5 Best Restaurants in Provence, France

A cave (wine store) by day and a happening wine and tapas bar by night, this is a great place to sample the famous wines of the Côtes du Rhône—perhaps a local Beaume-de-Venise, which goes nicely with the house-made foie gras. Whether you sit inside or out on the terrace, charming, knowledgeable staffers will pour samples until you've found the perfect pairing for your charcuterie or artisanal cheese plate.

Patrick Fischnaller returned to southern France from London and quickly won acclaim (and a Michelin star) with this dazzler just outside the town center. Start off by enjoying a glass of wine (from €8) while seated on the orange sofa in the Art Deco–style lounge before heading to a table for foie gras and smoked eel terrine, pigeon pie, or strawberry soup with basil and black olives from the €70 menu (or order à la carte). But be sure to try the sublime roast beef with cherry marmalade or the roasted cod with stuffed piquillo peppers. The philosophy that wine is as important as food is reflected in an extensive list. Did we mention that the Sorgue River runs underneath the terrace?

You'll never feel more like a kid in a candy shop than when you feast your eyes on the scintillating pastries, candied fruits (a specialty of the Vaucluse since Roman times), chocolates, and other local sweets sold here. At the charming café next door you can enjoy your selection with tea or coffee; there's also a small menu of savory lunch dishes.

This bright, elegant-modern dining room, tucked away behind the church in the vieille ville, is a real find for a market-fresh gourmet meal you won't soon forget. Beautifully presented dishes include a parfait of local wild mushrooms and poached egg to start, followed by perfectly poached dorade with roasted citrus-infused fennel or succulent guinea hen with oregano polenta. A superb cheese plate and the best local wines complement an exceptional, well-priced menu, including a prix-fixe dinner for €49.

Local antiques dealers come here to eat, and the place feels so welcoming that it would be easy to linger for hours. Chef Daniel Hébet made his name at La Mirande in Avignon and Le Domaine des Andéols in St-Saturnin-lès-Apt before opening this bistro in his own image—young, jovial, and uncompromising when it comes to quality. Off a noisy street near the train station is the gate to this garden haven, with metal tables under the trees and an airy interior with a vintage tile floor. Hébet offers a single set menu at lunch and another at dinner, and the food is so good that no one is complaining at the lack of choice (though he has been known to substitute meat for fish on request): poached egg with truffles, Saint Pierre with a hint of green onion, lobster in delicate pastry, and cherry meringue are all delicious.