Hostellerie Les Gorges de Pennafort – a dynasty cooked in pink rock

Facing the ochre rock wall of the Gorges de Pennafort, a short drive inland from the Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Hostellerie Les Gorges de Pennafort occupies a Provençal bastide that has stood as one of the Var's grand tables for three decades. It is Selected in the MICHELIN Guide, a distinction built on an unusually direct line of succession: the late Philippe Da Silva, who had already earned two Michelin stars in Paris in 1995, moved south with his wife Martine to open the kitchen here, and went on to hold a star at Pennafort that he never lost. When Da Silva died on 24 April 2021, the kitchen passed to Anthony Salliège, his second and then executive chef for ten years, who still cooks Da Silva's foie gras and parmesan ravioli alongside his own, quieter creations. The dining room, rebuilt in a sleek contemporary style, opens onto a terrace shaded by lime trees and a bioclimatic pergola, with the pink cliffs of the gorge as a permanent backdrop.

01The room and the setting

Callas sits in the hills above Draguignan, and the hostellerie backs straight onto the red-rock gorge for which it is named. The dining room has been redone in a sleek, contemporary idiom of clean lines and soft light, while outside, tables line a terrace shaded by lime trees and covered by a pergola engineered to open and close with the weather. Beyond the garden there is a swimming pool, a tennis court, a pétanque court and a Thalgo spa with hammam, and the car park carries charging points for Tesla and Porsche models — a small sign of the clientele the address has long attracted among residents of the nearby Golfe de Saint-Tropez.

02The chef

Salliège, born in Burgundy, trained under Jacques Lameloise and Roland Chanliaud before working alongside Philippe Braun — a long-time lieutenant of Joël Robuchon — at Le Laurent in Paris; it was Pennafort's own pastry chef, François Kartheiser, who first introduced him to Da Silva. Salliège joined the kitchen in 2000, left for Burgundy in 2007 to be nearer his son, then returned to the Var in 2018 at Da Silva's own request, as his executive chef. In the dining room, Martine Da Silva still receives guests herself, continuing the house's reputation for personal welcome.

Insider tip

Closed Monday and Tuesday; annual closure mid-December to mid-February; smart dress code.

03The cooking

Gault & Millau, which awards the address 3 toques, reads Salliège's cooking as an heir to Nouvelle Cuisine, built on sweet-and-savoury combinations and the shared memories of his years beside Da Silva. The menu changes constantly, built on noble products such as langoustine and lobster alongside seasonal finds like wild fennel, fresh peas and spring morels. The kitchen also holds the Collège Culinaire de France's Quality Restaurant label and a 2015 Gault & Millau technical-excellence trophy for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

04What to order

On the autumn 2026 card, the Da Silva ravioli of foie gras, parmesan and Callas olive oil opens the menu, alongside organic Callas snails with confit pigeon leg, chestnut and redcurrant, and Norman scallops with celery, pink grapefruit and a mezcal jus. Among the mains, a braised veal sweetbread finished in white port sits next to a fillet of Aveyron veal with seasonal mushrooms, pak choi and a Saint-Julien jus, and a dish of venison with quince, juniper, Jerusalem artichoke and Brussels sprouts. Da Silva-era dishes endure too: langoustine carpaccio with a citrus-and-caviar dressing, sesame-marinated tuna with crisp julienne vegetables, and a roast pigeon fillet with truffled purée and a red Saint-Julien jus.

05Wine and drinks

The cellar runs to 600 references, strong in champagne and anchored in regional reds; the house favourite is Château Saint-Julien, made by the Garrassin family in La Celle, alongside selections carrying the Coteaux Varois en Provence appellation.

06The neighbourhood

A marked path of roughly 2.5 kilometres follows the Rioufreid stream through the gorge, winding past a series of natural pools with emerald-coloured water before reaching the Pennafort waterfall, most dramatic after rain or in spring. Above the ravine stands the hillside chapel of Notre-Dame de Pennafort, a landmark for walkers on the circuit. The hotel is close enough to the coast for a day at the beaches of the Golfe de Saint-Tropez, and near enough inland to reach Fréjus and the first reaches of the Gorges du Verdon.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.