Vatel (Gérard Depardieu) is the steward to a poor and sickly French prince, Prince du Conde (Julian Glover) who is about to receive a visit from Louis XIV (Julian Sands). Seeing the potential benefits from this visit, and wanting to win command of the French Army as it prepares for a war against the Netherlands, the prince puts Vatel in charge of preparing a three-day lavish feast for the occasion. Intrigue ensues when the king’s mistress, Anne de Montausier (Uma Thurman) befriends and eventually becomes romantically involved with Vatel, who provides her with a refuge from the daily pettiness of court life.