Arles Bienvenue

The Chardon hosts chefs-in-residence, who temporarily take the reins in the kitchen and who share a commitment to locally sourced ingredients. The result is a fresh, succulent score served in a lovely bistro setting paired with a fine selection of natural wines. Spot on!

The flamboyant, Instagram-worthy interior designed by Cuban artist Jorge Pardo is certainly eye catching. Your attention is then drawn to the concise, Mediterranean-inspired menu: creamy burrata, tajine of veal with apricots, Provençal iced nougat…

Jean-Luc Rabanel is a colourful character with a lilting accent, who perpetually reinvents his vegetable-based cuisine. Les Maisons Rabanel, a single place but two styles of cooking: Greeniotage, which tends towards bistro food, and Greenstronome for fine dining. Always going out on a limb, this engaging chef shakes things up at every service. A unique personality.

Having worked in some emblematic Parisian restaurants (Ze Kitchen Galerie, Saturne, Septime), chef Céline Pham, an adept of pop-up restaurants, has set up shop in the heart of Arles in a former chapel done up in a vintage vein. It is a pleasure to resample her spot-on, tasty French-Vietnamese fusion cuisine, in which vegetables, as one might imagine, often reign supreme. Examples include a fillet of red mullet, spelt bread, confit of tomatoes, stock of red mullet with garrigue oil, yellow courgettes and chrysanthemums. Concise natural wine list.

This charming bistro nestled in the old town of Arles has light wood furnishings and walls the colour of freshly churned butter. Sarah and Julien Richard serve up an enticing set menu of dishes garnished with herbs and flowers from their kitchen garden. Indulge in semi-cooked duck foie gras, smoked eel and an exotic peppercorn confit, chickpeas with lemon and basil served with socca (Provençal chickpea flatbread), or pigeon des Costières cooked whole, its legs served confit and morels in their own juices. An upstairs area accommodates groups. Small selection of regional wines.

Designed as a landmark and tribute to the region, architect Frank Gehry's LUMA Tower not only draws art lovers but is also a beacon for foodies. Constructed using recycled materials and natural resources such as Arles merino wool, the venue boasts impressive proportions. Pushing the boundaries, the indulgent dishes showcase fine seasonal produce: poultry pâté en croûte; seared pollock, fennel confit with orange and saffron; lemon cream and Buddha's hand, hazelnut praline. The wine list homes in on organic labels.

This former hunting lodge surrounded by hilly olive groves is a genuine haven of tranquillity. You can expect deftly crafted, local Provençal recipes, served generously with a distinct preference for veggies and herbs from the garden, supplemented by ingredients from local producers. Ten out of ten for Jean-Baptiste Bert who has added a contemporary chapter to the family property where he was born.