99 Best Restaurants in Provence, France

A popular place for lunch or dinner, this modern bistro and terrace in the heart of the old town draws a lively mix of locals, expats, and tourists looking for authentic market-driven meals. A small but satisfying menu is generously laced with local delicacies—savory ragoût of wild boar, cod with pureed local vegetables and tapenade-laden croutons, and poached-egg cocotte with foie gras cream and turmeric-balsamic toast. A generous wine list offers plenty of local choices by the glass, and the dessert tray in the window—another big draw—features tantalizing concoctions, like a classic chantilly-topped baba al rhum (a small cake made with rum syrup) and creamy tarte au citron (a lemon tart). Service can be slow, but it's always friendly.

An open kitchen, a chalkboard menu, a bright terrace, and friendly service combine to create a laid-back atmosphere here, but, when it comes to the food, chef Nicolas Epiard is on his toes, serving up traditional local cuisine with flair and exuberance. Try dishes like the meltingly tender, slow-cooked bull with wild morels and a puree of root vegetables or the sea bass with savory herb pistou (Provence's answer to pesto) and crisp vegetables. Desserts might include fig crumble or white chocolate mousse. A refreshing rosé (the locally influenced wine list has plenty of choices by the glass) is the perfect accompaniment to an exemplary meal that's easy on the wallet.

Feast on fresh, seasonal gastronomic dishes—especially perfectly prepared fish and seafood offerings—paired with a curated list of local wines in a friendly, relaxed setting. Though a local favorite in all seasons, the terrace is particularly popular in warm weather, so be sure to reserve.

This restaurant doesn't have great gastronomic pretensions, but the delicious food, hip waiters, and charming terrace in the quiet, cobblestone Place St-Pierre make it a local favorite. Order a steak with vraies frites (real chunky French fries), and soak up the atmosphere with the help of some well-chosen local wine.

Steps from the Palais des Papes, this chic hot spot is part of the "bistronomy" movement, which focuses on creative cooking, a casual atmosphere, and reasonable prices. The quaint terrace on a side street lures in passersby, and the romantic 17th-century interior courtyard keeps them coming back.

The chic little sister brasserie to the Hôtel L'Imperator's gastronomic Duende restaurant is your best bet in the city for a memorable meal that won't break the bank. What's more, Duende's Michelin-starred chef presides over the kitchen, putting out perfectly executed comfort food made with ingredients sourced from the Occitane. You can eat in the relaxed dining room or outdoors under towering plane trees and serenaded by a gurgling fountain The two- to four-course prix-fixe menus cost €44–€71.

Native son and Michelin-starred chef Mathias Dandine is behind this restaurant in a sleek, five-star auberge 15 minutes from downtown Aix. He and talented chef Guillaume Lemelle reinvent Mediterranean classics, using meticulously sourced, seasonal ingredients in dishes that highlight the bounty of sea and sun.

The relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and lovely country setting here are worth the short drive to the town of Roaix. The affable owner and cook presents an ever-changing menu with an emphasis on what's fresh, local, and organic—salmon-and-sweet-onion tartlette nestled among a crisp mesclun salad might be among the starters, perhaps followed by chicken stuffed with local wild mushrooms.

The service here is friendly, and the food is delicious and satisfying—as evidenced by the bevy of locals clamoring to get in. Dig in to heaping portions of escalope of salmon, chicken cilantro à l'orange, or what just might be the best Provençal daube (served with macaroni gratin) in France.

You can’t sample all of France’s 600 types of cheese at La Fromagerie du Passage, but there's a decadent selection of 20 or so, all fait maison (handcrafted) by Laurent and Hervé Mons, who won the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers (Best Craftsman of France) award for outstanding cheese maker. The waiters lyrically—and patiently—explain the region or texture of each cheese and suggest a wine with the right composition to bring out the subtle (and not so subtle) flavors. There's also an assortment of tapas, charcuterie, and desserts, as well as €31 menus that pair charcuterie and cheese with wine. While the setting is not the most romantic, there is an outdoor terrace.

