Superb food in a great location…read more Eating outdoors in the square on a warm summer evening with a great bottle of Rose was just the thing. Service was also excellent and English speaking If you like your fish or meat not raw then ask for well done.

This place was filled with locals, and the seating was outside in the square under cover. The menu…read moreis simple but excellent, with a few vegan options as well. Service was friendly and we were seated quickly on a Friday evening in August. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a leisurely meal without the carnival atmosphere of the more popular town square near the market.

We arrived late in the evening, but the folks working there were lovely and welcoming. We are glad…read morethey were. The food was delicious and we tried everything; We had the "taste" menu and a bottle of wine. For the entire meal, including choice of dessert, it was only 100 Euros. What a delight. The waitress was extremely friendly and food delicious. There is a reason it has 4.5 stars. I give it 5.

For our last meal on this particular trip to France (in October 2014), we wanted one of those…read more"we'll remember this 'til the day we die" meals. We researched dozens of places, and even asked the guy at our hotel for recommendations (and he suggested the god-awful Caveau du Theatre, the worst, most vile meal of the entire trip!), but we weren't aware of Le Petit Gourmand until strolling by it early in the afternoon. The menu looked promising, so we rushed back to the hotel to make a reservation. Housed in a small space with relatively spartan decor, the dining area and kitchen both shared the same space in the front, separated only by a modular counter. There was only room for about 18 people inside, and that's after cramming everyone in with a shoehorn. The place appeared to be run by a super friendly couple: the woman cooks and the dude is the host/waiter. She had two younger assistants helping out in her tiny kitchen. The chef and the waiter both spoke decent English, making the ordering process smooth. For the starter my wife had the foie gras, which came with toasts and apple chutney. The quality was superb, and we both thoroughly dug it. I had what was basically like a cannelloni stuffed with a very tasty mixture of warm chèvre, pine nuts, and various herbs, but wrapped in thinly sliced zucchini instead of pasta, and served over a bed of greens in a sweetened dressing with two poached figs. A thoroughly enjoyable and perfectly seasoned plate of food. For the main dish, I ordered the foie gras-stuffed ravioli in a porcini sauce. The ravioli were tender, delicious, and perfectly cooked, though the sauce, while good, could have used a stronger porcini flavor, and maybe a bit more herbs. But otherwise, it was a very good and flavorful dish. But my wife's dish was the star of the evening: fresh tagliatelle with black truffles and a very light truffle oil-infused sauce. This was the best truffle dish either of us had ever had. The truffles themselves were super fresh and bursting with their characteristic rich, earthy flavor. And the chef was fairly generous with the amount of truffle shavings in the dish. This is a good example of a well-made, dead-simple dish that doesn't need any messing with because the star flavors are allowed to stand on their own. Just good, honest cooking, which had us clenching our eyes shut in ecstasy as we savored every single bite. For dessert we split the chocolate macaron, which was sublimely gooey and rich, and came in a powerful chocolate sauce with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. Insanely good! Throughout the service the chef would occasionally step out into the dining area and chat with guests, which, after a group of six loud Americans left, consisted solely of French-speaking locals. On our way out, the waiter shook our hands and thanked us, and we told him that was the best food we had in Avignon. He seemed genuinely moved and appreciative. Too bad we weren't staying longer, because we would go back in a heartbeat. The scallop risotto that some people were ordering that night looked and smelled really good. Of course, the irony that this excellent final meal in France consisted mostly of Italian dishes didn't escape us! But who cares. We wanted a really good and memorable final meal in France, and that's what we got.

Ambiance and service were fine. Squid was rubbery and absolutely tasteless, even with copious…read moreamounts of lemon and salt. Lettuce for salads was iceberg. Overall disappointing, but my daughter enjoyed her chicken tenders salad and the buratta heirloom tomato salad was good.

Seems like every place we found in Avignon just keep getting better and this was our last night in…read moretown before coming up to Paris for a week. I had the Iberico pork with ratatouille that was the best meal I have had in France so far! We were seated outside until a storm kicked up and the quickly moved us all upstairs which turned out to be a great choice! It was a great place that I would easily go back to again

