101 Best Restaurants in Provence, France

Double Michelin–starred chef Michel Kayser adds a personal touch both to the elegant modern dining room and library sitting room where you can enjoy a drink before tucking into local specialties and seasonal menus transformed into delicious works of art. Scallops from the Camargue coast served with a luscious ravioli stuffed with celery cream and black garlic; plump white asparagus from the sands of Aigues Mortes with a sabayon and elderberry vinegar; and thyme-infused Aveyron lamb with carrots, turnip, and kumquat may not leave room for tender local strawberries from the Gard infused with kaffir lime served with sage sorbet. The terrace opens to an extensive park with century-old trees, and often apricots and peaches plucked from the overhanging branches will appear on your plate, magically transformed into some delicious creation. Though the restaurant is outside Nîmes proper, it's a favorite Provence pilgrimage spot. 

Architect, artist, creator, whatever you call him, one thing's for sure—you won't soon forget the master chef who was awarded a Michelin star within nine months of opening his namesake restaurant. Dishes such as charred satay tuna in tapioca speckled with bright green fish eggs and served with wasabi ice cream showcase his experience working in French, African, and Asian kitchens. When you sit at one of the 24 seats in the minimalistic setting, a small card on the table provides you with a choice of four set menus. Following your selection, Mazzia will serve a series of inspired dishes. Dining here will set you back some, but you will not find its likeness anywhere in France.

Nadia Sammut, the third generation of female chefs in her family and the second to hold a Michelin star, crafts a cuisine of such sensuality, refinement, and soul that her dedicated fan base stretches well beyond France. Sammut's passion for fresh, local, and "living" foods is backed by the notion that each ingredient expresses itself differently, and she creates extraordinary flavor pairings in the dishes on her prix-fixe tasting menus. Options such as radishes prepared four ways on a melt-in-your mouth buckwheat cake or lightly crusted Camargue oysters perfumed with shiso and yuzu in an iodized gelée are revelations. The Auberge also has five charming, Provençal-style guest rooms in case you want to stay overnight and enjoy a stellar gluten-free breakfast.

This quintessential locals' hangout is packed for lunch pretty much year-round thanks to dishes that are deeply French and deeply satisfying. The traditional bistro decor—long bar, leatherette banquettes, large mirrors, and brass railings—has something to do with the appeal of this marvelous restaurant that's casual in every sense except when it comes to food and wine.

Though this brasserie is less formal (and less expensive) than its sister restaurant, three-star La Villa Madie, its dishes are no less tasty. Depending on what's in season and available from local growers and fishermen, the menu in the handsome dining room or on the terrace might include artisanal sausages and braised fennel with squid-ink gnocchi; tandoori monkfish medallions with asparagus, lime crème Chantilly, and Indian spices; or the catch of the day straight from the wood-fired oven. The three-course €60 lunch menu is a steal, and, unlike many area restaurants, this one is open year-round.

Set in an 18th-century Provençal mas once owned by the grand-mère of one of the owners, this countrified restaurant is a short drive outside the city but well worth the effort. Sit inside at wooden tables or out under towering plane trees to enjoy delicious dishes made with locally sourced ingredients that mix classic recipes (yes, from Tata Simone) with modern touches. Everything, including the bread, warm from the oven, evokes the hearty home-cooked dishes of old Provence.

Duende, that irresistible magnetic force radiated by a performer to transport an audience, is precisely what two Michelin–star chef Nicolas Fontaine (channeling Pierre Gagnaire who designed the menus) conjures in the dining room of the Art Deco–era Hotel L'Imperator. A sophisticated spot to be sure, but it's also expressive of Nîmes's earthy, independent spirit in dishes that pair the exotic with the local: Mediterranean jumbo shrimp à l'Amontillado with local Camargue rice and mango in a passion fruit emulsion or a butter-poached catch of the day with camus artichokes, green olives, and a parsley-anchovy sauce. Lamb comes from the nearby Alpilles, and produce is sourced from the Gard's top organic farmers.

