French Riviera
with
ella quittner
october 23 - 28, 2025
join journalist and mad scientist ella quittner in the kitchen for a week of wild fun and recipe obsession in one of the world’s most beautiful kitchens.
6 Days, 5 nights
october 23-28, 2025
From $4500.00 USD
All of this in a stunning château overlooking lush vistas of the Riviera all the way to the Meditteranean Sea - what could be better? We’ll be staying at the Château Saint Georges in Grasse, well-loved for its beauty. So much so that it even welcomed Queen Victoria of England as a guest way back in 1891! We can’t wait to spend time together in the stunning Grande Cuisine, studded with blue marble accents in true Provençale Baroque fashion, and then share our meals in the luxurious Salon Napoléon. The château also has a lower-level spa, with a heated indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna - ready to relax?
What will you do?
We’ll spend the week taking in the southern, end-of-summer sun - both on the grounds of the Domaine Saint-Georges as well as on the pebbled beaches of Nice and Cannes. Cuisine specialist Ella Quittner will lead you in some head-to-head experimenting based on the methods she outlines in her cookbook and book of essays “OBSESSED WITH THE BEST,” testing recipes from the region and around the world to find the ultimate technique. This retreat is all about paying attention to your experience of tasting. From your croissant in the morning to your digestif before heading to bed, we’ll encourage you to be present, fine tuning your palate and developing your own opinions of what’s going into your mouth. It’s all one big game and we can’t wait to play!
Outside of workshops, the Rêverie team of brilliant chefs will prepare unforgettable meals for you in the château kitchen, and we’ll sip on more natural wines than you can remember! Don’t worry - we’ll take notes for you. Every evening we’ll enjoy apéro (the French cocktail hour) before dinner, and you’re sure to leave with heaps of new friends.
Aside from relaxing at your new luxury home for the week, we’ll take you to the Forville market in Cannes for a morning of ingredient inspiration. You’ll also have the option to visit the Fragonard perfumery in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world! During your free time, you can explore the grounds and gardens of the château, or we can help you to book an outing to a stunning hilltop village. Lastly, we’ll take a day trip to Nice for exploring, a glass of wine, and a glorious meal together in one of our favorite restaurants. Get ready for a splendid time!
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While we hope everyone will participate, all experiences are optional.
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Rêverie has carefully selected activities and experiences that we believe represent the best of the region and our own expertise, aiming to provide an optimal experience for the participants.
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Eating and drinking are communal! You’ll have the opportunity to cook food, taste wines and learn from experienced teachers. We can’t wait to welcome you for our workshops!
Your Guest Host
Get to know:
ella quittner
Ella writes culture journalism and screenplays. She is the author of OBSESSED WITH THE BEST, a cookbook and book of reported essays about excellence, out this fall from Harper Collins. She’s had writing published in The New York Times, The Baffler, T Magazine, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Prior, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Man Repeller, Bon Appétit, Saveur, The Los Angeles Times, TASTE, and across many group chats.
Follow Ella on Instagram for all the fun!
YOUR ITINERARY
*Please note that changes to the itinerary may occur between now and your retreat start date*
DAY ONE
THURSDAY 10.23.25
Welcome to the French Riviera! The beloved Château Saint Georges sits on top of a small mountain at the base of the French Alps. After your journey up the winding mountain side path to the chateau, take a deep breath and feast your eyes on your view for the week over the valley of Grasse all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. You’ll be welcomed with a glass of champagne and some post-travel snacks. Then we’ll get you settled into your room before we gather for a welcome lunch to kick off the week! You’ll have the afternoon to rest and recover from travel, but we’ll see you come evening for “l’apéro” - the French cocktail hour! We’ll then sit down to our first dinner at the château, complete with some Ella party tricks. A great start to a great week!
DAY two
FRIDAY 10.24.25
On our second day, you’ll be greeted with breakfast: fresh local pastries and breads, luxurious French yogurt and seasonal fruits to add to the bounty. We’ll all meet in the kitchen for our first round of playing with food led by Ella Quittner. First up to the plate: la fameuse Tarte Tropézienne! This brioche-based treat hails from the French Riviera itself, specifically from the illustrious and decadent seaside village of Saint Tropez. After your morning of kitchen experiments, you’ll fill your own plate for a lunch prepared by the exceptional Reverie team. In the afternoon, you can enjoy relaxation at the château or an optional outing to the Fragonard Perfumery (not included). Back on the château balcony, Reverie’s own Esmé will lead you in a guided tasting of regional natural wines before the day ends with dinner in the grand dining hall surrounded by your new best friends.
DAY three
SATURDAY 10.25.25
If we’ve done it right, by now the Château will start to feel like your home away from home. After breakfast, our drivers will take you to the delightful Forville market in Cannes, city of the stars! You’ll have the morning to explore the market, the city streets and the shops before we make our way back to the château for a chef-prepared market lunch. Should the weather gods bless us, we’ll sit out for a leisurely lunch on the lawn. Then you’ll meet Ella back in the château kitchen for continued experimentation with shaping and baking your Tartes Tropéziennes. In the evening, it’s back to apéro hour and then dinner in the grand salon - you’ve got the hang of it now!
DAY four
SUNDAY 10.26.25
Today is our last day to soak in the joys of the Domaine Saint Georges. Following breakfast, you’ll have the morning to yourself to explore and play until a tasty lunch prepared by the Reverie team greets you in the dining hall. For your final workshop with Ella, you’ll go head-to-head in testing recipes for the world’s greatest aioli to be served with roast chicken and frites galore during our final dinner - in the style of a true Reverie party!
