La Couscoussière — Restaurant in Apt

Moroccan food is an essential part of the French culinary experience. No trip to France is complete without a tagine, and the unassuming Restaurant La Couscoussière came through for us with a steaming maraq of succulent braised chicken aromatic with lemon, cinnamon and saffron and an abundance of fluffy couscous. While waiting for our order, we saw flats of lettuce and herbs that looked fresh from the garden being carried into the restaurant and were delighted when our own salads arrived—the salmon-avocado and tomato-mozzarella. They were cool and crisp, lightly dressed, with just the right amount of garnish and large enough for the four of us to share. The grilled lamb brochettes were so delicious we had to order more. The tagine was accompanied by little bowls of chickpeas, raisins, and a fiery sauce that allowed us to adjust the heat of our dishes to our individual liking. The owner and staff were attentive and friendly and did all they could to ensure we enjoyed a memorable meal. Dinner for the four of us (including wine, bien sûr!) was 112 Euro.

Dining in an unfamiliar, small French town can be a spotty experience—not every restaurant is a winner and hours of operation in Provence can be baffling to an American. The Couscoussière is open later than most (11 pm) and on Sundays, which is unusual. They also offer food to go. We stumbled on this place by accident, and we are so glad we did. Merci bien, M. et Mme...

Visiting the south of France in May 2019, we found ourselves in Pertuis on a Sunday evening looking for an open restaurant, as most are closed. With four hungry mouths, we did a quick Google search and found La Couscoussiere. After a quick glance at the outside menu, we decided that this would be a good choice...granted we had no other.

The restaurant is roomy by French standard and the place is casual but clean. The very charming and smiling owner greeted us warmly, and promptly sat us at a window table. The menus were presented and we zeroed in on the Merguez and the Lamb. They offered dishes allowing samplings of the various meats...chicken, meatballs, lamb shoulder or skewers, and of course the merguez, obviously tastes of North Africa, with all its wonderful spices.

After our selections, the food came and was everything we could have asked for. The couscous and the sauces were offered in a communal serving bowls and the meats served individually for each person. The food was absolutely delicious. We decided on a chilled Rose, which went perfectly with our choices. To close it off, we chose ice desserts from the separate dessert menu, and it did not disappoint...from a Grand Marnier Souffle to a Frozen Nougat, it was a perfect ending after the Fig Liqueurs.

The service was very good and genuine, and the food excellent. We are glad to have found this little gem. Highly...

Nous avons dîné à la Couscoussiere lors d'un évènement proposé par la ville. Nous avions choisi ce restaurant car bien noté et idéalement placé pour assister à l'évènement. Un menu unique est proposé, sans distinction pour les enfants. Nous souhaitons en apéro un Orangina, et d'autres sodas. On nous porte un gobelet en carton de même pas 25cl rempli de glaçons, qu'on nous facture 3€50! Autant qu'un véritable apéritif. Lorsque je me suis rendue aux toilettes, je m'aperçois que notre verre à 3€50 provient de bouteilles de 1,5l à l'arrière du restaurant. Sachant que les toilettes se trouvent tout au bout du restaurant, il aurait été judicieux de prendre le temps de nettoyer correctement le restaurant qui était vraiment sale, au sol mais pas seulement (saleté qui semblait provenir d'un mauvais/absence de nettoyage et non pas du passage qui a pu être régulier ce soir-là pour se rendre aux toilettes). Le repas est bon et copieux mais c'est chacun sa boulette. 4 viandes et 1 unité de viande pour chaque personne. Étant donné le repas copieux, au moment de passer en caisse, je demande s'il est possible d'avoir un contenant pour emporter le reste du repas et éviter du gaspillage. On m'indique que le restaurant ne dispose pas de ce qu'il faut... (alors que ce même restaurant propose de la vente à emporter). Passage en caisse, nous assistons à une esclandre entre un Client et le responsable qui le remercie d'un "casse-toi!" La note est évidemment trop salée pour les prestations + que moyennes. Je ne...