This convivial wine bar, tucked in a corner near a pretty square in the Old Town, is the best place for tasting local wines. The selection of excellent-value wines by the glass allows you to take in (literally) the vast wealth of the Côtes du Rhône, deliciously accompanied by local cheeses, charcuterie, or salad plates.

At one of Aix's best "bistronomic" (gastronomic bistro) eateries, a stone's throw from the Cours Mirabeau, diners swoon for the small but delicious and beautifully presented selection of upscale French classics—crusted lobster with feta and coriander, squash samosas and homemade goose pâté, or roasted veal giblets with gouda-cauliflower and black truffle. Don't be alarmed by the small à la carte menu; it means you're only served what's market fresh that day. Do go for one of the tasting menus, as they're by far the best deal.

The vaulted dining room provides an excellent backdrop for camera-ready "haute couture" dishes that taste as good as they look and have garnered the chef a Michelin star. For an atmosphere that's a little less formal, the colorful Bistr'AU offers a fine prix-fixe menu; both restaurants are part of the Jérôme Nutile empire—which also includes a hotel and a boutique—that's set on a pretty old farm just outside the city.

At this gastropub hot spot in the heart of the city, chef Julien Gleize applies light, playful, modern touches to dishes that are steeped in French tradition, made with local ingredients, and beautifully presented. Options might include rabbit farci perfumed with wild cèpes and served over a cloud of whipped potatoes and shallot confit or wild salmon caramelized in olive oil with watercress, black sesame seeds, and luscious cream of corn.

For a fresh, seasonal lunch, try this chic little outpost that is part restaurant and part gourmet grocer. Imaginative Mediterranean-inflected salads and light dishes are healthy and delicious, and they pair well with a gourmet soda, Marseille microbrew, or a local rosé. After your meal, you can stock up on such southern delicacies as unrefined olive oils from Tête Dans Les Olives, tinned bonito fish, and handcrafted local herbs.

Chef Laurent Deconinck won his first Michelin star in 2018, proving to the culinary mainstream what Provence gourmands have known all along—that this is one of the region's most coveted tables. In the elegant dining room, you're assured of a stellar meal and superb wines (the sommelier is expert at pairing the local nectars, as the winemakers all flock here) in a convivial atmosphere. The restaurant is set on a leafy square in the center of the village, and its spacious terrace is a mythical spot for spending a long afternoon or evening under the plane trees or Provence stars. If you feel like making a night of it, L'Oustalet offers three stylish guest rooms.

Year after year, diners return to this temple to haute cuisine for updated versions of dishes they might have first tried three decades ago. This was the first establishment outside of the Riviera to earn three Michelin stars, and, under legendary chef Raymond Thuillier, it rose from being the dining room of a small country inn to a restaurant whose guest list has included leading artists, movie stars, and heads of state (Picasso, Queen Elizabeth, Churchill, and Harry Truman all dined here). Helmed by Thuillier's grandson, Jean-André Charial, and his gifted protégé, Glenn Viel, the restaurant maintains two Michelin stars. The refined classic dishes are not completely free from the ingredients and preparations of the past, but they do now highlight organic vegetables fresh from the extensive kitchen gardens.

Owner Fabien Rugi puts his formidable energy into serving the freshest possible, Mediterranean-inflected seafood dishes, so at this restaurant you—with or without the help of a waiter—choose your fish from the catch of the day on ice. You might start with the grilled shrimp, which is too good to have with anything but a squirt of lemon, perhaps followed by the grilled baby squid or Rugi's version of fish-and-chips—fried hake with crisp chickpea-flour pancakes (a Provence specialty) and house-made aioli. The well-priced wines flow freely, and everyone is happy as a clam.

Ask any Marseille food enthusiast where they go for great Italian food, and they're sure to mention this legendary spot, which is renowned as much for its food and flowing wine as for its camaraderie. Options include gorgeous plates of charcuterie topped with giant Parmesan shavings, fragrant bowls of steaming risotto, and line-caught fish of the day; just save room for the towering tiramisu maison. The linen-covered tables may be elbow to elbow, but that's all part of the fun, a feeling that extends to the large outdoor terrace, which is festively lit up at night.

