© Mathilde Hiley - Stephanie-Davilma
What if the most beautiful retreat wasn’t by the sea? In the heart of the Var, La Commanderie de Peyrassol stretches across 850 hectares of unspoiled nature, with vineyards, olive groves and forests as far as the eye can see. Visitors come to taste the estate’s organic wines, stay in a Provençal farmhouse tucked beneath the cedar trees, admire a sublime open-air contemporary art collection and dine at Chez Jeannette, the estate’s Michelin-starred restaurant led by Benjamin Le Balch. With cicadas singing in the background and your phone forgotten at the bottom of your bag, we’ve found the perfect place to disappear off the grid for a few days.
An Open-Air Museum
Founded in the 13th century by the Knights Templar, La Commanderie de Peyrassol has been perfecting the art of hospitality for more than 800 years. Once a refuge for travellers and pilgrims, it is now a destination in its own right, where wine, nature, gastronomy and contemporary art come together with remarkable ease. The experience begins around a bend in the path or beneath the shade of a centuries-old oak, when monumental works by major contemporary artists such as Daniel Buren, Joana Vasconcelos and Berlinde De Bruyckere emerge from the landscape, with the Maures mountains as their backdrop. On foot, by e-bike or in a golf cart, everyone can set their own pace because at Peyrassol, taking your time is very much part of the experience.
But what truly won us over was access to the private collection reserve of Philippe Austruy. Open to the public for the first time in 2026, it takes visitors behind the scenes of this extraordinary collection of nearly 500 works, offering a fascinating insight into the collector’s eye, his personal favourites and the choices that have shaped Peyrassol (guided tour available, €20).
© DB-ADAGP, Paris / C Goussard
the Michelin-Starred Gem in the Vineyards
Overlooking the vineyard rows and Daniel Buren’s Floating Rainbow Damier, Chez Jeannette brings together landscape, art and cuisine. The setting alone would be enough to make it one of the most beautiful restaurants in the Var. Then there’s chef Benjamin Le Balch, whose cuisine earned its first Michelin star in 2025, retained in 2026.
His playground? The estate’s 2,000-square-metre organic kitchen garden and farm, where Provençal vegetables, edible flowers, aromatic herbs, poultry and goat’s cheese provide the ingredients for his culinary compositions. Here, vegetables take centre stage and every ingredient is enhanced without ever being disguised. Through textures, juices, acidity and bitterness, a precise and delicate cuisine takes shape, one that tells the story of the landscape you were admiring just minutes earlier.
We particularly remember the Tomato, Picholine Olive, 70% Guanaja and Dill, which dares to strike a divine balance between sweet and savoury; the Pork, Eggplant, Peanut and Purple Shiso, wonderfully refined; and above all the Milk, Whey, Tapioca and Crispy Gavotte, an airy reinterpretation of rice pudding that we would happily have ordered twice.
And in the glasses? The organic wines from Château Peyrassol naturally extend the experience. Delicate rosés, wonderfully fresh whites and more structured reds accompany the menu while telling their own story of the surrounding terroir. Curious guests can also continue the experience with a guided tour of the wine cellars followed by a tasting of the estate’s wines (€20).
For something more spontaneous, take a seat at the Bistrot de Lou, nestled in the shade of the mulberry trees, where barbecue-grilled meats and generous salads inspired by the kitchen garden’s harvests are made for sharing in a convivial atmosphere true to the traditions of the South.
A Hidden Stay Beneath the Cedar Trees
Just 1 km from the heart of the estate, La Rouvière, a former farmhouse dating back to 1835, now houses charming bedrooms and family apartments that blend Provençal simplicity with understated luxury. In the morning, head to the garden for a breakfast made with fresh, seasonal produce, enjoyed surrounded by nature in the gentle morning light. Then let the day unfold: a few laps in the pool tucked into the greenery, a game of tennis, a walk through the forest or, let’s be honest, a long and blissful nap in the sunshine.
Our tip: linger by the pool until sunset, then look up at a sky filled with stars, surrounded by an almost therapeutic silence. Plenty of space, nature everywhere you look and that rare feeling of having the whole world to yourself: ultimately, this is our definition of Provençal luxury.
© OneWineproduction / Mathilde Hiley
Rooms at La Rouvière from €195 per night. Self-guided visit of the sculpture park: €13, free for under-18s. Chez Jeannette: three-course menu €70, five-course menu €120.
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