gives the occasion genuine substance rather than just atmosphere. Book a room with a private patio if the budget allows — it significantly improves the overall experience.
The closest direct comparison is Le Phébus & Spa - Villa des Anges, another Luberon hotel-restaurant with a similar positioning. For a more village-focused, lower-key meal, Le Café de la Fontaine in La Turbie offers a different register entirely. La Table de Xavier Mathieu and La Table du Mas are also worth considering for Provençal dining in the region if you're building an itinerary.
There is no confirmed bar-dining format in the venue data. As a Relais & Châteaux hotel-restaurant, the primary dining format is table service in the main dining room or on the terrace. Contact the property at +33 (0)4 90 05 79 79 or masherbes@relaischateaux.com to ask about informal dining options before assuming bar seating is available.
Book at least four to six weeks out for summer visits — Joucas sits between Gordes and Roussillon, and the wider Luberon draws significant traffic from late June through August, which puts pressure on all quality hotel-restaurant tables in the area. Shoulder season (May, September, October) gives more flexibility, but a Relais & Châteaux property with OAD recognition will fill faster than a standard village restaurant. Reach out via masherbes@relaischateaux.com or +33 (0)4 90 05 79 79.
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