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Avignon

Restaurants in Avignon

  1. A

    Cuisine du Dimanche

    Spitfire chef Marie shops every morning at Les Halles to find the freshest ingredients for her earthy flavour-packed cooking, and takes no culinary shortcuts. The market-driven menu changes daily, but specialities include scallops and simple roast chicken with pan gravy. The narrow stone-walled dining room is a mishmash of textures – contemporary resin chairs to antique crystal goblets – befitting the chef’s eclecticism. Reserve ahead.

    reviewed

  2. B

    L'Echappée Belle

    For flavours of cumin, saffron and ginger infusing regional produce; or for homemade pastry and tea, Avignon's new restaurant/salon de thé (tearoom) is a treat. Named after the Nicolas Bouvier novel of the same name (which translates as The Beautiful Escape), L'Echappée Belle is a chic yet relaxed spot amid Avignon's architectural and artistic highlights.

    reviewed

  3. C

    La Fourchette

    An enduring classical French bistro west of place de l'Horloge run by the same family for generations, La Fourchette offers a tempting choice of dishes on its fixed-price menu (prices are the same for lunch or dinner). Along with tender lamb, specialities include marinaded sardines, and a sinful meringue ice cream with praline.

    reviewed

  4. D

    Restaurant Brunel

    Brunel is a local favourite for authentic Provençal dishes such as aïoli , especially at lunch, when there are outstanding deals on main courses (which always include a fish of the day) and desserts. The handful of outdoor tables is hotly contested in warm weather.

    reviewed

  5. E

    L'Epice and Love

    Tables are cheek by jowl at this tiny bohemian restaurant – our favorite for budget dining – with nothing fancy, just straightforward bistro fare, stews, roasts and other reliably good, home-style French dishes. Cash only.

    reviewed

  6. F

    Ginette et Marcel

    Tartines (open-faced sandwiches), tarts, salad and soup comprise the menu at this homey cafe with farm tables, vintage floors and big windows overlooking a happening square.

    reviewed

  7. G

    Les 5 Sens

    Chef Thierry Baucher, one of France's meilleurs ouvriers (top chefs), reveals his southwestern origins in specialties like cassoulet and foie gras, but skews contemporary-Mediterranean in gastronomic dishes such as butternut-squash ravioli with escargots. Surroundings are refreshingly unfussy – vaguely French-colonial, with rattan and carved wood – and service is impeccable.

    reviewed

  8. H

    Le Moutardier

    In the medieval days of the Avignon popes, the souffleur blew the fire to get it going, the rôtisseur roasted the meat on it and the moutardier made the mustard - hence the name of this traditional restaurant lazing in the shade of the Palais des Papes with sweeping views from its terrace.

    reviewed

  9. I

    Au Tout Petit

    The ‘Teeny Tiny’ packs big flavours into imaginative dishes – tuna Carpaccio with vanilla, apricot tarte Tatin with rosemary ice cream – simple cooking that maximizes spice. Wine costs just €2.50; lunch is a steal. Reserve.

    reviewed

  10. J

    Numéro 75

    The chic dining room, in the former mansion of absinthe inventor Jules Pernod, is a fitting backdrop for stylized Mediterranean cooking. Menus change nightly, and only include three mains, but brevity guarantees freshness. On balmy nights, book the courtyard garden.

    reviewed

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  12. K

    Le Marmiton

    Le Marmiton, the onsite formal restaurant of Hôtel La Mirande, offers cooking classes (from €80) and a twice-weekly chef’s table (reservations essential); afternoon tea is served (albeit slowly) in the glittering lobby.

    reviewed

  13. L

    La Cure Gourmande

    Don't leave Avignon without trying a papaline d'Avignon, a pink chocolate ball of potent Mont Ventoux herbal liqueur that packs a punch; it's available from speciality sweet shops around town such as La Cure Gourmande.

    reviewed

  14. M

    Le Caveau du Théâtre

    Swing over to the south of the square for mellow, moody jazz and a monthly changing carte (menu) of traditional southern French fare with extra zip, such as butter-fried fish in a curry paste with sun-dried tomatoes.

    reviewed

  15. N

    Le Grand Café

    Hidden behind the Palais des Papes, this boho-chic bistro-bar with a big terrace adjoins arty Manutention cultural centre. Giant mirrors on rough-hewn walls reflect French actors' portraits and rows of vintage tables. Good-value Provençal menus provide an alternative to more touristy places uphill.

    reviewed

  16. O

    Christian Etienne

    One of Avignon’s top tables, this much vaunted restaurant occupies a 12th-century palace with a leafy outdoor terrace, adjacent to Palais des Papes. Interiors feel slightly dated, but the refined Provençal cuisine remains exceptional, notably the summertime-only starter-to-dessert tomato menu. Reserve.

    reviewed

  17. P

    La Tropézienne

    St-Tropez’s famous cream-and-cake tarte tropézienne, plus other treats.

    reviewed

  18. Q

    Erio Convert

    Freshly baked breads, pastries and filled baguettes are available from Erio Convert .

    reviewed

  19. R

    Terre de Saveurs

    Half the menu is all-organic vegetarian, the other half veg-heavy meat dishes.

    reviewed

  20. S

    Le Lutrin

    This is Hôtel du Palais des Papes' wonderfully authentic restaurant.

    reviewed

  21. T
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  23. U

    Les Halles

    Over 40 food stalls showcase seasonal Provençal ingredients. There are cooking demonstration on Saturdays at 11am.

    reviewed

  24. V

    L’Épicerie

    Tables spill into the cobbled square outside Église St-Pierre – reason enough to linger at this tiny spot, with Mediterranean dishes like lamb tajine, spiced beef with vegetable crumble, and assiette des épicières (mixed plate). It is closed for winter and the first two weeks of August.

    reviewed

  25. W

    L'Atelier de Damien

    Unframed paintings and worn tile floors lend a rough-around-the-edges look to this off-the-tourist-radar restaurant on Avignon's less-glamorous side. Chef Damien Demazure once cooked under Alain Ducasse, and draws inspiration from market-fresh ingredients, combining French with Asian – ginger, lemongrass and coriander are his favorites. Expect excellent fish, foie gras, and caramel-candy cake. Reserve.

    reviewed

  26. X

    Tapalocas

    In the pedestrian area, tuck into a seemingly endless array of traditional Spanish tapas over a sangria or two.

    reviewed