8 Best Restaurants in Provence, France

Owner Fabien Rugi puts his formidable energy into serving the freshest possible, Mediterranean-inflected seafood dishes, so at this restaurant you—with or without the help of a waiter—choose your fish from the catch of the day on ice. You might start with the grilled shrimp, which is too good to have with anything but a squirt of lemon, perhaps followed by the grilled baby squid or Rugi's version of fish-and-chips—fried hake with crisp chickpea-flour pancakes (a Provence specialty) and house-made aioli. The well-priced wines flow freely, and everyone is happy as a clam.

Tucked into the tiny fishing port of Vallon des Auffes, this local landmark has one of the loveliest settings in greater Marseille. A variety of fresh seafood, impeccably grilled, steamed, or roasted in salt crust, is served in two pretty dining rooms with picture windows overlooking the fishing boats that supply your dinner. Try classic bouillabaisse served with all the bells and whistles—broth, hot-chili rouille, and flamboyant tableside filleting. For tapas or an apéro, head next door to Viaghji di Fonfon.

For fresh seafood dishes and delicious pizzas grilled on an open fire, head over to this marine-themed restaurant set on a vast terrace across from Marseille's new Les Grandes Halles du Vieux Port market. The menu features a variety of scintillating pizzas, as well as heaping plates of crustaceans on ice, mussels in a spicy saffron sauce served with hand-cut fries, and whole roasted fish.

The views at this fine seafood restaurant are of crashing surf on one side and the port of Vallon des Auffes on the other. Chef Guillaume Sourrieu has acquired a big reputation (and a Michelin star) for a menu of sophisticated, catch-of-the-day dishes—perhaps Atlantic turbot in citrus rind with oxtail ravioli or sea bass slowly baked in a salt-butter crust and walnut oil—and a superb wine list. For dessert, try the amazing chocolate tart with bananas and pepper ice cream. The fixed-price menus aren't cheap (lunch is €95, dinner is €135 or €170), but they're a better deal than à la carte.

At this restaurant on lovely Mourillon Beach, you can sit at tables on the spacious wooden deck or directly on the sand, with pretty views of the bay and the old fort. Toulon's answer to the classic brasserie serves generous seafood platters, an excellent fish soup, and the local catch of the day, as well as heartier French classics such as Charolais beef, truffle risotto, and foie gras.

The stylish, modern dark-wood interior and large windows overlooking the sea here are magnets for hip young professionals. The staff is efficient, and meals are well presented and tasty. Try the delicious bouillabaisse, the catch of the day (priced by the weight), or a bargain prix-fixe that includes three courses.

Finding a decent place for a sit-down meal amid the village's head-spinning number of tourist cafés is challenging, but you can't go wrong with this welcoming eatery at the historic port. Watch the boats pass by while dining on heaping platters of shellfish or the catch of the day.

Chef Ludovic Turac—a candidate on TV's Top Chef 2011 and one of the youngest Michelin-starred chefs in France—has evolved into a serious, mature, and highly appreciated local celebrity while at the helm of this now tried-and-true favorite. A Mediterranean menu changes every two months depending on what's in season. One standby is the creamy, fishy Milkshake de Bouille-Abaisse, a one-of-a-kind gourmand delight.