Gourmet getaways

All great weekends away need a crowning moment an activity that forms the heart of the trip. It could be an exhibition, a hike, or a night at the opera. But why not put your taste buds first? Europe is full of iconic restaurants, with menus bursting with creativity places to save up for and plan a short trip around. So from Massimo Bottura’s Modena tavern to Raymond Blanc’s Oxfordshire mansion, here’s our pick of the best.

- FIONA SIMS & QIN XIE

La Bastide de Moustiers
PROVENCE, FRANCE

Best known for haute cuisine at his Michelin-starred restaurants in Monte Carlo and London, Alain Ducasse showcases a different side to his culinary repertoire at La Bastide de Moustiers. Surrounded by fragrant Provençal herbs and flowers, with olive trees providing shade, this was Ducasse's home before it became a restaurant with rooms. While the atmosphere is homely, the menu of hearty French dishes prepared by chef Adrien De Crignis, such as local venison with vegetables from the garden, is more than worthy of its Michelin star. In the morning, baskets overflow with perfectly flaky, buttery croissants. Five-course menu: €95 (£84). bastide-moustiers.com

WHERE ELSE TO EAT: Moustiers is in a rural area, so dining options are limited, but the main village - roughly a 20-minute walk away along hilly country lanes - has a clutch of restaurants catering mainly to tourists visiting the Verdon Gorge. Of these, La Part des Anges Moustiers, with enviable views downhill, and La Grignotière, in the heart of the village, both serve Provençal favourites in casual surroundings.

IN THE AREA: Tourists have long made pilgrimages to Moustiers to admire the large gold star that hangs on a 443ft chain between the two cliffs that bookend the village. Local legend says it dates back to the Crusades, although the iteration we see today is 50 years old. The headliner, however, is Verdon Gorge, where active travellers come to hike, climb and raft. For those with a head for heights, paragliding and bungee jumping are also popular. Qx