There’s more to Arles than its Roman arenas and Van Gogh‘s beloved lights. The town is also a gastronomic destination in its own right, driven by passionate chefs who sublimate the products of the Camargue and Provence regions. From creative tables in the narrow streets of the old town, to discreet farmhouses at the gateway to the marshes, to artisanal ice-cream parlors where you can stop off between two museums, Arles’ culinary scene took us by pleasant surprise.
Here’s our selection of the best places to eat in Arles, tried and tested.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
The best restaurants in Arles: our 3 favorites
In this article, you’ll find detailed reviews of each of our selected establishments. But we couldn’t resist sharing our favorites with you right now:
- Restaurant Chardon, for its fair and generous seasonal cuisine, in an intimate setting that really hits the spot.
- Restaurant L’Épicerie du Cloître, for the perfect combination of a shady terrace and no-frills market cuisine.
- Restaurant Mazet du Vaccarès, for absolute authenticity overlooking the waters of the lake and the owner’s catch, freshness guaranteed.
Tables within the walls of Arles
1. Restaurant Chardon
We pushed open the door to Le Chardon without really knowing what to expect, and came away convinced. This confidential address, tucked away in the narrow streets of the historic center, embodies the very best of Arles’ new generation: precise market cuisine, local products worked with precision, and a human-sized dining room that invites you to linger.
A chef-in-residence composes a short menu that changes with the seasons and new arrivals, which we have always considered a guarantee of seriousness. Special mention for the carefully selected natural wines.
Practical information:
- Area: Arles historic center
- Type : Contemporary gourmet bistro
- Capacity: Less than 30 place settings
- Price range: Between €35 and €55 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, seasonal Provencal and Camargue products
- Suitable for children : No
- Reservation required here
2. Restaurant L’Épicerie du Cloître
L’Épicerie du Cloître delivers right from the terrace overlooking the street in front of Hôtel Le Cloître. Settle in, breathe, and you’re already feeling good. This restaurant, associated with one of the most attractive hotels in Arles, offers everyday cuisine rooted in the Provencal terroir, without ostentation.
The mistral was blowing during our visit, and we settled in to the hotel’s dining room. We appreciated the simplicity of the menu, based on local producers, and the friendly, relaxed service. An ideal address for lunch on the terrace between two visits, or in the evening after a busy day.
Practical information:
- District : Historic center, Hôtel Le Cloître
- Type : Table de maison / market cuisine
- Capacity: less than 25 place settings
- Price range: Between €25 and €40 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, with a strong Provençal flavour
- Suitable for children : No
- No reservations, better to come early in the season
- More info here
3. Restaurant L’Arlatan
L’Arlatan is first and foremost an exceptional hotel designed by American artist Lionel Estève, and the associated restaurant reflects the same high aesthetic standards. We dined in a room where every detail has been thought through, facing a kitchen that plays the Mediterranean card with elegance.
Regional products are showcased in carefully prepared dishes, served by a brigade attentive to the feedback of guests. A table that appeals to both art lovers and gourmets in search of a coherent experience from start to finish.
Practical information:
- District : Historic center, Hôtel Arlatan
- Type : Gastronomic
- Capacity: over 25 place settings
- Price range: Between €55 and €85 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, contemporary Mediterranean cuisine
- Suitable for children : No
- Reservation required here
4. Restaurant Café du Parc
Café du Parc occupies a special place in our selection. Located in the heart of the Parc des Ateliers, on the site of the Fondation Luma in Arles, whose emblematic tower was designed by architect Frank Gehry, the venue is part of a strong cultural environment, without playing the institutional restaurant card.
Tested at lunchtime, we enjoyed a simple, well-crafted menu, focusing on seasonal produce and vegetables, with a fresh, easy-to-understand approach. People come here as much for the pleasant terrace as for the relaxed atmosphere, where exhibition visitors, local regulars and site staff mingle. A friendly stopover, more rooted in everyday life than in demonstration.
Practical information:
- District : Parc des Ateliers, Fondation Luma Arles
- Type: Café-restaurant / contemporary brasserie cuisine
- Capacity: Over 25 place settings
- Price range: Between €20 and €35 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: no
- Suitable for children : Yes
- No reservation
- More info here
5. Inari Restaurant
We spotted Restaurant Inari for its unique approach: nomadic cuisine subtly rooted in Provencal produce. In an uncluttered setting that contrasts with the neighborhood’s Romanesque facades, chef Céline Pham imagines a dialogue between Vietnamese influences, Mediterranean fish and garrigue herbs.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to eat there when we visited. Our interest remains intact, so promising does the proposal seem, both on paper and in spirit. A confidential address that arouses the curiosity of lovers of creative cuisine and delicate blends, which we hope to be able to try out soon.
Practical information:
- District: Historic center of Arles, near the Fontaine Amédée Pichot
- Type: Gastronomic, French-Vietnamese fusion cuisine
- Capacity: Over 25 place settings
- Price range: Between €50 and €80 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, revisited Provencal products
- Suitable for children : No
- Reservation here
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Restaurants at the gateway to the Camargue
6. Restaurant Mazet du Vaccarès
It’s the address you keep secretly to yourself, before finally telling everyone about it. Le Mazet du Vaccarès is an authentic, family-run address nestled on the banks of the Étang de Vaccarès, in the heart of the wild Camargue. There’s no classic à la carte menu here, just a unique proposal based on seafood, as and when it arrives.
