Get to the very essence of French cuisine in Avignon

There are rumours about France: that nobody eats out anymore because the restaurants are no good; that to eat anywhere good is horrendously expensive; that English restaurants are now on the whole better than French restaurants; and that the service is almost unequivocally unhelpful, regardless of where you go. Let’s put those rumours to bed – surely it’s silly to sully the reputation of the gastronomic capital of the world so quickly.

And there are few better places to quash these rumours than Avignon. Though Avignon has worldwide fame – generated by the old song ‘sur le pont d’Avignon’ – it is only a small town with a population of under 20,000. If the service in restaurants in a small town such as Avignon is bad, the restaurant will fail – people will simply go elsewhere: the reputation of the Gallic shrug is a cliché more than anything else.

Eating in Avignon is therefore a pleasure. The quintessentially French dishes served across town have not come in bulk from the cash and carry – rather have been freshly made that day. If you want to make sure the food is authentic, few places come better than Le Petit Bedon – a great place to go to after meandering through the alleyways of this pretty town.

This tiny restaurant opens out onto the pavement in a quiet street in the old town. There are only eight tables and the décor is cosy and unfussy – not unlike being in someone’s house. The food is known for its excellent quality and although there’s no a la carte service, unless you’re a fussy eater this is no problem – you simply choose one of the ‘menus’ (different each day) and they cook you what’s on it.

Le Petit Bedon translates into English as the small tummy; if there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that after eating there your tummy won’t be small – it will be full of goodness.

See information on trains to Avignon and other Eurostar packages on eurostar.com!