The Luberon
Pretty much the only place to eat in Oppède-le-Vieux, great for inventive Provençal dishes: homemade tapenades, onion tarts, fish and meat in herby sauces…
Must-see restaurants in France
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
Authentically retro with its mosaic floor, faded jazz posters and chipped stained glass, this Parisian-style throwback gets busy with locals gossiping…
Normandy
Sandwiched between the D75 and the beachfront and housed in a dilapidated, mid-20th-century concrete building with fantastic sea views, the renowned …
Côte d'Azur
If you’re planning a picnic, stop at this mouth-watering bakery. Tarts of every kind (lemon meringue, pear and chocolate, raspberry and almond etc), sold…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Superfood specialist Sol Semilla is both a boutique and canteen. Here you'll find supersoups (vitality, detox), vegan-friendly seasonal salads and stews,…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
No, it's not a pub, but a traditional maison de village (old stone terraced house) with a snug, colourful dining room and an inviting, leafy terrace in…
Nîmes
Open since 1989, this long-standing institution is still going strong. The setting is elegant, in an abstract-art-adorned 19th-century townhouse with a…
Paris
Not your usual crêperie, Bisous has a fun variety of buckwheat-based creations: think Ave Caesar (cornflake-crusted chicken with bacon, pistachios and…
Versailles
There has been a market in this spot since the reign of Louis XIII. In addition to the 2000 sq m covered market (open every day but Monday), there's an…
The Pyrenees
This friendly, sunny spot serves up shrimp dumplings, skewers of chicken yakitori, rice noodles with sautéed tofu and other satisfying Asian plates. It's…
Nancy
Resembling an overgrown doll’s house, this knick-knack-filled bistro specialises in cheese-based dishes such as raclette, tartiflette (creamy, cheesy…
Grasse
This stylish, well-situated cafe is the perfect stop between sights for lunch (creative salads, carefully crafted daily specials, soup or pasta of the day…
Colmar
Oil paintings on the walls and Persian carpets on the floor give this fish restaurant a hushed, elegant atmosphere. The chef’s signatures include sandre…
Tarn
Albi's triangular turn-of-the-century covered market is a delight, built by the celebrated architect Thierry Bourdois and engineer André Michelin between…
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
Dishing up cuisine as rustic as its wood and stone dining room, Le Cantou is a reliable spot to try classic Auvergnat dishes like fondue of St-Nectaire…
Côte d'Azur
Strawberry and Chocolate is a delightful cafe with an old-fashioned-deli feel on Roquebrune’s main square. Stop for a drink, an ice cream or a quick bite …
Finistère
Our pick of Morgat's clutch of restaurants has sweeping windows with full-on views of the sea from its breezy contemporary dining room and lovely sunny…
Perpignan
Elevating the humble burger to high art, this inviting fixed food truck serves up lusty, made-from-scratch burgers that come in many variations. The…
Vaucluse
Underneath Carpentras' 15th-century clock tower, this old village townhouse turns up surprises: a salon-style dining room decorated with Venetian lamps…
Lourdes
Dining out can be decidedly hit-and-miss in Lourdes, which makes this delightful eatery a doubly good find. It serves up delicacies from the Basque…
Bayonne
This is the place to come to join the Bayonnais for authentic tapas – there's a huge selection, from chorizo sausage to spicy prawns, and loads of local…
Paris
Originally a hotel, Aux Tonneaux only became a cafe in the 1920s – a relatively recent addition compared to some of the other addresses here. It features…
Auvergne
Bump elbows with hungry locals at this food market 500m northwest of Vichy's train station. There are no touristy souvenirs inside this 6800-sq-m market…
Auvergne
This stone-walled bistro in the romantic fortified village of Montpeyroux has a playful approach to local ingredients (savoury carrot cake, 'nougat' of…
Normandy
This homely and family-run restaurant in Petit Andelys is open even in the low, cold season, serving tasty and wholesome crêpes. There's also galettes on…
Roussillon
Visitors cram this delightful salon de thé (teahouse) opposite the Musée d'Art Moderne for savoury, inventive salads and tarts, or homemade desserts,…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Pérouges' restaurants tend toward the touristique; this one is no exception, but it manages to serve reasonably priced, good-quality food (try the local…
Puy-lʼÉvêque
Choose from bright chairs out on the main street of Puy l’Évêque or inside the glass-fronted, jaunty dining room and tuck into locally sourced, seasonal…
Colmar
Good, honest food and a warm ambience attract hungry locals to this sweet bistro. The three-course €15 menu hits the mark every time, with deeply…
Lyon
Serving a full range of Lyonnais and French classics (andouillette sausage, quenelles, frogs' legs and foie gras), this iconic bouchon has a snug upstairs…
Fontainebleau
Locals pile into this bar-brasserie, which has a blackboard full of Auvergne specialities such as tripoux (sheep's tripe) with aligot (potato and melted…
Colmar
A sweet, simple choice, with stone walls and bistro tables, Palmyre does a roaring trade in Syrian and Lebanese cuisine. Take your pick from mezze, herby…
Beaune
Beaune's Saturday food market is an elaborate affair, with vendors displaying their wares both indoors and on the cobblestones of place de la Halle. There…
Paris
Get your kefir fix at Mûre, a cosy, pillow-strewn cafe offering a healthy counterpoint to the onslaught of burger stands on nearby rue Montmartre. Fresh…
Var
Set back from the port’s hustle, this stylish place is good for gourmet Mediterranean cuisine. The best tables are on the streetside terrace, or there’s a…
St-Tropez
This portside hang-out gets its name from its previous owner – the short, muscular and apparently very hairy Henri Guérin! Stop here for breakfast or a…
Paris
This is a lovely little bistro that features classic French dishes prepared dexterously by chef Pierre Jay (ex-Tour d’Argent). Think fricassée of corn-fed…
Corsica
With a choice of dining either in the vaulted 16th-century cellar or out on the cobblestones surveying the sea, this much-loved old-town restaurant serves…
Clermont-Ferrand
Globe-shaped lamps and model planes hang from vaulted ceilings, and jazz album covers plaster the walls at this retro bistro. Les Arcandiers doubles as a…
Paris
Two sisters from Milan, Stella and Violette, run this bubbly, family-style Italian restaurant, where the organic pasta is made by hand and the desserts,…