You reach your table through the kitchen, bustling with chopping, sizzling, and wafting scents, which is a nice introduction to what awaits. The cooking is serious, featuring Provençal specialties such as rouget (red mullet) with pureed potatoes or caillette d'agneau (lamb baked in herbs). The four set menus are priced from €19 (lunch) to €35, so there's something that will appeal to all appetites and budgets.

If the happy, perennially buzzing crowd is any indication, there's something right going on at this chic but casual bistro featuring an eclectic, market menu with options that ranges from healthy salads to elevated snack food (gourmet hot dogs) to French classics (steak tartare). Seafood takes front and center in dishes like coquilles St-Jacques, towering shellfish platters, and local specialties like bourride de lotte (a less fussy version of bouillabaisse). The fenced-in garden, overlooking the market square, is open year-round.

Uzès's only Michelin-starred restaurant has a stately but cozy dining room that sets the stage for a memorable meal from start to finish. Give yourself time to fully appreciate the dishes of chef Christophe Ducros, whose magic lies in the seasonal pairings of the freshest ingredients from both the countryside (like lamb served three ways) and coast (coquilles Saint-Jacques with butternut squash, yuzu, and trompette mushrooms) with complementary local wines. Service is meticulous yet friendly, and the menu, though abbreviated, covers all the gourmet bases and then some.

Summer evening meals around the old fountain and boxwood-filled oil jars in the courtyard of the Hôtel d'Europe would be wonderful with filet de boeuf alone, but combine this romantic backdrop with top-notch southern French cuisine and you have a special event. Give yourself over to one of the great restaurants of the Vaucluse, complete with fine regional wines and an army of urbane servers—and hope for moonlight. The three-course €54 lunch menu (coffee and parking included) quickly refuels before tackling an afternoon's touring.

A 200-plus wine list is a big highlight of this restaurant and bar à vins, yet the main focus is squarely on the food. Beautiful to behold and even better to eat, the Mediterranean-inspired dishes flaunt the bounty of Provence in options like beef carpaccio, sliced razor-thin and served with shaved Parmesan and crispy house frites; a tender zucchini tartlette with chèvre and herbes de Provence; or a salad of heirloom tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, Serrano ham, and basil sorbet. A laid-back atmosphere, friendly staff, spacious outdoor terrace, and excellent prices make this a top choice.

This under-the-radar cave à manger, for people who want to eat and drink well without the fuss of a fancier place, specializes in small plates with big flavors. Try the morteau sausage with lentils and pickled onions, the briny oysters in an herb-infused broth, or the tender pork cheeks with sweet corn cream—all accompanied by a feisty natural wine. Plates are intended to be shared, but that's up to you.

This chic new bistro, a hit among locals, was designed with all the care and taste as the nearby Hôtel La Mère Germaine. On cool days, you can relax in its light-filled dining room and watch preparations in the open kitchen; in warm weather, you can sit on the terrace and take in the endless vineyard views. Chef Clément Peine's pleasing dishes rely on seasonal, local products, and the superb wine list offers all the highlights from this wine-centric region.

The name is a reference to Louis XIV’s botanist, who was born in the town of Mane in 1660, and it clues you in on what's to come at this Michelin-starred restaurant just south of Forqualcier—namely, refined, locally sourced dishes fit for a king. Chef Louis Gachet honed his formidable skills in France’s most prestigious kitchens and is renowned for his innovative, healthful yet sumptuous dishes.

This restaurant's setting—in a former bakery that's tucked into a natural grotto and lighted by candles and artsy torchères—is as memorable as the stylishly presented Provençal dishes on both the à la carte and prix-fixe menus. Try the thinly layered beetroot with feta cheese and walnut oil or the veal braised with anise and served with creamy polenta. There's a shaded terrace, too, by the 17th-century village fountain.

This classic wine bar is ever popular for its great location and reliably good French food. The menu features modern riffs on the classics—pigs’ feet (and ears if you're lucky), ricotta-spinach dumplings with mushrooms spiked with pecorino cheese, or asparagus eggs Benedict—and the owners also have a tender spot for vegetarians. The long and well-priced list of biodynamic and organic wines by the bottle or glass makes sampling the local options a cinch.