I cannot speak highly enough of L'Essentiel, from their food, to their service, to the beautiful…read moredecor and table settings. Service is welcoming and accommodating for my poor attempt at culinary French terms. The Chef even came out to answer questions at three occasions. First up, a trio of amuse bouches called land and sea. I don't typically like foie gras but this was incredible. I would actually order this again if ever back in Avignon. The Parmesan biscuit was technically amazing, with such subtle flavor, crispy on the outside, and soft, light and creamy inside. The mushroom "egg roll" was crispy, flaky with great umami. The Jerusalem artichoke risotto was my absolute favorite; I'll likely dream of this dish and try to replicate the recipe. It's unlike anything I've had before, so creative, unique and insanely delicious. The artichokes were cooked perfectly , tender but still firm. The risotto was actually a thick, creamy foam, packed with bold creamy flavor and truffles on top. The sea bream was glistening with the crispiest skin, along with carrots and a silky champagne sauce. The veal was so tender with the most delightful sweet onion tart. The tart was surprisingly good with the best onions I've ever had. Kudos to the chef for shopping the market everyday for the freshest and highest quality products! The scallops were sliced beautifully and were balanced so well with the acidity of raspberries and pomegranates. We started out with the strongest amuse bouches, and Chef didn't disappoint from there, maintaining and exceeding our palette's expectations. Chef Mohamad deserves a Michelin rank!!

KenScale: 8.0/10…read more It's not often a restaurant boldly comes up with a name "essential". When I was looking up different restaurant options during our stay in Avignon, I initially chuckled at the name and figured why not give a chance at the place. My wife Jun and I were coming back from a full-day wine tasting tour with a rather big lunch, so we were not completely starving when we entered L'Essentiel's lovely courtyard. Still, we ended up having a very solid meal here, as all the dishes we ordered had something nice to say about. You can go with either one of the tasting menu options or simply go a la carte at L'Essentiel. Given that we weren't terribly hungry, Jun and I opted for the latter and ordered one appetizer, two main dishes and a dessert to share together. I don't know why we saw tomato gazpacho only just now near the tail end of our two-week honeymoon/summer vacation; in any event, the one that the kitchen put together was quite refreshing, perfect for a summer appetizer with mozzarella di buffalo cheese in the middle. While cod with orange sauce infused into jasmine and creamy polenta looked pedestrian in plating, there is no denying that the fish was expertly cooked with ideal temperature and texture. I was initially worried that the fried foie gras accompanying the beef Rossini filet might simply overpower the meat with too much richness, but the server assured that won't be the case. Listening to her turned out to be a smart idea because the foie gras had a surprisingly delicate side to it that complemented the beef filet quite well. With roasted potatoes on the side, the filet was a winner dish. For dessert, a rather artful display of chocolate ganache and crispy peanut on top of chocolate dulce emulsion (with black chocolate ice cream submerged below) was as delicious as it looked. I secured a reservation at L'Essential through my credit card concierge service so I don't know how difficult it is to get a table at the restaurant; if you want to go for al fresco dining in the summer season at the courtyard that makes you feel like you're eating inside a small but lovely palace, it does seem like a good idea to book in advance. There is a multi-page wine list focusing on the wines from the region; we ordered a bottle of nice vacqueyras that worked well with the dishes we had ordered. L'Essentiel is somewhere in the middle in terms of value proposition; it is not as pricey or fancy as three Michelin-star haute cuisine establishments but it certainly is more refined than an everyday bistro, which also means it works on a more variety of different occasions. If you are staying in Avignon and feel like you want to have an elegant meal without breaking the bank, L'Essential is a good option to consider.

