Avignon eats like Provence concentrated inside 4.3km of walls: a covered market with a green wall, black truffles from the Vaucluse in winter, and Rhône reds from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Papal appetites built this table — the food never left.
The covered market on Place Pie, open Tue–Sun 06:00–13:30 (to 14:00 weekends), with 40 stalls behind Patrick Blanc's 600m² vertical garden facade. Oysters, Banon goat cheese in chestnut leaves, olives, Vaucluse black truffles Nov–Mar. Entry free.
Standing oyster-and-white-wine counters wedged among the fishmongers — Bouzigues and Camargue oysters shucked to order with rye bread and a glass of Rhône white. Locals eat lunch here on stools before the market shutters come down at 13:30.
The pedestrian shopping spine between Place Pie and Place de l'Horloge, lined with fromageries, charcutiers and confiseurs selling papalines d'Avignon — pink thistle-shaped chocolates filled with origan du Comtat liqueur, invented here in 1960.
The plane-tree square in the southern intra-muros, ringed by wine bars and bistro terraces where students and residents take apéro from 17:00. Pastis, Ventoux rosé by the pichet, plates of tapenade and anchoïade with raw vegetables.
The 19th-century vaulted kitchen beneath the Hôtel La Mirande, where guest chefs run half-day Provençal classes around a copper-hung table — daube, aïoli, tians — followed by lunch with wine. Sessions run most weeks; book weeks ahead.
A terrace under the flamboyant Gothic doors of Saint-Pierre church, serving Provençal plates: pieds et paquets, brandade de morue, gambas with pastis. The square is closed to cars, so lunch runs to the sound of the church bell only.
18km north, the papal summer vineyard where 13 grape varieties are blended over galets roulés — river cobbles that hold the day's heat. Free or low-cost tastings at village caveaux; Ch. La Nerthe and Ch. de Beaucastel take bookings.
A cardinal's palace beside the Palais des Papes, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and a chef's table in the old kitchen. The Provençal register is worked hard: daube de boeuf with olives, tapenade, herbes de Provence, Rhône pairings.
Europe's largest river island, five minutes across the Rhône by the free Barthelasse ferry (Mar–Oct). Market gardens, guinguettes and farm stands sell Barthelasse strawberries, asparagus and melons picked that morning within sight of the ramparts.
A cobbled lane along the Sorgue canal with four surviving cloth-dyers' waterwheels, now the city's alternative eating street: small kitchens, vegetarian plates, socca and Provençal small plates served at tables set beside the running water.
The northeast quarter around the Carmelite cloister, home to Saturday's flea market and Sunday's flower market. Bakeries here sell fougasse aux grattons and pompe à l'huile, the olive-oil brioche that is one of Provence's 13 Christmas desserts.
The main square in front of the 19th-century Hôtel de Ville and opera house, wall-to-wall with terraces. Apéro hour brings pastis with a carafe of water, olives and the Provençal ritual of drinking slowly under the plane trees until dinner.