Visionary Jean-Luc Rabanel is the culinary success story of the region—he was one of the first organic chefs in France to merit two Michelin stars and is renowned for the fresh, garden-inspired cuisine that he features in this stylish restaurant and cooking school. Menus are prix-fixe only, and the seven-dish tapas-style lunch (€65) and six-course "Emotion" dinner (€145) are unforgettable. To experience all of Rabanel's flourishes, though, try the "Signatures" eight-course extravaganza (€185; wine pairings €45 or €65). A chic, Japanese-style reception area features the five elements—water, fire, earth, air, and spirit—and ensures a harmonious meal.

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.

Set amid vineyards just outside Orange, this stone farmhouse restaurant recently updated its traditional dining room and its dishes, while maintaining its charm and its high standards. The sophisticated menu is based on the French classics like salmon mousse, house-made foie gras, beef cheeks, and a fish of the day. In warm weather, the terrace is a lovely place to be.

You’re in excellent hands at this wine bar and “bistronomic” (bistro with gastronomic cuisine) dining room helmed by two accomplished chefs and set in a restored 18th-century inn in St-Saturnin-lès-Apt, a hilltop village 9 km (5½ miles) north of Apt. Cozy up to the old-fashioned wooden zinc bar for a homemade pastry and coffee, lunch, a snack, or a glass of wine expertly chosen from the Provence region and beyond. In the refined dining room (or balcony terrace), expect a casual bistro menu at lunch, but at dinnertime the linens and candles come out for a gourmet meal accompanied by spectacular views. All the ingredients, including the meats, artisan cheeses, and market-fresh fruits and veggies support local, sustainable, and organic agriculture.

It's well worth the slog up the hill to the château simply to linger on the terrace of this long-established restaurant and savor the view over Mont Ventoux, Avignon, the Luberon, and the Rhône—and you can visit the restaurant's well-stocked wine cellar on your way to the top. The tarte à la tomate confite with goat cheese and iced white cheese is a specialty that reveals a love for the region's cuisine. The owners, the Estenevins, have lived in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for three generations; Philippe and Jean-Pierre took over the restaurant from their parents.

At this red-walled, library-like haven in a stylish book-and-boutique complex of a renovated arsenal, you can have a sophisticated regional lunch and read while you're waiting. If you've had your fill of fish, indulge in the grilled fillet of beef with fried artichokes and sweet onion. The terrace (on the Italian-scale Cours d'Estienne d'Orves) is as pleasant as the interior.

You don’t have to be a L'Eautel boutique hotel guest to dine in its restaurant, which the locals seem to have adopted for themselves. No surprise, since the market-fresh dishes served here rely on the best local veggies, seafood, and meats. Arrive a little early to try one of the seasonal cocktails in the soaring, light-filled dining room (open for lunch and dinner) or outside on the terrace.

This restaurant, bistro, pastry and chocolate shop, tea salon, bar, boutique, and olive-oil mill all wrapped into one is set in a 650-year-old stone building. The enclosed garden is a go-to place in town for lunch or dinner as well as for coffee and dessert or after-dinner drinks. Oh, and did we mention there’s a spa, too?

The place to sample the region's delicacies—wine, truffles, and olive oil—is in a stately 17th-century mansion high atop Ménerbes. Seated inside the elegant wine bar or out in the garden with eye-popping Luburon views, you can taste great wines while enjoying quiche or a soup de jour (made with local organic products), a cheese or charcuterie plate, or a planche truffe. There’s also ice cream, as well as desserts by the resident pastry chef. Come for an olive oil or wine tasting, then purchase your favorites at the on-site boutique (shipping is available). Other local specialties include chocolates and, in truffle season, tuber melanosporum, gathered by local farmers.

Finding a decent place for a sit-down meal amid the village's head-spinning number of tourist cafés is challenging, but you can't go wrong with this welcoming eatery at the historic port. Watch the boats pass by while dining on heaping platters of shellfish or the catch of the day.