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L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: Hidden Gem Of Provence, France
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items This almost unknown but incredibly charming town of narrow cobblestone streets, waterwheels, and canals is known as “The Venice of Provence.” Here you'll find great food and shopping, limitless photo ops, an ornate church, and an impressive weekend antiques market. I also include recs for an amazing hotel and must-have French cooking equipment to duplicate my raclette experience at home.
Map
Sections
5
In-town Restaurants
Nearby Restaurants
Adventures
Hotels
Totally French Cooking Equipment
In-town Restaurants
These are don't-miss dinner-for-foodies spots within walking distance of any hotel in L'Isle sur-la-Sorgue. They're all fine food or fine dining, except the first, which is more of a lunch spot.
Although this narrow, weathered storefront is mostly a wine and cheese shop, it’s where we had our favorite dining experience in l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Brushing through strings of beads hanging in the doorway makes one feel like a hippie and reveals t... See my rec below: Totally French Cooking Equipment
Chez Stéphane
This restaurant offers two experiences, a more gastronomic prix fix and a more casual bistro. Comparing menus, which change with the wind, we chose the Bistro's rustic communal table and funky decor: a blend of colorful dried squash, hairy chestnuts,...
L'Atelier du Jardin
We were grateful that this great restaurant squeezed us in on short notice on a busy night. When we arrived, every other table was filled. The smart, crisp, sparsely decorated two-tone wainscoted interior fitted the high level of food and service. We...
La Balade des Saveurs
This restaurant sits a little off the beaten path in a secluded garden. We chose the lively indoor dining room, with it interesting copper-clad barrel-like structures on the ceiling. Together with subdued lighting and lots of wood, including the ends... Then the chef surprised us with a very nice amuse bouche: a blini with crayfish and gelee of crayfish bisque. I ordered the duck 🦆 foie gras medallion with chutney. For mains we ordered the risotto, which was beautiful and tasty (but needed a protei...
Le Carré d'Herbes
This restaurant earns a string of Impressives: impressive menu, impressive creativity, impressive decor, impressive plating, impressive food, impressive wine pairing, impressive service. We liked the subdued lighting and Japanese-ish aesthetic, which...
Le Vivier Restaurant
We loved our dinner at this chef-driven spot near the river. The hardwood floors, rustic half-timbered and beamed ceiling, old bricks peeking through the plaster wall, and dark hardwood tables with white runners provide a comfortable atmosphere. The ...
Renaud' mets
Nearby Restaurants
If you're touring the area, the villages of Menerbes and Lourmarin will probably be on your itinerary. If not, they should be, especially the Friday market in Lourmarin. You will surely get hungry while visiting these villages. These foodie-worthy spots will solve that problem.
The countryside view from the gravelly outdoor dining area is so wonderful that I would forgive mediocre food. But the food was as wonderful as the view. First, the chef treated us to a tasty amuse bouche of tomato 🍅 gelee with brandade mousse. For ...
MONSIEUR TU MENERBES
After strolling the extensive and interesting Friday market in Lourmarin, we needed food and wine. Sarah had a pizza craving and we heard that this restaurant makes good ones. For those who want sun, sit on the sunny side of the street. If you want s...
RESTAURANT L'ORMEAU, Lourmarin
Adventures
These adventures are a short drive from L'Isle-sur-la_Sorgue through the beautiful countryside. If you haven't rented a car, click the links to book a tour that will take you on these adventures and to see other charming local sights.
If you're a monk looking for a new home in a beautiful valley that smells good, or a monk wannabe, or a minimalist, or an ascetic, check out this active monastery. You'll find that it offers everything you want, which is, of course, nothing. Although...
Abbaye de Sénanque
This beautiful property has a light and airy, high-trussed-ceiling tasting room and gift shop. On the perfect day we visited we enjoyed a delightful outdoor lunch of cheeses and charcuterie, and of course a sampling of the winery’s delicious best: a ...
Château de Sannes Winery
This small boulangerie occupying a former train station offers the widest selection of freshly baked breads I've seen in any bakery anywhere. Such baked bounty may be commonplace in France, it was quite impressive to me, or maybe I was simply intoxic...
Haut les Pains ! – Boulangerie Bio de Pains
I liked three things about this shop. 1. The chocolates are handmade in-house; 2. The owners treat chocolate as an art form; and 3. The chocolates are fresh, luscious, decadent, and delicious. Regarding no. 1, watch the magic through the window into ... They didn't.
La Cour aux Saveurs
Olives 🫒 and their oil have been an important part of foodways from Southern France to North Africa for thousands of years. But the last 20 or so years have witnessed the exaltation of the oil. Bastide du Laval is one of the growing number of olive ...
Bastide du Laval - Moulin à huile d'olive
Hotels
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is much more of a walking town than a driving town, so any hotel you book will be walking distance to everything. This rec is not only centrally located, but makes a great base for exploring the region.
This charming pet-friendly hotel is only a short walk from everything. Set in a Medieval building with elements from the 13th and 15th Centuries, it styles itself as an “apartment hotel” because it has only seven apartment suites. Ours, named “Theatr... Behind the bed was a hidden kitchenette. The vanities, tub, and shower were reached via a steel staircase climbing to the second level. A railing overlooked the bedroom below. A door off the second level led to a private covered terrace with a table ...
Le Clos Violette d'Aglae
Totally French Cooking Equipment
After you visit my first rec, Chez Stéphane, and experience the wonders of raclette, you will almost certainly want your own raclette grill. They can be purchased in town, but you probably won't want to ship or pack it. Click the link to order the Techwood grill as soon as you get home, or even before you leave L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue!
Racletting (if that's a verb, or I guess it is now) is a great way to spend a leisurely lunch with friends. It's very interactive and loads of fun. The word raclette is from a French word meaning "to scrape". Small trays of cheese are placed into a t... “All About Raclette”.
Techwood Raclette Electric Indoor Grill