Uzès punches above its weight. For a medieval town of twelve thousand, the quality of its restaurants, its twice-weekly market and its broader food culture is well above what you would expect. Our guide, kept current by people who live five minutes away.
By the hosts of La Valette Boutique, Gard
The town sits at the intersection of three things that matter: proximity to the Mediterranean coast without the tourist inflation, access to some of the best produce in the Languedoc, and a resident population that takes food seriously.
Restaurateurs in Uzès are working with olive oil from the garrigue, truffles from the surrounding woodland, lamb from the Cévennes, fish from the coast forty minutes south. The terroir is genuine. The cooking here has not been packaged for visitors. It is simply what the region produces when people care about ingredients.
For a meal that constitutes an event in itself. Book ahead — these are small rooms and the demand is real.
Steps from the Boulevard Gambetta, on one of the quieter squares in the old town. Mediterranean cooking, seasonal, with attention to both the plate and the room. Book ahead for dinner.
6 Rue Entre les Tours, Uzès
A wine bar with character in the backstreets of Uzès. Natural wines, local producers, seasonal small plates. The kind of place where an aperitif becomes dinner without anyone planning it.
The first market on this square was recorded in 1241. Today it is officially the largest market in Occitanie, and one of the most photographed in France. There are in fact three different markets, each with its own character.
The places you come back to mid-week, or for lunch after the market. Honest cooking, fair prices, no ceremony.
Lunch runs noon to 14h, dinner from 19h30. Arriving outside these windows means the kitchen is closed. In July and August some restaurants extend service.
Restaurants close on different days, not always the ones you would expect. Calling ahead or checking Instagram saves the walk to a locked door — especially outside peak season.
La Table d'Uzès and La Volti require booking. At the bistros on the Place aux Herbes, arriving at opening usually secures a table. Weekends in July and August are the exception.
Saturday market runs 7h30 to 13h. The best bread, cheese and produce are often gone by 11h — reason enough to arrive early. Build your Saturday morning around this.
The Duché d'Uzès AOC produces interesting wines. Several estates near La Valette accept visitors for tasting without appointment outside harvest. Ask us which ones are currently worth stopping for.
We keep a short list of current favourites in each apartment, updated each season. Send us an email before you arrive and we will share what we are recommending that week.
For a serious gastronomic meal, La Table d'Uzès holds one Michelin star and is the standout address. For an evening of wine and small plates, Le Portalet is the local favourite. For everyday good cooking in a market-town setting, Le Défi on the Place aux Herbes is consistently reliable. It depends on what kind of evening you want.
For La Table d'Uzès and La Volti, yes, always. For the bistros on the Place aux Herbes, arriving at opening (noon for lunch, 19h30 for dinner) usually secures a table without reservation. Weekends in July and August are the exception, when most places benefit from a booking.
The main market is every Saturday morning on the Place aux Herbes, roughly 7h30 to 13h. There is a smaller producers market on Wednesday mornings. Saturday is the larger and better known of the two. Arrive before 10h for the best selection. The truffle vendors appear from November through February.
Le Tracteur in Vers-Pont-du-Gard is the best option near the monument. It serves seasonal, locally sourced food and is about 15 minutes from La Valette. Alternatively, drive the 15 minutes to Uzès after your visit and choose from the full range of restaurants there. See our Pont du Gard guide for timing advice.
La Valette Boutique is in the countryside south of Uzès, five minutes south of Uzès. Two boutique apartments in a restored stone house, five minutes from the Place aux Herbes. You arrive, leave your bags, and walk into everything described on this page.
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