Mas d'Alphonse

Duende! Come and see how the arts of bullfighting and flamenco dancing have set fire to the imagination of Pierre Gagnaire. The fine dining establishment of the Hotel Imperator has its own separate entrance, in line with the chef’s independent spirit. Premium ingredients, proven technical expertise, spontaneity and originality. The tasting menu pays a subtle tribute to the finest produce from the Gard and the Mediterranean region (Baron des Cévennes pork, vegetables from small market gardeners, fish from the Mediterranean) in subtle, delicate dishes. The superb wine list of over 1,000 referenc

Having left Duende in Nîmes, Julien Caligo has returned to his native Vaunage, setting up shop in a converted farm building that has been transformed into a contemporary dining space. The venue pays homage to his grandmother Monique, who passed down the fundamentals of cooking to him. Offering excellent value for money, the lunch tasting menu is a masterclass in technical skill. To start, focaccia with sweet Cévennes onions and a tartlet with smoked pike roe, followed by bonito, quinoa crunch and green asparagus – a starter with real bite – then hake, pressed pig's ear terrine, a bold and frag

This magnificent 15C town house is home to a fine dining restaurant which sports a plush velvety interior and a huge counter separating the room and the kitchen. Former second of Georgiana Viou, chef Luka-Tao Debenath deploys his creative streak in appetisers like a grassy runner bean jus followed by a starter of brioche bread roll stuffed with garlic-laced brousse cheese, lemon and mint, crunchy beans, samphire and garlic flowers. This may then be followed by grey mullet breaded in fig leaf and served chilled with garden tomatoes and fresh herbs, a tarragon bearnaise sauce and a tomato water.

This gourmet bolthole located behind the Arènes, just opposite the Musée de la Romanité, is run by chef Damien Sanchez, a local boy with stints at the Cabro d'Or, La Réserve de Beaulieu, Christopher Coutanceau in La Rochelle and, finally, in his hometown alongside Jérôme Nutile. Damien’s cooking hits the spot every time, thanks to a strong focus on vegetables and crisp, vibrant flavours that showcase regional ingredients: shrimps from Grau-du-Roi cooked in stock, bavaroise of broccoli and a spring roll of green cabbage stuffed with shrimps; lightly seared John Dory, grilled squash and a honey

On a square in the historic centre, chef Christophe Ducros is thriving in a new stylish setting. The chef crafts balanced, unequivocal dishes of pure-bred southern inspiration and heritage. Examples include his famous Costières squab, roasted whole; breast of free-range poultry, corn tartlet and bigarade sauce; vacherin-style strawberries, whipped vanilla cream and verjuice. The overriding coherence is crystal clear. Savour this gourmet escapade to the fill, seated on the rooftop terrace overlooking the cathedral.

Veteran chef Jérôme Nutile is far from a rookie: "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" 2011, he notably presided over the heyday of Hostellerie Le Castellas, in Collias. In his Nîmes headquarters, a converted farmhouse, he celebrates the seasons: melt-in-the-mouth leeks cooked over Camargue fleur de sel, fondant of wild salmon confit; the iconic French hare ‘à la royale’ cooked two ways - in the style of Antonin Carême and Senator Couteaux's recipe, beautifully executed and equally tasty. Add to this slick friendly service and a fantastic list of regional wines, and you have everything you could ask fo

Between Nîmes and Arles, in grounds planted with hundred-year-old cedars, Michel Kayser does what he does best: cooking from the heart to enhance the ingredients, while harnessing his technical skills in a bid to stir the emotions of good food lovers. There are few chefs who celebrate the Mediterranean with such precision, aplomb or enthusiasm: red mullet grilled under a salamander, ravioles of French olives (picholines), jus of roasted fish bones; breast of squab from Costière cooked on the bone, stuffed leg and crunchy offal, gutsy jus of smoked paprika. All the side dishes and other edible