DAY five
MONDAY 10.27.25
Today we go to Nice! An incredible coastal city, filled with bright colors, happy faces, and shopping to your heart’s content. If shopping isn’t your thing, enjoy a relaxing moment on the pebble beaches, a trip to the Musée Matisse, or a bakery tour using our handpicked guide. Before heading into the city center, we’ll stop at the centuries-old Nicolas Alziari Olive Oil mill for a demonstration of their stone milling process and a tasting of their classic olive oils. After we drop you off in the city for a day of exploration, we’ll all meet up at one of France’s best wine bars, La Part des Anges, to enjoy some fabulous natural wines from the region. Our day will end with a sunset dinner at Babel Babel, one of our favorite places for fun food and fantastic wines.
DAY six
TUESDAY 10.28.25
Today, we depart from our home for the week and we soak up every last breath of the view. We’ll send you off with a proper breakfast and snacks for the road. Our drivers will pick you up at 10:00 am to escort you back to the Nice airport where you can begin your journey home….or on to your next adventure ;).
workshops
If you know Ella Quittner, you know she is obsessed with finding the best technique, the best recipe, the best possible way to make a specific dish, cookie, or sauce. She spends hours researching and testing in the kitchen and then shares her results so that we can be confident in choosing a recipe for ourselves. For our week together with Ella in the French Riviera, it will be your turn to play in the kitchen. Ella has chosen the locally lauded Tarte Tropézienne for an inaugural deep-dive into recipe testing. She’ll teach you her methods for experimenting, note-taking, and choosing which elements are important to you so that you can create the perfect master recipe! On our final day at the château, we’ll go head-to-head with different aioli recipes to find our favorite - tested by way of roasted chickens and mountains of frites, of course!
WORKSHOPS
Tarte Tropézienne - the classic brioche cream-filled “tart” hailing from Saint Tropez - a perfect match for a Riviera recipe test
Aioli - this mediterranean condiment made with olive oil and garlic is a staple in the South, but what’s the best way to make it?
* Due to the nature of the experience we wish to provide, we can accommodate vegetarians, but will be unable to accommodate any further dietary restrictions. Please get in touch if you have specific questions regarding allergies.
explore
To best experience the Riviera, one must have a taste of land and sea. We’ll spend a morning taking a stroll through the Forville market and the streets of star-kissed Cannes. Later in the week on our way in to Nice, we plan to show you to a centuries-old olive oil mill at Nicolas Alziari, where we’ll taste their fresh oils and learn how local olives are processed from fruit to final product. Then, we’ll bop on over to Nice for a day of strolling the gorgeous city streets (oh the shopping!) or swimming in the sea, with the option to meet in the late afternoon for a glass of wine at one of France’s best wine shops + bars, La Part des Anges. The day will end with a sunset dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Babel Babel, right next to the Mediterranean Sea. A true taste of the French Riviera awaits!
OUTINGS
Perfume workshop with local perfume makers at the Fragonard Factory of Flowers in Grasse (optional - not included)
Visit the Forville Market and the city of Cannes
Tour & tasting at the traditional Nicolas Alziari olive oil mill in Nice
Explore the beautiful city of Nice
Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, sunbathing on the pebble beaches
Our favorite wine bar in Nice La Part des Anges
Group dinner in Nice at Babel Babel
what’s included
Just about everything! Well. Except for your ride over the ocean and to the Nice airport ;)
Transfers from the Nice airport to the doors of the château in Grasse (and vice versa).
Workshops with Ella Quittner and all associated materials
Recipes galore!
All chef-prepared meals at the château
All wine and beverages, unless you wanna have your own after hours party
Private transportation while on retreat to all scheduled activities
All scheduled tours and events during our week and any associated costs
Chateau or villa lodging, naturally
Not included: one lunch during our day out in Nice, but we’ll tell you where to find the best sandwiches or help you make a reservation if you prefer!
getting here
*Costs of airfare to the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport are not included in the cost of your reservation. Please let us know if we can offer any moral support or guidance with your travel plans - we’re happy to help!
Airplane
Guests will need to arrange for transport to the Nice Côte d’Azur airport. From there, we will arrange for a car service to pick you up and bring you directly to the Domaine Saint Georges. Pickup time will be on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Nice Côte d’Azur airport. Please plan your travel accordingly. If you want to arrive in Nice the night before, we’d be happy to help with hotel and restaurant recommendations!
We will depart from the château on October 28th at 10:00 am. Please book any travel from the Nice airport for no earlier than 1:30 PM so that you have time to check-in and go through security.
Car
If you’re the seasoned-traveler type and you’d enjoy having your own transportation, then please - rent a car in Paris, Nice, or elsewhere and drive on in to the château! Please let us know if this is your plan so we can help you get to us.
Train
Trains are another option for those who feel comfortable traveling around on their own. We are able to arrange a transfer from the Grasse train station for an additional fee.
Travel Reservation
If you would like guidance with booking your travel to the Nice airport or directly to the château, please don’t hesitate to reach out! We know the ropes and would be happy to help you find your best way to us.
Our friends at Coucou French Classes offer some incredible online French language classes - whether you’re looking to brush up on your high school French or looking to learn a few phrases to feel more comfortable with travel, Coucou French Classes is the way! Check out their website for more information.