De haut en bas :
Une soirée festive au
divin comme tous les
soirs sauf le mardi
A divinely festive
evening, as usual, every
evening except Tuesday.
La terrasse ombragée et
reposante du bistrot de
Saint-Rémy.
The Bistrot de Saint-
Rémy’s shaded and
relaxing terrace
T
his is one of the most emblematic establishments in
the Alpilles. It really is an institution. Firstly, as soon
as you arrive at the bistro, it seems as if you know
everyone, just like a regular. There’s so much joie de vivre
and genuine friendliness in the place, you can’t help but
feel at home.
There’s no menu at the bistro - every day, the restaurant
proposes starters, mains and desserts depending on what
the chef is excited about. There’s unlimited wine, and every
Friday is Aïoli day!
Here’s a brief history of the Bistrot du Paradou: it was first
opened by Jean Louis in 1984. He hired Vincent a few years
later, as a waiter, but Vincent quickly became Jean Louis’
right-hand man and naturally it followed that, quick as a
wink, Jean Louis sold Vincent the restaurant. That was on
the first of April, 2010.
Vincent has maintained the place’s character, and then
some. He pretty much has the same team working for him,
which is what makes the place so special. It’s quite rare to
come to a restaurant and to find the same wait and kitchen
staff there, year after year. It’s a real testament to how great
the atmosphere is and how well the patrons are respected.
Vincent likes to pay things forward, just like Jean Louis
did with him, and so he has gone into business with one of
his former waiters, Bastien, to set up two more establish-
ments in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
The Bistrot de Saint-Rémy is similar in style and concept
to the Bistrot du Paradou. Le Divin is attached to the Bis-
trot de Saint-Rémy and is slowly but surely getting in with
the in crowd of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence nightlife. This is
where you come to party and listen to music; every week
there are concerts and the ambiance is high-energy, just
like at the bistro.
A trip to the Alpilles is not complete without sampling this
wonderful combination of experiences for the palate and
the soul.
PAR ADOU I ALPILLES