Sète
Prepare to be wowed: some of Languedoc's most exquisite dining is at chef Anne Majourel's Michelin-starred premises. She shuns menus (fixed-price meals)…
Must-see restaurants in France
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…
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…
Languedoc-Roussillon
Originally opened by superstar chef Michel Bras in the village of Laguiole in 1999, the food here is steeped in the rustic, country flavours of his youth,…
Finistère
This good-looking Quimper institution is one of Brittany's oldest brasseries and hits the mark with its buzzy, contemporary dining areas, efficient…
Île-de-France
Framed by blue shutters, this 17th-century stone house contains Senlis' best restaurant. Cutting-edge flavour combinations include Lozère sausage with fig…
Côte d’Opale
All the seafood here is from the surrounding waters, including Audresselles crab and lobster. Piled-high seafood platters are the house speciality but…
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…
Auvergne
Abstract portraits and high-backed chairs create a boutique feel at this temple to French fine dining. Choose from flavour pairings like char in…
Clermont-Ferrand
Just off cathedral square, this understated little restaurant has Clermont's most coveted tables. Le Sisisi's deft balance of sweet and savoury – spiced…
Paris
Ornate cream-coloured ceilings with moulded cornices and pastel murals, huge windows and wooden floors give this neighbourhood neobistro near Père…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Anjou
This is one to write home about: a truly outstanding restaurant that combines refined elegance with knock-your-socks-off creative French cuisine. Some…
Gironde
Built in the 1860s to feed and accommodate the first oyster farmers who came to settle on Cap Ferret, this attractive wooden mansion oozes historic charm…
Biarritz
This rustic bakery in a hidden vale 8km south of Biarritz is set in a historic mill that still grinds the flour using the stream that runs beneath the…
St-Jean de Luz
To spoil yourself, Nicholas Borombo's stellar Michelin-starred address is the place to dine in St-Jean. Known for their modern interpretation of Basque…
Marseille
One of Marseille’s best chefs, Arnaud de Grammont, works thoughtfully with great produce and inventive flavours: think gurnard in chickpea broth with…
Arcachon
Each year this pop-up beach hut on sandy Plage Pereire is built afresh, much to the joy of local foodies and bons vivants who flock here for tasty seafood…
Paris
Beurre noisette (brown butter sauce, named for its hazelnut colour) features in dishes such as beef cheeks braised in red wine and caramelised pork-belly…
Chartres
Entered from rue du Cardinal Pie, this 17th-century townhouse framed by duck-egg-blue shutters has timber-panelled walls, beamed ceilings and up-close…
Var
On the road between Tourtour and the equally lovely Haut-Var village of Villecroze is a turn-off you might easily miss, unawares. Yet the 'The Green Oaks'…
Yonne
At Chablis' top table, exquisite menus with nods to Japanese cuisine are served in a long open dining area perched over the River Serein, and on the…
St-Tropez
Probably the pick of the modern places to eat in town – creative, cosy and great value while still hitting the gourmet heights. It’s got the soul of a…
Côte d'Azur
Considering its location on the remparts, this place could have easily plumbed the depths of a typical tourist trap. But it hasn’t. Instead, divine and…
Aix-en-Provence
To appeal to bread connoisseurs, in Aix as in any part of France, you need to know your dough. Judging by the lines typically spilling out of this shop…
Burgundy
Artisanal andouillette sausage, Charolais steak tartare and even tête de veau (calf's head) are among the classic Burgundian dishes on the menu at this…
St-Jean de Luz
Duck down a side street into this stone-walled restaurant for excellent French food with a Basque twist. There are two options: order grilled fish or…
Côte d'Azur
You won’t find a more authentic Provençal restaurant than this place, on the shady town square of Mouans-Sartoux, 4km northwest of Mougins. The signature…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
The tiny ‘Stolen Glass’ – a wine shop with a few tables – is one of Paris' most popular wine bar/restaurants, with outstanding natural and unfiltered…
Vaucluse
You couldn't really dream up a more romantic setting than at 'The Fishpond', with riverside tables shaded by weeping willows and overhanging oaks. But…
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
Named for a hairy, mischievous gnome, this cellar restaurant is a winning address thanks to well-executed regional cuisine and faultless service. Top…
Rouen
This charmingly decorated eatery serves excellent bistro classics – think osso bucco (veal casserole), fillet of sole, beef tartare – with the day's…
Corsica
Whether you choose to dine in the whitewashed, vaulted dining room, or al fresco on the wood-decked terrace on the main square, this Michelin-starred…
Troyes
Meet Claire and Hugo, the dynamic duo behind this double-decker-bus street-food venture, which does the rounds in Troyes and its surrounds. Everything on…
Côte d'Or
Celebrated chef Jean-Christophe Moutet rustles up unforgettable gastronomic delights at Auprès du Clocher, in the heart of Pommard. The ingredients are…
