L'Épicerie

L'Épicerie is a Provençal restaurant at 10 Place Saint-Pierre in the old centre of Avignon, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. The small Place Saint-Pierre sits beside the Église Saint-Pierre and is known for its terrace dining, a calm pocket of the old town only a few minutes' walk from the Palais des Papes and the Halles d'Avignon. The restaurant's name, meaning grocery shop, reflects a menu built around regional produce and pantry foods, with a tapenade plate and slow-cooked lamb as the listed signatures. Tapenade is the Provençal paste of olives, capers and anchovy, usually served with toasted bread and vegetables as a starter, while slow-cooked lamb is a typical main course seasoned with garlic and herbs. Other dishes in this style might include goat cheese salads, tians of vegetables, ratatouille, charcuterie and fruit tarts. Prices are modest at around EUR 22 to 35 (about $25-40) per person, making it one of the more accessible sit-down meals in the centre. Local wines such as Côtes du Rhône, Luberon and Ventoux, as well as Provence rosé, are the usual choices, and the terrace suits long lunches and apéritifs. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, with moderate noise and no dress code. Service is typically lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, and hours should be verified before visiting. Reservations are recommended, particularly for the terrace tables, which fill quickly in fine weather and in July during the Festival d'Avignon. Booking a day or two ahead is usually sufficient at other times. Interior seating gives a fallback during the mistral wind or rain.