This beautiful restaurant is elegant, civilized and right next door to the Pope's Palace so Pope…read moreClement V, no doubt, would pop over with a few buds to be treated like he was, well...the Pope. I know I was. The decor is all hushed tones just like the other diners conversation. Everyone is catered to, too in an atmosphere of the Old World injected with 50 cc's of modernity. So, settle back with your flute of Roderer Champagne Brut Premier Kir Royale and let the kitchen have it's way with you. The Staff: All subtle attention to duty and detail. Our first server had only a little timid English, so the manager tapped his left hand and went to the Bull Pen. Out trotted Gaeton who was energetic, patient, charming, genuinely warm, totally professional with a quick smile and dash of sly sophisticated humor. You want wine? The Wine List required an engine hoist to heave it on the table. Lift with your legs when they set it down near by. Or, better, ask the Somm to make it all happen for you. You will not get a bota bag and instructions to hold it over your head and squeeze. That was easy, wasn't it and now you're all perfectly paired up better than being on e-Harmony. The Food: You pick. There was a local Tomato Taster which was not all vegetarian and a Palace Menu which had some vegetarian courses. While you're perusing the menu like the Pope in the Pulpit, an Amuse-Bouche arrives. Mullet Pate, Goat Cheese Gougere (ask for a bucket of those), and a Fennel Mousse with Crispy Prosciutto as light as a Trump policy. Then comes the bottomless basket of Country French Bread, Chia Bread (not suitable for making a Macron Chia Pet), and some unique Tomato Bread. By now you're full...but wait there's more. Here comes an Artichoke Panna Cotta with Mullet Roe and a Rice Chip which made me flip with joy. Next there was a wholesome healthy wedge of Fois Gras as livery as your father's forearm and loveringly (as Trump might say) paired with a lovely late harvest Vigonier. A Seabass swam to the table. Served with Asparagus, it was stellar and neither Cimarusti nor Ripert could find anything negative to say about this dish, nor could they have cooked it any better. The fish came with pickled Pearl Onions which were so perfect they might have been plastic. Naw...they were real, and gone in 60 seconds along with the Baby Beet Leaves. A Duck Supreme did a fly-by. The plate had a sausage like Shaquille's ring finger and a nice slice of breast. Often duck is a fatty, greasy, chewy attempt, closer to a Gummy Bear or an Adiddas Court Shoe but in Chef Sevin's capable hands it is regal and sublime. Then the pace slowed thankfully. Like 7th inning stretch it is time to loosen your belt, and unbuckle those pantaloons that sorta fit before you left home. Get ready because the Cheese is heading your way like a runaway freight train. Livarot (aka Colonel), Cure Natais, Trappes, Vieux Chevre Carles, Salers, Munster (not the Kroger Deli stuff, either), Pouligny Saint Pioole, Marroiffes, for those of you who know your cheeses, read it and weep. Aren't these all in your fridge at home ready when you are? Finally, just when you think that the match is over and you've survived, if barely...dessert service begins. Why not have some Pineapple, Mango Coconut Foam in Mint Pearls, won't you? Or, how about some Chocolate Surprise in Mexican Vanilla with Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Wafers and Vanilla Cream? Just ask for the Panna Cotta Groiseille and the kitchen will know that you know what the kitchen knows. And only the real ballers will be able to manage the Sour Raspberry Marshmallows, Mini-Chocolate Hazelnut Cups, and Lemon Macronettes. Check please and stretcher bearers...stat.

Truly kind to my family, including two kids. We had a very nice bridge lunch today. The terrace is…read morebeautiful and the service impeccable. I wouldn't call the food memorable, as it lacked any strong flavors and I struggled to find perspective beyond "clean and simple," but we really enjoyed it. My favorite in Provence- Michelin star or not!- remains in Aix- Le Bouche a Orielle.

The food was so good at Ginette's! The toasts are amazing and our server was so kind. It was very…read morebusy and all of the seats were filled even though they weren't at other restaurants nearby.

We chanced into this lovely bistro looking for hot soup on a chilly day. On nicer days they set…read moreout tables in the square but it was overcast and a bit rainy. The soupe du marche change weekly. Ours was a hearty carrot lentil with a hint of ginger. The portion was ample and the soup served piping hot from a cauldron. On a lark we ordered a trio of "half" sandwiches. They were huge!! We were served a smoked salmon goat cheese sandwich, a duck confit with cornichon and a chicken salad sandwich on a bed of fresh greens with balsamic sauce and several slices of Parma ham. The duck confit was thinly applied, rich and bacony. I loved the flavor and the portion was perfect. The chicken salad had cubes of chicken breast in a light mayo sauce with veggies cut in. Very tasty. The salmon was generous in portion with a lovely appearance. Of course the star of the show was the sturdy brown bread that carried the ingredients. I tried other breads around town and have yet to be disappointed with any. The service was excellent and our waiter friendly and helpful in English. I truly enjoyed this rustic gem and plan to return again while in Avignon.

My wife and I visited this restaurant last October 2023. The service and the food were extremely…read moregood and very reasonable. I would definitely recommend

This is a very nice small restaurant with outside seating and English is spoken well. I was able…read moreto make reservations and we were sat upon our arrival. I ordered the summer Profiteroles, Tiscan cod and finished with the Pavlova sunrise. Each dish was perfect. The starter had such great flavor that I used the fresh bread on the table so that I could get every last drop. The fish was expertly prepared with the flavor of the cod dominating yet enhanced by all the other flavors on the plate. Dessert was insane, just the fact that decorum dictates that I not have two is the only reason I stopped. With one small and one large carafe of wine and one large bottle of Pellegrino we were just shy of €70. Worth every cent, I'm here for another 8-9 days so I will definitely be back.

An excellent dessert selection will top off a cool (or even slightly warm) outdoor terrace dining…read moreexperience at a place that will deliver some good food.

Thought the food here was just ok. Everything was a little over well done. The piece of froie gras…read morein the soup: over cooked. It lacked the tenderness that you would expect to get from liver. Had a pork chop entree. Also over cooked. There was no pink at all in the middle. It was tough enough that I felt like I needed a steak knife to eat it. That being said, the flavor profiles were pretty good. It would have gotten 4 stars if it wasn't for the aggressive food temperatures. Ambiance is very cute - it can get pretty windy with Le Mistral. So bring a jacket at night.