Restaurants

Eating out in France is not a special treat but a way of life - and that applies especially in Provence. Families go readily to restaurants, in particular for Sunday lunch, and children are usually welcome.

It's often cheaper to dine at lunchtime during the week, when many restaurants offer a prix fixe (set menu) which is much better value than ordering à la carte. To keep the drinks bill low too, ask for house wine by the pichet (jug or carafe).

Insider tip for eating out in FranceBy French law, a restaurant cannot refuse to offer its cheap prix fixe menu at weekends or outside the lunch period unless the limited days and times when it's available are clearly stated at the entrance.

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This area of the site surveys some of the best gastronomic spots in Provence. But remember: chefs can change and restaurants can rise, fall or even close down altogether. For this reason we have noted at the bottom of each review the date(s) when we dined there.

Reviews of more informal brasseries that also serve food - often very good food - can be found in the bars and cafés section. Click here to read our general overviews of the best places to eat in Aix en Provence, in Avignon and in Marseille.

Check back soon for new additions. And bon appétit -or, as the locals say, "bon app"!

Michelin man Bibendum logoThis is a complete list of the Michelin-starred restaurants in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, with links straight to their websites.

La Villa Madie, CassisThe only Michelin-starred restaurant in Cassis, La Villa Madie has been through tough times since it opened in 2006. But it managed to weather the storms and is today one of the town's more desirable - and relatively affordable - places to eat.

Gerard Passedat, chef at Le petit Nice, MarseilleLe petit Nice is one of a handful of three Michelin-starred dining spots in the whole of Provence, and one of the longest established - with correspondingly sky-high prices. Is it worth it?

Facade, Fou de Fafa restaurant, AvignonChallenging the French at this game takes nerve but in 2010 a British couple took the plunge and set up their own restaurant. It's now one of the most popular eateries in town.

christianetiennefacadeMaison Sevin has one of the most spectacular locations in Avignon, right next to the Palais des Papes, and is a popular dining destination in the city.

La Poissonnerie restaurant, CassisLa Poissonnerie is just that: a fish stall once stood here, right on the harbour by the boats that supplied it. Then came a fishmonger's and, more recently, a restaurant, run by the same family for generations. Fish doesn’t come fresher.

Cochlear Roman spoon at the Taberna Romana, Saint Remy de ProvenceTaberna Romana is an unusual and intriguing place to eat in Saint Rémy de Provence when visiting the Roman ruins at Glanum or Vincent van Gogh's room at Saint Paul de Mausole.

Sardine can decor at La Boite a Sardine restaurant, MarseilleThe one thing you won't eat at La Boîte à Sardine (The Sardine Can) is tinned fish. Seafood comes straight from the sea at this colourful neighbourhood fishmonger's shop-restaurant a ten minute walk from the Old Port.

Seafood platter

If you want to eat shellfish in Marseille, Toinou has been the place to go for over half a century, a cherished local institution just off the Canebière a few steps from the Old Port.

AM Alexandre Mazzia restaurant cardChef Alexandre Mazzia's eagerly anticipated restaurant in Marseille is simply called AM - and it's one of the best, quite possibly the best and certainly the most remarkable in town.

Une Table, au Sud restaurant, MarseilleUne Table, au Sud is right on the Old Port, but it could be a million miles away from the tacky tourist traps lining the harbour.

Thierry Coulmeau of Le Poivre d'Ane, Aix en ProvenceDozens of restaurants of every type and quality line the Forum des Cardeurs, a large open square on the edge of the Old Town. Le Poivre d'Âne looks much like its neighbours. But this is not another fly-by-night tourist trap.

Le Cafe des Epices, MarseilleThe concept behind Le Café des Épices couldn't be simpler: quality, imaginative food at affordable prices right in the centre of town. And the Marseillais, who don't much like pretension, certainly appreciate it.

Lourmarin LAntiquaire facadeL'Antiquaire represents what the Michelin guide used to call une valeur sûre: value you can count upon - which is not always something tourists can actually count upon in one of the most beautiful villages of France.

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