If you are ever celebrating a birthday or anniversary in the area, my tip is to get yourself pampered at Michelin starred restaurant La Table de Castigno in Assignan. In fact, even if you don’t have something to celebrate, you should still go! Sometimes you just have to indulge yourself. And this restaurant completely understands how to spoil you with the best local wines and the finest cuisine, using ultra-fresh, organic and local products.
Sense of calm
Chéri and I had two good reasons to treat ourselves to a dinner at La Table de Castigno: our wedding anniversary and my birthday. Every time we arrive in the sleepy village of Assignan, we feel a sense of calm wash over us. La Table de Castigno looks like it’s housed in some kind of barn. But don’t let the exterior fool you (although it is pretty too, with abundant ivy covering the walls). When you walk in, a lovingly decorated space embraces you in style. The red, pink and purple colour pallet hint at a link with Castigno’s wine estate, while the many artful hanging lamps add a playful effect. And the experienced staff expand this feeling with a genuine warm welcome.
Culinary voyage
The chefs Justine Viano and Stephan Paroche wish to surprise their guests with a culinary voyage. Therefore, there is no menu here, and you only have to choose how many courses you want. Life can be beautifully simple in the South of France. Chéri and I went for the feast of four courses (89 euros) and the wine pairing (48 euros for local wines and 72 euros for French wines). Soon enough, our ‘trip around the world’ started with the first- out of three- amuse bouche. I won’t describe all of these appetizers, otherwise this post would be too long… However, a special note goes to the Mexican tortilla stacked with vegetables and herbs from La Table’s garden. And I can’t forget the memorable vegetarian kebab. And- okay, so I’ll mention all three amuse bouches- a mini savoury brioche bun. Oh well, all was divine!
Plant-based
After this promising start, the first of the four courses came: a variation on onions from nearby Lézignan. The second course was a beautiful composition of seabream on a bed of celery and a delicate green sauce. This was followed by a delicious homemade bread as a treat in between courses. The main course was a thinly sliced super tender steak, surprisingly accompanied by an oyster and festively decorated vegetable medley. It wasn’t until the last course that we realised that most of the dishes highlighted plant-based ingredients and involved very little meat and fish. Which I can only applaud, especially because of the great care and the high-quality preparation that went into all produce.
Warm, cold, crispy, and velvety
Of course, no dinner is complete without dessert. Here again, the chefs worked their magic. To top off our delicious dinner, we had a wonderful variation on apples, combining warm, cold, crispy, and velvety structures and tastes. But that wasn’t all! When Chéri and I ordered our coffee and tea, it came with a little tasting of goodies. Our table magically refilled itself with four small sweet bites, from an elegant almond financier cake to a delicious chocolate mousse served on a biscuit. Completely satisfied, I was already looking forward to our next celebration.
