Domaine de Capelongue

We stayed here 2 nights last year.Beautiful building and setting.Very good food.Appalling service,including the head chef,who came to argue with me re a stuffed 26 year old wine.Would not replace it.If we hadn't prepaid,would have walked out.Avoid.

Perhaps you've noticed that nearly one third of the ratings for this Relais & Chateau are in the categories Poor or Terrible. In this review I will try to shed some light on why this is so while defending my rating of Very Good . It's easy to understand why Edouard Loubet has two Michelin stars and was once voted chef of the year by Gault et Millau. His cooking is light and inventive with the use of locally sourced products and the many vegetables and herbs grown in his garden on the premises. The domaine is a vast provencal estate boasting lavender filled gardens and extraordinary views over the Luberon countryside. In early July we had dinner and spent one night at the Domaine to celebrate my birthday. We began our evening with the house cocktail, a champagne and truffle wine concoction which was delightful. It was served with a seemingly endless parade of tasty treats which we enjoyed while taking in the view of the Bonnieux hillside. We ordered a la carte from the summer menu and highly recommend the Petit Pois & Oignons Nouveaux Oeuf (Peas, Spring Onions & Egg) as a starter. The Fleurs de Courgette Farcies (Filled Courgette Flowers with Mexican Tarragon) were offered by the chef and would also be a superb choice for a starter. The main dishes (lamb and guinea fowl) were correct. The cheese board offers a wide range and a generous sampling is served while the Souffle Parfume au Cedre (Souffle with Cedar) was also excellent. However when great food and magnificent views are not enough to justify the high prices, factors like service and accommodation enter the equation. We stayed in the Tistet Vedene, a “Chambre Luxe�. It was spacious and comfortable. The TV didn't work but someone came quickly to get it working. The wi-fi connection was sporadic as was the phone service with our mobile carrier. We found the service very good but we can totally understand how it could easily deteriorate. The staff is young with many newly hired; the maitre d'hotel seemed stressed and could appear condescending. Some routine protocols for keeping the guests informed were missing. When we arrived for dinner we were led to a table for a pre-dinner cocktail but we were given no information about when we would move to the dining area. Similarly at breakfast we were seated in a dining area without any explanation that there was a buffet service in the adjacent room. Small details but we felt these were awkward moments. On the plus side, we have not seen many two star chefs spend as much time as Edouard Loubet did on the terrace serving and meeting with guests. One final observation: the reception area also serves as the Domaine's boutique resulting in a rather congested reception with less than adequate facilities to display the products on offer.

My family and I were greatly looking forward to our dinner at Capelongue. When we arrived, we were amazed by the environment and were nicely greeted by the hostess. Unfortunately, that is where the hospitality ended. The rest of the service throughout the night is really not acceptable for such a highly rated restaurant. Our order requests were often ignored or completely forgotten and some members' service attitude were not appreciated (somewhat condescending). The food was an absolute delight but the overall experience was a disappointment and we would not recommend your restaurant to other foreign visitors wishing to enjoy quality and hospitable service.

We had a wonderful evening out at this special place. First we had cocktails and appetizers on a small private terrace surrounded by beautiful flowerbeds and a stunning view. For dinner we were escorted to the other side of the restaurant, again outside on a bigger terrace. We've chosen a six course dinner. Every dish delicious. Tastes are not overwelming and accomplice each other. The service was good, cheerful and not overly stiff, which you might have come across in a luxurious restaurant like this. The staff did there upmost to speak as good English as possible. But some translations from French to English were really funny (savage flowers, erbs the provence). The cheese plate is an experience on its own with uncountable cheeses to choose from. Something might have gone wrong with our dessert, because it took a very long time before we got that served. All and all we spent 4,5 hours in this place. But enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, it is expensive, but it was absolutely worth it

We've had a weekend in the hotel, nice surprise from my husband for my birthday. It was a first time for my children in such a luxe place, they really loved everything - the cooking, the swimming pool, the views, the room service... We both as well. Beautiful lunch plates near the swimming pool. Great hosts at the reception. The only thing missing in the hotel is the WiFI connection which is announced in the hotel services, but in reality I never could connected with my laptop.