Vence

Booking essential, especially in summer.

Avenue des Templiers. Humungeously expensive, with a view to die for, this is a place for a serious splurge or a celebration. Very good value weekday lunch €47. Menus €60, €74 and €100.

13, place du Grand Jardin. Familial restaurant owned by Paul Giordano, and located on the side of the sunny square: "la place du grand jardin". Some dishes, such as the boudin with roasted apples, salads and bruschettas are excellent. More it gets an excellent Provençal quality food with a large proposition of dishes of the day. The liver, the bruschetta, and the fresh fishes such as the brochette of scampi are all specialties. The waitress has the most interesting haircut (and piercing) in town. An excellent place to book for the yearly concert: "Les nuits du sud".

Place Clémenceau. A rival for the best coffee in Vence, and a much better location away from the traffic and surrounded by the old town. The menu is ordinary and can be expensive if you plump for the steaks - but the rabbit and lamb, roasted in the wood-burning pizza oven with local herbs are excellent and worth the cost.

Charming hotel in a park with duplex or standard rooms all with private terraces. The facilities include a very good Provençal restaurant (c. €25-50/person), a large outdoor heated pool and a spa with a big indoor pool with water jets, a steam room and fitness equipment. This hotel is very quiet.

2* hotel, comfortable bedrooms, simply decorated, yet with a warm and cheerful atmosphere, and fitted with today’s latest equipment. Open throughout the year, it has 15 air-conditioned bedrooms.