Sophisticated yet comfortable, this organic restaurant, 12 km (7½ miles) south of Arles at the entrance of the Camargue, has a fetching dining room that extends to an outdoor area with large, family-style picnic tables under a canopy and overlooking extensive gardens. The mix of modern and French-country dishes on master chef Armand Arnal's prix-fixe menus are made using ingredients grown right on the property.

This cozy restaurant with cheerful planters and original art is run by a young husband-and-wife team and specializes in pasta dishes and regional French comfort food (from Savoie, Nice, and Provence). Dishes such as basil-and-cheese ravioli, stuffed peppers farci, and crème anchoïade (anchovy cream) are seasonal, beautifully prepared, and deeply satisfying. In warmer temps, the outdoor terrace is a favorite spot for the locals. Pair dinner with a stunning glass of the local red, and then marvel at the modest check. 

A decor that mixes distressed walls with minimalist industrial-style lighting and sleek designer chairs is your first clue that this neobistro and wine bar in Marseille's emerging Noailles neighborhood is impossibly hip. British chef Harry Cummins, lately of Paris's gastronomic mecca Frenchie, uses local, seasonal ingredients to craft subtle, imaginative dishes that are highly satisfying to all yet also sensitive to the needs of vegetarians and those with food allergies. The three-course lunch menu (€35) and the five-course dinner menu (€62), served inside or on the secluded outdoor terrace, are good introductions.

The dazzling new La Mère Germaine restaurant earned a Michelin star within seven months of reopening as part of the hotel of the same name, and now, with two-star Belgian chef Christophe Hardiquest at the helm, it has further refined its locavore offerings. Dishes on the seasonal, five-course menus (€98 at lunch, €118 at dinner) might include celery root and shredded truffle ravioli with fermented shiitake or melt-in-your-mouth quail suprème with almond hummus and artichoke hearts. Settle in for an afternoon or evening, either in the dining room with its charming frescoes or out on the terrace with its sweeping views.

Whether you dine under the 14th-century coffered ceilings, surrounded by exquisite paintings and Renaissance tapestries, or in the intimate garden under the walls of the Palais des Papes, the restaurant of the luxurious Hôtel de la Mirande transports you to another time. Chef Florent Pietravalle offers original haute-cuisine dishes with a focus on local products, perhaps wild cèpes with caviar and razor clams, line-caught dorade with roasted cucumber and a Granny Smith apple emulsion, or aged beef with Jerusalem artichokes and wild blackberries. Foodies, take note: Tuesday and Wednesday dinners are table d'hôtes, and one week every month the restaurant's cooking school, La Table Haute, invites guest chefs to teach casual, multilingual cooking classes for 6–12 people around a large table in a charming, authentic 19th-century kitchen, followed by a convivial feast—there are classes for children, too.

Chef Christophe Bacquié spent a dozen years at the renowned Hotel & Spa de Castellet, where he earned three Michelin stars, before he and his wife, Alexandra, set off on their own in 2022. Now Alexandra presides over their welcoming restaurant and chambres d'hôtes (guest rooms), set amid vineyards and lavender fields, and the chef is just as likely to serve your amuse-bouche as he is to whisk away your plate—and then ask you what you thought. You'll visit the cellar to choose your wine before feasting on a succession of sophisticated dishes made with ingredients like trout from the nearby Sorgue River, vegetables straight from the kitchen garden, or Alpilles lamb raised on garrigue herbs. Though the menu is prix-fixe only, the chef is happy to adapt dishes as needed.

