At Château de Valmer, the setting has always been part of the experience. The vineyards, the century-old palm grove, the Mediterranean climate and the estate’s gardens all surround La Palmeraie, the Michelin-starred restaurant tucked into this corner of La Croix-Valmer. This season, however, the restaurant has a new voice in the kitchen.
Thomas Pezeril joined Château de Valmer at the end of 2025, taking over from Alexandre Fabris and becoming the new executive chef of the estate. From May 2026, he began presenting his cuisine at La Palmeraie, as well as overseeing the menus at the property’s other dining venues, including La Bastide and La Pinède Plage.
Pezeril arrives with a substantial background behind him. He spent several years as executive chef at Hélène Darroze at Villa La Coste, following earlier positions at La Bijouterie and Sapna in Lyon and experience with Anne-Sophie Pic in Valence. His career has also taken him to London, where he worked at Hélène Darroze at The Connaught. His arrival marks a change of direction for La Palmeraie, but not a departure from its surroundings.
That philosophy is particularly visible in the restaurant’s relationship with the estate’s organic vegetable garden. Tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, artichokes, beans, lettuces and a long list of aromatic herbs are grown on the property, while seafood arrives from local fishermen and producers. The kitchen also works with a network of Provençal growers, artisans and food producers.
For summer, Pezeril has created two six-course menus. The Terroir menu moves between the sea, the garden and the wider Provençal landscape. Tomato, fig and seaweed, Mediterranean gnudi with rocket and Menton lemon, red mullet with basil and small spelt, and caponata with saffron rouille are among the compositions currently on the menu.
The Plant-Based menu takes a different route through the same territory. Fresh goat cheese, watermelon and lovage; small spelt with goat cheese and girolle mushrooms; and prunes with black garlic and aged balsamic show how much depth the kitchen can find without relying on meat or seafood. There are also shorter four-course menus for guests looking for a lighter introduction to the restaurant.
The setting makes the experience particularly suited to summer. La Palmeraie sits within the lush grounds of Château de Valmer, with dining available beneath the pergola or on the terrace surrounded by greenery. It is a quieter side of the Saint-Tropez area, where the evening unfolds among palms, gardens and vineyards rather than the noise of the coast.
The estate’s own organic rosé completes the picture. Made from grapes grown around Château de Valmer and harvested by hand, it brings the property’s vineyard directly to the table.
There is a sense of continuity in the details, too, from the ceramics created by Sylvie Gélis to the produce coming from nearby farms and the estate garden. La Palmeraie has held its Michelin star since 2017. With Thomas Pezeril now at the helm, the restaurant is entering its next chapter — one that remains firmly rooted in Provence, but is being rewritten through a new chef’s experience, ideas and relationship with the region.
Address: 81 Bd de Gigaro, 83420 La Croix-Valmer
Phone: 04 94 55 15 15