Avignon
This place is pure charm. On cobbled-stone place des Chataignes (Chestnut Tree Square) it spills across to its ancient stone neighbour (Cloître St-Pierre)…
Must-see restaurants in Provence
Bouches-du-Rhône
Niolon, a tiny cluster of houses clinging to the Calanque de Niolon, offers no better dining than at this lovely auberge (inn), with its sea-view terrace…
Avignon
Gourmet brioche-based burgers come in a multitude of guises, loaded with tempting goodies from smoked bacon and St-Nectaire cheese to caramelised onions,…
Gorges du Verdon
Hidden behind the soft-pink façade of Moustiers' Musée de la Faïence is this peaceful garden restaurant. Tables sit between olive trees and the colourful,…
Marseille
Only Marseillais and the cognoscenti are privy to this little chalet with a very big view, secreted in the Jardin du Pharo. Its hillside terrace, shaded…
Var
Treat yourself to real mountain food: wild boar, pheasant, capon, kid, cèpes (porcini mushrooms) and other delicacies. Finish with chestnut ice cream and…
Vaucluse
Jean-Marie Alloin is the chef in charge at La Prévôté's primo – and deservedly popular – restaurant. The food here is modern, and occasionally…
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Beside a fountain in Forcalquier's old town, this homespun place is as traditional as it gets. All the dishes are made to timeworn recipes comme à la…
Avignon
In the town's studenty quarter near elegant place des Carmes, this no-fuss hang-out is ideal for solid, unpretentious grub like stir-fries, crusted cod,…
Marseille
A classic neighbourhood bar and bistro, the Longchamp Palace teems with convivial locals, especially after work. Stained glass windows that might have…
Marseille
Scotch and spanking-fresh seafood come together in this outpost of the Auld Alliance (the long-standing friendship between Scotland and France, cemented…
Vaucluse
Run by renowned sommelier Serge Ghokassian, this hip restaurant feels somewhat out of step with the rest of Carpentras: it's more Parisian chic than…
Arles
A favourite recommendation for bistro dining, Au Brin de Thym is chilled in vibe and creative in execution. The menu is dictated by seasons and the best…
Marseille
Night and day, this corner bar is a classic Le Panier hang-out whether you’re old, young, hip or in need of a hip replacement. It’s on a quiet backstreet…
Bouches-du-Rhône
This bright, breezy restaurant is a favourite for the chi-chi summer crowd, and with good reason: the food is classy and the ambience is buzzy, with…
Vaucluse
Locals have been heading for this classic village auberge (country inn) for more than nine decades (since 1922, in fact). It's the kind of place where the…
Camargue
East of Stes-Maries, towards the Digue à la Mer on sandy Plage Est, is La Playa, the chic choice, with a particularly vibrant apéro and after-dark scene…
Bouches-du-Rhône
Well-stuffed fougasse (Provençal flatbread) and baguettes with a variety of tasty fillings make this well-established boulangerie (bakery) the perfect…
Les Calanques
The one restaurant in the tiny, pretty calanque of Morgiou is the delightful Nautic Bar. With terraces overlooking the port, it is a dreamy spot for…
Var
One of the tastiest addresses on the Estérel coast road is this Provençal house 200m from the sea. It serves elaborate Mediterranean cuisine (fabulous…
Vaucluse
Nothing world-changing here, but tasty regional food from bourride (fish stew) to brandade de cabillaud (cod kebabs), laced with lashings of olive oil,…
Parc National du Mercantour
On Barcelonnette's main shopping street, the Donkey's Pepper is the place to stuff yourself silly with mountain sausages, cheesy tartiflettes (potatoes,…
Parc National du Mercantour
You can expect zingy, creative food at the Black Rose, a local's tip down one of Barcelonnette's little backstreets. The portions are generous, and the…
Toulon
Traditional Provençal flavours get a modern twist at this little side-of-the-street brasserie, run by young entrepreneurs Pierre Andreini and Martial…
Camargue
Le Mas de Peint's gourmet restaurant, masterminded by highly credentialled chef Grégory Brousse, offers seasonal menus and Camarguais dishes in a choice…
Vaucluse
For something a bit different, try this local's tip little restaurant in the old town, which dabbles with ingredients like squid ink, tempura batter,…
Vaucluse
This top-class restaurant has been run by local chef Jean-Michel Bérengier for going on three decades, and it's firmly established itself for its classic…
Var
Reserve ahead to get a spot in this tiny Provençal restaurant run ably by a husband-and-wife team. Expect dishes such as mushroom-stuffed rabbit leg with…
Avignon
Deep in the medieval quarter, this welcoming bistro is a fun place to dine. Zinc tables, well-worn furniture and a busy, noisy kitchen out back conjure up…
Avignon
This place is so hip it hurts, from its in-your-face street-art murals to its junk-shop decor and on-trend slogans. The menu changes regularly, so there's…
The Luberon
Bonnieux’ huge Friday-morning market is (along with Apt’s) one of the biggest and best in the Luberon. It sprawls over several streets in the village…
Vaucluse
For dinner on a warm summer night, 'At Home' has the pick of the settings of any of Orange's restaurants, on a side square next to a tinkling fountain…
Gorges du Verdon
The top place to eat in the village proper: classic Provençal cooking served with panache, either in the stone-walled dining room or on the terrace with…
Avignon
The chic dining room, in the former mansion of absinthe inventor Jules Pernod, is a fitting backdrop to the stylised Mediterranean cooking. Menus change…
Vaucluse
As the name suggests, market flavours underpin the menu here, from delicious homemade tapenades to pan-seared red mullet drizzled with olive oil and…
Marseille
This swanky restaurant has a Michelin star and knockout water-level views from an elegantly austere dining room. Many splurge on what may be Marseille’s…
The Luberon
Go off the beaten path to find ice cream that's an art. Michel and Sigrid Perrière handcraft mind-boggling varieties of the sweet stuff: from lavender to…
Marseille
The Aixoise has given locals their daily bread, in all its forms – pain de campagne (country bread), crunchy ficelle (minibaguettes) or a classic baguette…
Aix-en-Provence
It’s all very cosy at Charlotte, where everyone knows everyone. French classics like veal escalope and grilled entrecôte steak are mainstays, and there is…
Avignon
When tastebuds tire of Provençal, consider this uber-cool Japanese restaurant. At home in a deconsecrated chapel on a beautiful stone-paved square in the…
