My review is of the restaurant. On our first day in St. Rémy, we were walking around looking for a…read moreplace to feed our hungry tummies. We came upon La Fontaine and their menu looked good. Although there weren't many reviews, we decided to just go for it. We were seated immediately, and offered menus in English. Our server was friendly, spoke some English, and was patient with my broken French. We each ordered the Entrecôte, a salad to start, and a carafe of Rosé. Let me start with the salad. This was absolutely huge! Even though we were sharing one, we struggled to finish it. But just couldn't stop, because it was so fresh & tasty. Our steaks were perfectly cooked and topped with garlic butter that just enhanced the flavor of an already delicious steak. Even the frites were yummy. Their Rosé house wine was really good as well. I know that this is a fail on my part, but I seriously cannot remember what we had for dessert. I know that we both enjoyed it though. Oh, and their pistachio glaçe is delicious! We were only in St Remy for a week and visited this restaurant 2x. Both times we enjoyed the Entrecôte. The service was friendly, the prices are fair and the food was delicious! Will definitely return!

My husband and I loved both of our experiences here! Such friendly service and the food was…read morefantastic

The food was absolutely amazing. The courtyard seating is very nice. Wonderful leisurely dinner.read more

Very nice place. There for lunch. Nice enclosed area with open ceiling. Friendly staff and a…read morelimited but very good menu. Two parts... Truffle ravioli and shredded peel shoulder were both very good. Nice ambiance.

Excellent service. Did not feel rushed. Lovely wine selection. The food was prepared with…read moredevotion, and a master of the culinary craft. I am celiaque, and the staff was knowledgeable and accommodated via modification where needed. The complexity and creativity in our meals was very appreciated. Merci!

Avenio We wanted to…read morehave a dinner outdoors but at the same time avoid the large restaurants that focus on meals designed for tourists. Our hotel recommended Avenio as a good choice for a nicer meal in Avignon. We made a reservation as the hotel's outdoor seating area is quite limited. The weather was perfect for an outdoor dinner. We decided to order main courses from the "Saison Plat" menu and deserts. My wife ordered the lamb and I ordered the fish. We shared a bottle of wine from the region. The fish was nicely prepared. It was cooked properly. My wife's lamb was also well prepared. The deserts are over the top. One of the highlights of the meal. Avenio is a nice choice for a finer dinner in Avignon.

What a great find! This family run restaurant had excellent service and the food was simply…read moredelicious. from Foie Gras, salade de Chèvre Chaude, Fish, Lamb, and cheese plate we enjoyed everything. Highly recommended. Quelle belle découverte ! Ce restaurant familial offrait un excellent service et la nourriture était tout simplement délicieuse. Du foie gras à la salade de chèvre chaude, en passant par le poisson, l'agneau, et le plateau de fromages, nous avons tout apprécié. Hautement recommandé.

this is a great restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. food was amazing and service…read moreconsiderate. had a lovely time.

Small menu, but everything is great. Beautifully cooked Provençal bistro classics like boudin noir…read moreand crespeou, plus properly cooked fish and steaks, beautiful complements on the plate, friendly service and a lovely atmosphere make for a great overall experience. Prices are very fair for the quality and the accompaniments of the plate, which are by no means afterthoughts. There is a 3-course fixed price option, but you'll have a very nice budget meal if you choose to order a la carte.

This restaurant was disgusting. Avoid at all costs. Lunch is "homemade" pasta that tastes like…read morewatery soup. They serve you in these massive pans and you will be charged 12 euros extra if you share. Such a waste bc you won't finish your big nasty pan of watery pasta. They are also understaffed so the service was awful. Couldn't even get a second glass of wine - they couldn't care less. I wish I could get my time and money back for going here. First gross place I've ever been to in France. Avoid avoid avoid.

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.

We loved everything about this restaurant but especially the cheese course. Come with an appetite…read moreas it's a set menu (they accommodated a vegetarian diet) and includes dessert and wine along with your entree. The staff was friendly and the outdoor seating the perfect setting for an evening in Provence.

Amazing - my go to when I am in France You will enjoy this…read morerestaurant for sure. A fixed menu and wonderful French wines

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.