The place, as if lost on the edge of a track running alongside the reed beds, focuses on conviviality, authenticity and simplicity. Relaxed atmosphere in the heart of nature, terrace overlooking the Camargue marshes and friendly service. We sat down facing the flamingos, and that moment alone was already worth the detour. A complete change of scenery less than twenty minutes from Arles.
Practical information:
- Location: On the banks of the Etang du Vaccarès, near the Domaine de Méjanes
- Type: Fish restaurant
- Capacity: Over 25 place settings
- Price range: Fish menu at €48 (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, from the sea
- Suitable for children : No
- Reservations required here
7. Restaurant Mas Saint Bertrand
Mas Saint Bertrand was recommended to us by our hosts atUn Nid en Camargue, in Salin-de-Giraud. It embodies the authentic Provencal art of living. This former farmhouse has been converted into a gourmet table d’hôte, welcoming us to a setting of stone and greenery where time seems to stand still. The cuisine is generous and rooted in local traditions, with products from the home-grown vegetable garden making their way naturally onto the plates.
We particularly appreciated the personality of the place, which is very much in the hands of its owner, Christiane Giran, who also works as an artist. His works are exhibited in an adjacent studio that can be visited freely. His artistic work dialogues with the spirit of the table, giving it a very special dimension.
Practical information:
- Location: near Beauduc
- Type : Table de terroir / mas provençal
- Capacity: Over 25 place settings on the terrace
- Price range: Between €35 and €60 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, Provençal cuisine
- Suitable for children : Yes
- Reservations recommended by telephone only: 04 42 48 80 69
8. Restaurant La Chassagnette
La Chassagnette is well worth the trip, and it’s not just a formula! Nestling in the middle of the Camargue marshes, this Michelin-starred former farmhouse offers exceptional garden cuisine. Chef Armand Arnal grows a large proportion of the vegetables and herbs used in his cuisine himself, asserting a direct link between the land and the plate.
Unfortunately, we were unable to make a reservation when we visited. But the philosophy of the place, centered on plants, seasonality and the most accurate expression of the product, as well as its unique setting in the heart of nature, make it an address apart in the Camargue gastronomic landscape. A table we hope to discover soon, as it seems to embody a rare and committed vision of cuisine.
Practical information:
- Location: Le Sambuc, route du Sambuc, 25 km from Arles
- Type: Gastronomic (1 Michelin star), garden cuisine
- Capacity: Less than 40 place settings
- Price range: Menu at €140 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, home-grown vegetables, Camargue produce
- Suitable for children: yes
- Reservation here
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Our gourmet favourites in Arles
9. Arelatis Glacier
We didn’t search long for the Arelatis Glacier, trying to escape the afternoon heat, even in October. The ice cream parlour, whose name pays homage to the Latin name of Arles, is known for its artisanal flavours, which range from well-mastered classics to original creations with a Provencal accent. Unfortunately, it was closed when we visited.
Practical information:
- District : Centre historique d’Arles, Place du Forum
- Type : Master ice cream maker
- Particularly suitable for children : Yes, absolutely
- More info here
10. Soleileïs glacier
Soleileïs is the ice cream parlour that Arles locals recommend to each other. Homemade, with quality ingredients and flavours that change with the seasons. We tested several passages to be sure of our judgment, and the verdict is clear. This no-fuss address deserves its fine local reputation. It’s hard not to come back twice in one day.
Practical information:
- Area: Arles, historic center, near Place du Forum
- Type: Artisanal ice cream parlour
- Particularly suitable for children : Yes, absolutely
- More info here
11. Mon Bar Bistrot
Mon Bar Bistrot has all the makings of a neighborhood hangout that you’ll adopt on your very first visit. Small, friendly room, changing wine list based on new arrivals, wine list focusing on regional estates. We didn’t have lunch there, but having a morning coffee, with the spectacle of life coming to life on the Place du Forum, is a delight. The orange blossom-scented brioche comes from Pâtisserie du Forum, just a few yards away.
Practical information:
- District : Centre historique d’Arles, Place du Forum
- Type : Neighborhood bistro
- Capacity: Over 25 place settings
- Price range: Between €15 and €30 per person (excluding drinks)
- Local specialities: Yes, market cuisine, regional wines
- Suitable for children : Yes
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information, good addresses to make your stay in Provence a success, will soon be gathered in a single ebook!
Other restaurants to eat in Arles
Our main selection is limited to eleven addresses, but Arles still has plenty of surprises in store for gourmets. Here are three tables that also deserve your attention:
- Restaurant Le Gibolin: A discreet, Michelin-rated restaurant that we haven’t yet had the chance to try, but which several connoisseurs have warmly recommended. To be discovered on a future visit.
- Restaurant Le Seize: Located in the Maison Le Seize, this establishment offers fine cuisine in an elegant hotel setting. Feedback has been unanimously positive, notably on product quality and regularity of service.
- Restaurant Les Maisons Rabane: L’Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel is an Arles institution. A two Michelin-starred chef, his creative, plant-based cuisine has earned Arles a reputation for gastronomy far beyond Provence. A high-flying gastronomic experience for special occasions.
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