Marseille
Reservations are essential at this fantastic pizzeria in the lee of Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. La Bonne Mère uses only the freshest organic and…
Must-see restaurants in Provence & the Côte d'Azur
Var
There are few more dramatic approaches to a restaurant than the rough, superbly scenic rte des Crêtes, with its alternating glimpses of the coast and…
Nice
Vieux Nice's finest baked goods emanate from this little corner boulangerie, which also operates a stall in the Cours Saleya food market. Quality organic…
The Luberon
Overnighting at this luxurious hilltop estate won’t suit everyone’s budget, but everyone should try to fork out for the great-value Bistrot lunch menu…
Nice
Run by brothers Gaël and Mickaël Tourteau, this small restaurant has big culinary ambitions (and a second Michelin star as of 2018). In a Zen dining room…
Camargue
Attached to the excellent Ô Pica Pica restaurant, this informal little cabane (hut) specialises, unsurprisingly, in coquillages (shellfish): oysters,…
Aix-en-Provence
Branching out from its original menu of posh hot dogs and gourmet English muffins, this breezy, youthful cafe now offers healthier breakfast, brunch and…
Cannes
Vietnamese-born, French-trained chef Nhut Nguyen is at the helm of this delightful new bistro on Cannes' pedestrianised restaurant row. The high-ceilinged…
Côte d'Azur
With stone walls, whitewashed beamed ceilings, vintage Laughing Cow posters and colourful mismatched napkins, this bistro in medieval Gourdon wins instant…
Marseille
Locals in the know and homesick Tunisians flock to this bustling, handsomely tiled restaurant, named for the main port of Tunis. A couscous maison of…
Nice
Warm service and irreproachable quality are the hallmarks of this traditional neighbourhood restaurant, in the same family since 1927. Locals and tourists…
Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle
Var
Local boy Nicolas Pierantoni, a protégé of Alain Ducasse, is the creative energy behind this refined four-star restaurant and hotel in La Celle, a former…
Var
With a huge deck overlooking the swaying masts and wooded cove beyond, L'Escale draws the freshly disembarked like bees to honey. And they're not…
Nice
For the full-blown fine-dining experience, make a pilgrimage to the Michelin-starred restaurant of South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen…
Nice
There’s barely enough room to swing a pan in this tiny street bistro, especially when it’s full of diners (as it often is), but it doesn’t seem to faze…
Marseille
The flagship restaurant of Marseille-born gastronomic star Gérald Passedat, Le Petit Nice is a true dining destination. Set in a 1917 seafront villa on…
Aix-en-Provence
This elegant restaurant is set perfectly on the ground floor of a handsome 18th-century hôtel particulier in the Quartier Mazarin. Two salons sit beneath…
Côte d'Azur
Unbutton those belts: this gastronomic wonder sets out from the start to tickle your tastebuds and expand your waistline to the point of no return. Master…
Var
A real passion for produce and the world's full palette of flavours shines through in this modern bistro – a clean-lined, innovative alternative to the…
Nice
Chilled and classy Café Paulette has become one of the Petit Marais's favourite hang-outs since opening in 2017. Part cafe, part convivial lunch spot and…
Avignon
This gastronomic temple is a great option for a très Français fine-dining experience. Overseen by chef supremo Thierry Baucher, it's particularly known…
Nice
A quintessential French bistro, right down to the checked tablecloths, streetside tables and impeccable service – not to mention the handwritten…
Arles
A meal at Jean-Luc Rabanel's nearby flagship restaurant may be too expensive for some, but he knows how to do great bistro dining too. While bearing the…
Avignon
Having worked at a smorgasbord of high-flying restaurants (including Copenhagen's Noma and Avignon's La Mirande), Jacques Pampiri opened his own place in…
Marseille
This admirably unpretentious bistro grows most of its organic veggies in its own potager (kitchen garden), from tomatoes to courgettes, salad leaves and…
Camargue
This house restaurant is an iconic address adored by Arlésians. Feast on grilled bull chops, mullet eggs and anchoïade (a powerful Provençal garlic and…
The Luberon
Another one of the Luberon's long-standing tables, overseen by bubbly Elisabeth Bourgeois, it's heavy on Provençal flavours: lots of stuffed aubergines,…
Marseille
There are plenty of ice-cream shops around Marseille, but there’s only one that sells black ice cream (coloured by vanilla pods, which lend a unique,…
Cannes
Fine dining with a price to match, run by experienced chef Jean-Paul Battaglia. The setting is formal – beige chairs and banquette seats, tasteful art on…
St-Tropez
With a plum position near the Viex Port and such an obvious name, you'd be forgiven for thinking this bistro was nothing but a tourist trap, but the food…
Arles
Thirty-eight flavours of artisanal ice cream and sorbet are the mainstays of this glacier on busy place du Forum. Buy a cone to take away or treat…
Marseille
Having previously run restaurants in Antibes and Fort Lauderdale, husband-and-wife team Olivier and Sylvie opened this colourful bistro off cours Julien…
Arles
Alexandre's little joint (the 'Open Box') has become a firm Arlésian favourite for chilled evening eats in the courtyard of the Hôtel du Cloître. It…
Toulon
This is the restaurant that shows Toulon is slowly but surely shaking its down-at-heel image. With crisp white tablecloths, sparkling glasses and…
Var
One of the best places in Aups to try the famous local truffles, Des Gourmets serves up fantastic regional fare beneath frescoes of the Provençal seasons…
Côte d'Azur
The pick of Pampelonne's beach restaurants, Jumeaux serves beautiful seafood (including fabulous whole fish, ideal to share) and sun-busting salads on its…
Var
This former Dominican convent has been converted into a sumptuous hotel, which has an elegant restaurant serving traditional French cuisine based on fresh…
Èze
The famous boutique hotel has a suitably swish restaurant, where you can dine on first-class Michelin-style food with dazzling sea views. It’s…
Marseille
This smart boulangerie and patisserie with a salon du thé (tearoom) attached produces some of Marseille's best pastries.
Marseille
Doing double duty as a bar à vin (wine bar) and Argentinian restaurant, L'Entre Pots is a great place to snack on plump empanadas, juicy entrecôte and…
