Must-see restaurants in Provence & the Côte d'Azur

  • L'Oustau de Baumanière

    Bouches-du-Rhône

    Twice Michelin-starred and luxurious with a capital L, this legendary hotel-restaurant is the most exclusive – and expensive – place to dine in this…

  • La Bastide de Moustiers

    Gorges du Verdon

    A legendary table of Provence, founded by chef supremo Alain Ducasse. As you'd expect from this Michelin-starred, much-lauded restaurant, it's a temple to…

  • L'Atelier Jean-Luc Rabanel

    Arles

    As much an artistic experience as a double-Michelin-starred adventure, this is the gastronomic flagship of charismatic chef Jean-Luc Rabanel. Many…

  • Marseille's only Chilian restaurant, El Santo Cachon

    El Santo Cachon

    Marseille

    Arrive early or reserve a table at Marseille’s only Chilean restaurant, because this place fills fast – and after a pisco sour (or three), you’ll see why…

  • Chez Bruno

    Var

    If truffles are the most divine of ingredients, then Chez Bruno is their high temple. It's just 2.5km southeast of Lorgues; drive through giant truffle…

  • Auberge La Fenière

    The Luberon

    It doesn’t get more Provençal than this wonderful farmhouse, run by Michelin-starred chef Reine Sammut, who is gradually handing the reins over to his…

  • L'Oustalet

    Vaucluse

    For a slap-up spoil, this Michelin-starred wonder owned by the wine-making Perrin family is the place. Using produce from his own kitchen garden, chef…

  • Le Champ des Lunes

    The Luberon

    Overseen by Jérome Faure, who won his first Michelin star at 30, the stellar restaurant at Domaine de Fontenille has become one of the Luberon's most…

  • Le Café

    St-Tropez

    Wetting whistles since 1789, this historic cafe is where artists and painters preferred to hang out back in the days when St-Trop was still a sleepy port…

  • Bar des Oiseaux

    Nice

    Hidden down a narrow backstreet, this old-town classic has been in business since 1961, serving as a popular nightclub before reincarnating itself as a…

  • Marché d'Arles

    Arles

    Plan to be in Arles for the whopping Saturday morning market. You'll find all of Camargue's best produce: salt, rice, goat's cheese, saucisson d’Arles …

  • La Villa Madie

    Cassis

    This double Michelin-starred restaurant with fantastic coastal views has become one of the destination addresses on the Riviera, renowned for its creative…

  • Ô Pica Pica

    Camargue

    Fish and shellfish do not come fresher than this. Watch them get gutted, filleted and grilled in the 'open' glass-walled kitchen, then devour your meal on…

  • Les Grandes Tables

    Marseille

    The vast former canteen at the vibrant La Friche La Belle de Mai cultural centre manages to pull off the trick of seeming both intimate and stylish…

  • L’Oursinado

    Var

    Dreams of perfect Provençal holidays centre around places like L’Oursinado, a secluded fantasy of a restaurant tucked amongst the pines on a cliff above…

  • Les Flots Bleus

    Var

    Midway along the Corniche de l'Esterel, Les Flots Bleus fits the dream vision of a roadside Mediterranean eatery, with fine sea views from its terrace and…

  • La Table de Pierre Reboul

    Aix-en-Provence

    Pierre Reboul’s renowned restaurant has moved from central Aix to the aristocratic Château de la Pioline, a suitably smart location for his high-class…

  • Le Mirazur

    Menton

    Design, cuisine and sea views (the full sweep of the Med) are all spectacular at this 1930s villa with a twinset of Michelin stars. This is the culinary…

  • La Table de Ventabren

    Pays d’Aix

    Many restaurants with stunning views rest on their laurels in the kitchen: not so La Table de Ventabren. This Michelin-starred restaurant – with a canvas…

  • Logis du Guetteur

    Var

    This serious restaurant perches at the summit of Les Arcs in a 12th-century château. In winter, dine in the renovated cave beneath paintings of white…

  • La Femme du Boulanger

    Nice

    This back-alley gem with pavement seating is a vision of French bistro bliss. Mains like duck à l'orange, honey-balsamic glazed lamb shank, or perfect…

  • L’Arôme

    Marseille

    Reserve ahead to snag a table at this fabulous little restaurant just off cours Julien. From the service – relaxed, competent and friendly without over…

  • Bobo Bistro

    Cannes

    Predictably, it's a 'bobo' (bourgeois bohemian) crowd that gathers at this achingly cool bistro in Cannes' fashionable Carré d'Or. Decor is stylishly…

  • L’Amandier

    Côte d'Azur

    Young chef Denis Fétisson has brought Roger Vergé’s baby back to its former glory. Set in an old mill, it’s considered casual in these parts, but comes…

  • Mama Baker

    Nice

    Great bakeries abound in France, but even here, truly creative artisanal ones stand out. Witness Mama Baker, where organic grains and speciality…

  • Peixes

    Nice

    This chic modern seafood eatery is the latest jewel in the crown of Niçois master restaurateur Armand Crespo. All done up in white-and-turquoise nautical…

  • L'Aparté

    Villefranche-sur-Mer

    Slick modern decor and an adorable canine mascot (Charlie) greet you at the door of this wonderful backstreet bistro, where the two-woman team dazzles…

  • La Chassagnette

    Camargue

    Surrounded by a vast potager (kitchen garden), which supplies practically all the restaurant's produce, this renowned gourmet table is run by Armand Amal,…

  • Café de la Fontaine

    Côte d'Azur

    Those not in the know wouldn’t give this inconspicuous village bistro a second glance. What they don’t know is that it is Michelin-starred chef Bruno…

  • Restaurant L'Essentiel

    Avignon

    In the top tier of Avignon's restaurants for many a year, this elegant restaurant remains (as its name suggests) as essential as ever. First there's the…

  • Mon Fromager

    Côte d'Azur

    Enterprising cheesemonger Philippe Daujam not only sells cheese – he also cooks it into tasty lunches in his deli-style restaurant by the cheese counter…

  • Le Beauséjour

    Côte d'Azur

    The stuff of Provençal lunch dreams, 'Beautiful Stay' serves delicious local fare in a buttermilk house with front terrace overlooking Gorbio's village…

  • La Petite Maison de Cucuron

    The Luberon

    If you feel like you've earned a post-hike dinner, you're in luck: Cucuron has its own Michelin-starred bistro, La Petite Maison de Cucuron, where chef…

  • Christian Etienne

    Avignon

    If it's the full-blown, fine-dining French experience you're after, then Monsieur Etienne's much-vaunted (and Michelin-starred) restaurant is the place to…

  • Maison Violette

    Avignon

    We simply defy you to walk into this bakery and not instantly be tempted by the stacks of baguettes, ficelles and pains de campagnes loaded up on the…

  • Place Lorette

    Marseille

    Tucked away on a quiet square in the middle of polyglot Le Panier, this Moroccan restaurant serves up a fantastic lunch in an arched and art-strewn stone…

  • Les Remparts

    Vaucluse

    This rustic valley-view restaurant, built into Venasque's old ramparts, is almost worth the trip up to the village on its own. The Provençal dishes are…

  • Franchin

    Nice

    White linen tablecloths give this upmarket brasserie an air of formality, but the friendly service dispels any notions of stuffiness, and the food is…

  • Les Garçons

    Villefranche-sur-Mer

    Gourmets in the know flock to this stylish address, buried in Villefranche's rabbit warren of ancient old-town backstreets. In summer tables sprawl…

  • Table 22

    Cannes

    Discover why Noël Mantel is the hotshot of the Cannois gastronomic scene at his refined old-town restaurant. Service is stellar and the seasonally…