The Luberon
Lodged in a charming vaulted cellar in Bonnieux, L’Arôme is a pricey but prestigious address, run by well-respected chef Jean-Michel Pagès. The menu…
Must-see restaurants in France
Biarritz
A small and resolutely old-fashioned place unfazed by all the razzamatazz around it. The daily specials are chalked up on a blackboard – most are of the…
Cahors
The city’s main covered market is often simply called Les Halles. There’s a not-to-be-missed open-air market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings around the…
Collioure
Chez Paco is a snazzy tapas bar tucked in a backstreet away from the madding crowd along the seafront. The tapas (cheese, meat, fish and charcuterie) are…
Toulouse
La Pente Douce is always packed, generally with gourmet locals who love their food. Smiling chefs in the open kitchen mesmerise with superb dishes like…
Montpellier
Occupying the top floor of an art gallery, this super-cool venture is an atmospheric spot for digging into superb market-driven dishes. Although the menu…
The Dordogne
Book ahead for a seat with in-the-know locals in the soft, cream-stone dining room where charming waitstaff serve delicious local cuisine, made in the…
Vaucluse
A working vineyard as well as an excellent restaurant, this friendly domaine is a favourite tip for Châteauneuf aficionados. Dine on typical Provençal…
Languedoc-Roussillon
Chez Bébelle is legendary for its convivial atmosphere and top-quality meat dishes, all served with homemade fries and tasty salads. It's the perfect spot…
The Dordogne
Reserve ahead for fantastic local cuisine prepared by lively Yanick and his son Aurélian on a farm in the hills above Trémolat. The dining room feels like…
The Dordogne
Wonderful Nathalie has a lovely sewing atelier and shop around the corner, and a quaint, country-French-style salon de thé (tearoom) here. She bakes…
Montpellier
We defy you not to walk into this easy-to-miss joint in the heart of the old town and not instantly be tempted by the wonderful falafels and delicious…
Tarn
An intimate, colourful dining room sets the tone for this widely acclaimed bistro serving exquisite food. There's an emphasis on veal and chicken…
Limousin
Collonges’ top table for locally sourced ingredients, creativity and a relaxed ambience. Step through the wisteria-clad entry to a terrace with sweeping…
St-Tropez
Triple-starred chef Arnaud Donckele has established a gastronomic temple at the Résidence de la Pinède: expect exquisite ingredients treated with the…
Alsace
Chef Oliver Nasti helms this two-Michelin-starred restaurant at Le Chambard. Bronze-kissed chairs and lime drapes create a chic, contemporary backdrop for…
Bordeaux
Dining at the Michelin two-starred, gastronomic restaurant of 18th-century Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux is staggering. Presided over by celebrity British chef…
Alsace
A great believer in fastidious sourcing, chef Nicolas Stamm serves regional cuisine with gourmet panache and a signature use of herbs to a food-literate…
Alsace
Quaint on the outside, slick on the inside, this auberge (country inn) is all about surprises. Much-lauded chef Michaela Peters is behind the stove, and…
Colmar
With its art-slung walls and carefully composed cuisine, this Michelin-starred bistro lives up to its ‘painter’s studio’ name. Seasonal masterpieces such…
Strasbourg
Nathalie and Benoît Fuchs give food a pinch of creativity and southern sunshine at intimate, softly lit Le Gavroche, awarded a Michelin star. Mains like…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
In the shadow of Montmartre windmill Moulin de la Galette, this vintage-fitted bistro is the creation of pastry chef Gilles Marchal, who uses locally hand…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Top chef Yves Camdeborde stars again with this porcine-specialist tapas bar wedged in one corner of the Marché St-Germain covered market-shopping complex…
Paris
Holding two Michelin stars, this 18th-century jewel on the northern edge of the Jardin du Palais Royal has been a dining favourite since 1784; the names…
Paris
Single-name patisseries scatter across the city, but for a greatest-hits range from its finest pastry chefs – Cyril Lignac, Christophe Adam (L’Éclair de…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Fabulously patterned wallpaper and a gleaming zinc bar set the stage for innovative Breton-inspired cuisine. The region's famed istr ('oyster' in Breton)…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
With hip blue-and-white-tiled decor in happening SoPi (south Pigalle), Belle Maison is always busy. It's named after a small beach on Île d'Yeu, off…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Fronted by a bamboo-fringed terrace, Goku is a sizzling address for pan-Asian flavours. It serves everything from tapas-style kimchi (Korean fermented…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Shell-shaped French madeleine cakes, immortalised by Marcel Proust, are the sole product of this ingenious spot, in a dazzling array of flavours: 'simple'…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
A fabulous people-watching pavement terrace with quintessential bistro chairs overlooking people-busy Carrefour de l'Odéon (snuggle up in a blue tartan…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
As pretty as a picture, with freshly cut flowers adorning marble tables and glass lampshades overhead, this salon serves buttery sablés (shortbread…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Good-time Bonhomie serves home-brewed beer and creative cocktails (Pina Sage, with sage-infused mezcal, almond liqueur and sherry; Bon Americano, with dry…
Paris
This spectacular restaurant occupies a 500-sq-metre former fabric warehouse, with vintage birdcages and a giant metal dragon adorning the main dining room…
Paris
Pâtissier Olivier Magne, a winner of the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France master craftsman competition, hails from the Cantal region of France and…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
There is no sign of the popularity of this insanely busy, Italian-run trattoria by the Big Mamma group flagging. From day one, Parisians have queued up…
Marseille
You haven’t had pizza until you’ve eaten at chef Rodolphe Bodikian’s mouth-watering pizzeria. Scattering unusual ingredients – such as sobrasada (spicy…
Paris
Rome native Giovanni Passerini is one of the finest Italian chefs cooking in Europe today. Delectable specialities include roast pigeon with smoked…
Marseille
Selling arguably the best baguettes in the city, this charming organic bakery in the Chapitre neighbourhood also rustles together tasty midday snacks like…
Marseille
This upscale food market inside the newly renovated vaults of La Major Cathedral is great for foodies, self-caterers and simple browsers. Each stall…
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…
