- Avignon
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France
Terre de Saveur is a great little restaurant that also does veggie food - not very common in France!
Would highly recommend visiting Avignon in July 2008 for the annual Festival d’Avignon. But book your accommodation well in advance. This huge multi-arts celebration will guarantee you lasting memories.
Stock up with gourmet delicacies at Les Halles Market for picnics along the way. Indulge in calisson pastries made with almonds and candied melons and a chocolate, sugar and oregano liqueur delicacy called Papalines.
Get the free Avignon Pass Card offering tourist attraction reductions, available at the Tourist Office. Enjoy opera at the exquisite 15th-Century Eglise St Pierre followed by dinner at 'Christian Etienne' for the very finest of French cuisine.
The train is definitely the best way to arrive in this beautiful city - an experience enhanced if you're sipping some of the best wine ever made – Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which is a mere 10km from Avignon itself and should definitely be on your 'must-see' list.
In the meantime, there’s a fantastic restaurant at the hotel La Mirande in Avignon that serves the most delicious Foie gras imaginable. Mmmmm. I’m getting goose pimples just thinking about it. Or should that be duck pimples?!
Eat real Provencal food at 'La Fourchetten', 17 rue Racine, that, after all, is why you came here!
Huge plaza in front of the Palais is perfect for lunch usually with live music.
The two of us spent £34 for 3 courses including Kir aperitifs, a carafe of house wine and complimentary digestives - exceptional value for one of the best meals we have ever had.
Beautiful food described and cooked with love said the English-speaking guys who wooed us through the evening. We shared a platter of 3 cold soups: - Gaspacho - crème de petits pois à la menthe - Soupe de melon aux copeaux de jambon cru. This was followed by
Carpaccio de bœuf, vinaigrette de tomate et gingembre confit, glace Wasabi and completed by a crumble aux fruits rouges et pommes, coulis banana. If you can appreciate their love of food and artistic flair then go but it is not for the steak and frites brigade.
Location: 4 rue d'Amphoux, Avignon
Telephone: 8718560
Map: tinyurl.com/yswdc4
Villeneuve lez Avignon really should be visited by anyone intending to spend more than a day in Avignon. Some 10 minutes' drive to the other side of the Rhone is this superbly preserved late medieval village with great views across to the Palais des Papes.
Apart from the Chartreuse, fort, abbey gardens and village square, there's a great restaurant in a hotel next to the church. Very good food in menus costing around 70€.The sommelier is happy to recommend wines at anything from 20€ up.
Le Prieuré, 7 pl du Chapitre, Villeneuve des Avignon. 04 90 15 90 15
Surely the best restaurant in Avignon. A couple of set menus at around 65€, including the famous tomatoes in every course, plus a 'surprise' menu for around 115€ - one of the highest quality meals I've ever eaten. An ideal place for a very special meal.
Christian Etienne, 10 rue de Mons, Avignon. 04 90 86 16 50.
An excellent restaurant, in a very upmarket hotel. High quality food, with two set menus apart from the à la carte.
Beware: the 33€ menu is only available at lunch (and then not on what has been charmingly mistranslated as 'off days', ie public holidays). Otherwise, the menu costs 105€, but is well worth the price.
A delightful garden for eating outside, looking at the back of the Palais des Papes. Must book.
La Mirande, 4 place de la Mirande, Avignon. 04 90 14 20 20.
The theatre festival held in July cannot be surpassed for thespian entertainment in the most beautiful settings.
Watch a play on a balmy provincial afternoon, followed by food and wine which elsewhere pales in comparison.
The charm of Avignon is in the atmosphere and no words can do it justice - you must feel it for yourself.
La Ferigoulo is a gem of a restaurant, The food is at gastronomic level. The atmosphere is pretty cool, I wouldn't enter there with a bermuda and a baseball cap but you don't have to wear a suit...Even better the prices are pretty low!! I would highly recommend it!
Les Halles market is great for a breakfast, stocking up for picnics and ogling the fine fruit, gorgeous bread and sumptous food - at bargain prices.
Time your visit for September and after spending a few hours in Avignon step back in time and take the short train trip to Arles which takes you through a magical landscape formed by Les Alpilles.
Experience an unforgettable sight as you approach this enchanting ancient Roman town with a stunning view of the roman bridge over the Rhone.
Wander along the banks of the river to the Place de Forum where you can sit in the Cafe van Gogh shaded by plane trees and savour a grand paella which is cooked in giant pans to celebrate the annual rice festival.
While wandering through the old city, below the Palais des Papes, you could do worse than call in to Les Halles, where the stalls are laden with all the fresh produce of Provence.
The bowls of unctuous , gleaming aioli are worth the visit alone. Plenty of entertainment from the seafood traiteur preparing his dishes. Be warned: you won't leave empty-handed.
When passing through Avignon on the way to the Cote d'Azure we stopped for lunch and discovered a wonderful bistro in the rue de la Balance, called the Brunel. Unfortunately there was no connection to the great railway engineer but the Monkfish with pistou was wonderful .
Find theatrical presentations for everyone, which inspire and excite at Les Ateliers d'Amphoux - but make the visit sensational by experiencing the speciality of the city, 'Papalines'.
This delicacy is made of fine chocolate, sugar and oregano liqueur. And of course, this is the best place to drink Cotes du Rhône wine.
Having been to many Michelin restaurants, I've never met an English-speaking sommalier so passionate or with such incredible depth of knowledge.
Further, she was delighted to recommend superb wines for €25/bottle.
Food was also first class.
Book in advance.
Near Rasteau
www.legrandpre.com
My girlfriend and I just came from a wonderful trip to the south of France. Our recommendation: get away from the coast and drive from Cannes to Avignon.
You will encounter the Gorges du Verdon and end up in a little village of Moustiers Sainte Marie. Try the Restaurant Les Santons. It has the most wonderful food, a chef who cares about what he cooks and is very romantic. It is much better than Alain Ducasse's La Bastide.
Take a day trip to Gigondas from Avignon. Everyone raves about Chateauneuf du Pape. This is much better. They have a tasting room in the village. Try their wines from 1999 to 2003 for the best. You will not resist taking a few bottles back.
www.gourmetvoyageurs.com/country-pages/pages-france/provence/santons.html
Map: tinyurl.com/3ckv2m
The French have no idea how to prepare a pizza. Once you've been confronted with a tartiflette topping you'll agree. There is, however, a notable exception to the rule. Chez Mimmo, tucked away in the backstreets of Avignon near Les Halles, is superb and cheap - but then it is owned and run by Italians.
Chez Mimmo
19, Rue du Chapeau Rouge , 84000 Avignon
04 90824273
Map: tinyurl.com/2rd4mm
Forget trailing around all the overpriced touristy rubbish and head for 'Au Tout Petit' - it's situated on a small side street very close to the market (Les Halles).
The owner is passionate about the food he cooks and speaks good English. The food is fresh and imaginative and there's lots of advice about what to choose.
The place has only been open a short time and deserves as much support as possible.
Also, good news for coeliacs - the owner understands and caters for them.
The price is about 14 euros for two courses, even cheaper at lunchtimes!
04 rue d'Amphoux
84000 Avignon
Tel: 0490823886
Map: tinyurl.com/yswdc4
www.autoutpetit.fr
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