Le Carré du Palais (Avignon, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

I didn't make plans for dinner tonight since I wasn't sure about the logistics after we arrive in Avignon. After making numerous stops around Avignon’s Old Town, we were finally getting to a point where we were ready to sit down for a quick supper. This was when we stumbled upon Le Carre du Palais.

Housed inside the former Banque de France building, Le Carré du Palais is renowned for its extensive collection of AOC wines, boasting over 10,000 bottles in its cellar, and for its vibrant atmosphere on the terrace directly overlooking the Palais des Papes.

It was a bit hot to sit outside so we elected to park ourselves at a corner inside the dining room.

Much much better to be seated at a quiet corner of the indoor dining area.

We could see the Palais des Papes through the window!

A view from the terrace of the restaurant overlooking the historical palace that used to be the residence for the popes in the 14th century when the papacy relocated from Rome to Avignon. It is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.

Trout tartare, fennel, coriander, yuzu, mascarpone, wasabi and lime – Dinner started off brightly with a small tower of wasabi marinated trout tartare and crunchy fennel, topped nicely with slices of purple turnip (nice crunch too), mascarpone and salmon roes. The dish was finished off with a sauce made with lime and yuzu so a fair amount of acidity there.

Tomato gazpacho, passion fruit vinaigrette – The tomato gazpacho which has been infused with passion fruit vinaigrette was pretty light in flavors but the cool temperature was a nice way to kick off the meal with.

Refreshing start~!

Following the two reasonably good starters, it was time for our main dishes to shine.

Risotto with prawns and octopus, roasted garlic foam – The cheesy risotto was served with prawns, octopus tentacles and seasonal vegetables tied up nicely with a garlicky foam. Not bad.

Tuna tataki with mild spices, tomato tartare – Our second main course was tuna tataki paired with tomato tartare, barley, capers and, diced zucchini and purple onion. It was finished with a nice sprinkle of fresh spices.  

He did this upon himself 😆😆😆 adding a nice moustache with my FaceApp. 

I have to admit, the night view of the Palais des Papes from the terrace of Le Carré du Palais was better. 

Avignon is a charming French town with well-preserved medieval architecture, narrow cobblestone streets and impressive city walls. Walking around its historic centre felt a lot like stepping back in time with a time machine.

Our dinner set (starter + main) cost us €41 per head (another €7 for dessert). That's fairly good value considering the location of the restaurant with such an amazing view. We didn’t get to try any wine tonight as we wanted to keep it short so we could have a good night of sleep for tomorrow’s adventure. Next up, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Gordes tomorrow.

Food Rating: 6.3/10

Price: €€€

Address: 1 Place du Palais, 84000 Avignon, France

Tel: +33 (0)4 6500-0101

Website: www.carredupalais.fr

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 10:00pm daily