Where to eat in Avignon: what to order and where
Avignon eats Provençal: daube, brandade, tapenade and vegetables from the market. Lunch is the better value, and the covered market at Les Halles is the best place to start. Many good kitchens close at weekends, so check the day you plan to eat.
The short answer
- Best area to eat
- Around Les Halles and Place Pie for lunch, and the side streets off the Place de l'Horloge and Place des Carmes for dinner.
- Order this
- Daube provençale, brandade de morue or ratatouille, with a Côtes du Rhône.
- When to eat
- Lunch from 12:00, dinner from 19:00. Many kitchens stop serving around 21:30.
- Book or walk in
- Book dinner at the better rooms, especially in July. Market lunches and cafes take walk-ins.
- Tipping
- Service is included. Round up or leave a few euros for good service.
What to eat in Avignon
- Daube provençaleBeef stewed slowly in red wine with garlic, orange peel and herbs. Often served with pasta or polenta. A cool-weather dish, found in most traditional kitchens.
- Brandade de morueSalt cod whipped with olive oil and milk, eaten warm with bread or potatoes. A Provençal staple.
- RatatouilleAubergine, courgette, peppers and tomato cooked in olive oil. Good in summer, and often a side dish.
- TapenadeA paste of olives, capers and anchovies, spread on toast. Buy a jar at the market.
- Soupe au pistouA summer vegetable soup with a stirred-in paste of basil, garlic and oil.
- Papalines d'AvignonSweets made in the city: a thin chocolate shell around a liqueur made from herbs. A local souvenir.
- Melon de CavaillonA small, very sweet orange melon from the nearby Cavaillon area. Eat it in summer, with local ham or on its own.
- Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-PapeRed and white wines from the Rhône valley, available by the glass in most restaurants and cheaper than in a shop abroad.
Where to eat in Avignon, by neighborhood
Les Halles and Place Pie
The covered market and a few cafes around it. Eat early, because stalls and kitchens wind down by mid-afternoon.
Place de l'Horloge and the center
Terraces on the main square, most of them for tourists. Side streets a block away give better value.
Carmes and Rue des Teinturiers
Small bistros and wine bars in old streets, and a lane of cafes beside a stream. Good for dinner and for an apéritif.
Near the station and Rue de la République
A mix of brasseries and a few good tables on or just off the main street. Check opening days, as several close at weekends.
Places worth a booking or a queue
-
Hiély-Lucullus
€€€Gastronomic restaurant · Rue de la République
OrderA tasting menu with Provence and Peru on the plate
The oldest gastronomic restaurant in the city, founded in 1938. The chef calls his cuisine Pérouvence, a mix of Provençal and Peruvian cooking.
- Book
- Book online or by phone
- Closed
- Monday and Sunday; open Sunday during the July festival
Confirmed open: provence-alpes-cotedazur.com
-
Le Numéro 75
€€€Bistro · Rue Guillaume Puy
OrderThe seasonal market menu
Mediterranean, market-led cooking in a former town house with a broad wine list. About ten minutes' walk from the Palais des Papes.
- Book
- Book by phone
- Closed
- Saturday and Sunday
Confirmed open: provenceguide.com
-
La Fourchette
€€Bistro · Rue Racine
OrderA traditional dish of the day, such as daube
A long-running bistro with a collection of old cutlery and festival posters on the walls, and a fixed menu with an à la carte option.
- Book
- Book online or by phone
- Closed
- Saturday and Sunday
Confirmed open: provence-alpes-cotedazur.com
-
Le Joat
€€€Restaurant · Rue des Trois-Faucons
OrderThe seasonal menu built on Luberon and Rhône valley produce
A small, smart room with market-led cooking from nearby growers. It has a Michelin Guide Plate listing.
- Book
- Book through TheFork or by phone
- Closed
- Sunday and Monday
Confirmed open: joinpearl.co
-
Cuisine Centr'Halles
€€Market restaurant · Les Halles, Place Pie
OrderThe lunch dish made from that morning's market produce
A 45-seat room inside the covered market, serving lunch from what the stalls around it sell. It also runs cooking classes with market visits.
- Book
- Walk in, or call ahead at weekends
- Closed
- Monday
Confirmed open: provence-alpes-cotedazur.com
Food markets in Avignon
- Les Halles d'AvignonThe covered market at Place Pie, with about 40 stalls of cheese, olives, fish, charcuterie, bread and wine. Buy lunch, olives and tapenade here.Tuesday to Sunday, from about 6:00 to early afternoon; closed MondaySource: avignon-tourisme.com
- Place des Carmes Saturday marketA Saturday-morning market of flowers, plants and some organic produce, beside the Carmes church.Saturday morningsSource: provence-alpes-cotedazur.com
How Avignon eats
- Meal timesLunch runs from about 12:00 to 14:00, and many kitchens close in the afternoon. Dinner starts around 19:00.
- TippingService is included in the price. Round up or leave a few euros for good service.
- ReservationsBook the better rooms, particularly in July and at weekends.
- Closed daysMany restaurants close on Sunday and Monday, and some on Saturday as well. Check before you go.
- Lunch menusA set lunch menu is usually cheaper than dinner. Ask for the plat du jour.
Signs of a place to walk past
Menus in five languages with photos of the dishes on the Place de l'Horloge.
A waiter calling you in from the pavement near the palace.
A daube or ratatouille on the menu in July with no sign it was made that day.
Eating in Avignon: questions people ask
What food is Avignon known for?
Provençal cooking: daube, brandade de morue, ratatouille, tapenade and olives, plus papalines, the local liqueur sweets. The Rhône valley wines are the usual drink.
Where is the best place to eat in Avignon?
For a gastronomic evening, Hiély-Lucullus or Le Joat. For a bistro, La Fourchette or Le Numéro 75. For lunch, Les Halles market.
Do you need to book restaurants in Avignon?
For the better rooms at dinner, yes, and well ahead in July during the festival. Cafes and market lunches take walk-ins.
How much do you tip in Avignon?
Service is included. Round up or leave a few euros for good service.
Are restaurants in Avignon closed on Sundays?
Many are, and some also close on Mondays or Saturdays. Check the day, or eat at the Halles, which are open Tuesday to Sunday.
Is Avignon expensive for food?
Not by French standards. A set lunch is the best value, and the market is cheaper still.