Chef Dimitri Droisneau may profess his cuisine to be humble, but it’s worth changing out of your beachwear (closed-toe shoes are required) to dine at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant he runs with his wife, Marielle. Standout dishes include the delicately grilled Mediterranean rouget with almonds and fennel that's drizzled with an urchin-and-saffron sauce. Overseeing a cellar with 550 wines, regional and beyond, the knowledgeable sommelier can suggest accompaniments, whether you opt for one of the two set menus (€180 lunch and €280 dinner) or go the pricier à la carte route. Allow time to linger over pre-dinner cocktails by the waterfront Brasserie du Corton.

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.

This spot has seen its share of famous diners, from French movie stars to politicians, but you'd never know it from the friendly, laid-back atmosphere cultivated by the longtime chef and his loyal staff who loudly greet their friends—meaning everyone. From the apéritif until the bill comes (which could be a while, as you'll want to take your time here), you're drawn into the rhythm of Provençal bistro dining, with a bottle of the house red wine ready at your table and a stellar cheese platter all to yourself. There is a set menu for lunch and dinner—a choice of two starters, one or two main courses, and six desserts—ensuring that every morsel is fresh, local, and cooked to perfection. The bistro is about 6 km (4 miles) from Les-Baux-de-Provence and 13 km (8 miles) from St-Rémy-de-Provence.

Fresh from the kitchens of Michelin-star chef Lionel Levy, Sylvain Touati has swiftly shown what he can do in this kitchen of his own, where he turns out brasserie-type dishes that are hearty and satisfying as well as innovative and sophisticated. Not one dish on the menu disappoints, nor does the chic dining room—which is airy and bright at lunchtime and lively at night—or the brilliant barman who concocts some of the best craft cocktails in town.

If you're willing to travel 10 minutes to the tiny perched village of Goult, you'll be rewarded with a top-notch, thoroughly French meal at a restaurant that's elegant enough for a celebratory dinner, yet casual enough for a gourmet lunch on the go. Sea-crab soup with fricassee of cuttlefish and homemade aïoli makes a nice prelude to saddle of rabbit with local chanterelle mushrooms stewed with kale (a rarity in France). Top off your meal with a homemade sorbet, pear poached in black current and stuffed with rice pudding, or assorted regional goat cheeses and a local rosé. In summer, try for a seat on the small outdoor terrace overlooking the town square and church.

Tucked away under a canopy of green, this cozy local favorite serves contemporary French fare far above the usual offerings. Relax in a vintage armchair while enjoying appetizers like creamy burrata cheese with perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes or grilled sardines with arugula and olives and entrées such as succulent guinea fowl or steak smothered in fresh morels with a side of golden frites. Seafood also factors large on the menu, and there are plenty of vegetarian choices, too. The top-notch wine list emphasizes natural, small-producer options.

If you're headed from Aix to the Vaucluse or any point north of the city, do what the local gourmands do and get thee to this gastronomic restaurant 23 km (14 miles) northwest of Aix on France's famous Nationale 7 (D7). A veteran of top kitchens from London to Switzerland, chef Nicolas Bottero struck out on his own in 2017, creating cuisine of utmost refinement but without a trace of fussiness and following the seasons and the local producers. In fall and winter expect squash, wild game, and local mushrooms, and, in summer, all the bounty of Provence. This is the perfect spot for a long lunch, but whether you're coming for lunch or dinner, allow plenty of time to savor a stellar meal.

A short drive from Aix over scenic Route Cézanne, this elegant restaurant on the grounds of Les Lodges hotel has an inspired menu—and who wouldn't be inspired with these breathtaking views of Cézanne's beloved mountain? Michelin-starred chef Julien Le Goff doesn't have far to look for the locally sourced products such as wild trompette de la mort mushrooms for a luscious dish of langoustines, mussels, and lemon-infused bouillon or line-caught turbot with French caviar, crispy potatoes, and a Champagne emulsion. Heads turn as virtuosic dishes, one more beautiful than the next, are flourished at the table. Finish with an ethereally light pavlova of Granny Smith apples with a cloud of meringue flecked with gold and paired with a sweet local wine. There is a shady outdoor terrace overlooking olive groves, woods, and the mountain.