L’essentiel bistrot — Restaurant in Arles

Absolutely amazing food, a beautiful journey of flavors. Attentive and kind service, we were also very happy they provided quality off-menu kid’s options so we could sit with our four year old. We found the price very fair for the quality and creativity of the food. You can pretty much be assured a place is going to be good when there isn’t a large menu. Three options for mains and three for entree, 3 for dessert. We had the option to order two or all three. We did all three and it was worth it. The kids options we could order one plate. From what I understand they have been there now for four months. Highly recommend for an...

Disappointing experience. The food quality did not match the appealing photos seen in other reviews. Some dishes, like the pork and cod, had an off smell, and the dessert was too hard to enjoy. We were seated outdoors and had to constantly wave away flies landing on our food, which affected the overall experience. The prices were quite high for what was served, more in line with fine dining than the actual quality delivered. Many positive reviews appear to come from travel-related accounts, so I recommend doing some extra research before visiting. Sadly, this was my first meal in Arles, and it left a...

We spent two weeks in Southern France in late May and enjoyed one of our favorite meals at L’essential. The server was outstanding; he didn’t speak much English (not a negative comment - his English was miles ahead of our French!), but he recommended some truly outstanding local dishes. My husband and I each ordered a starter, main, and dessert and shared each. Our favorites were the meatball (starter), ravioli (main), and pastry with chantilly cream (dessert). Lovely terrace setting. A must go if you...