Le Verso — Restaurant in Avignon

Traveling solo from Miami, Florida in the United States, I came to France specifically to visit The Eschaton, artist Anselm Kiefer's Foundation and studio near the town of Barjac - which was in itself a wonder to experiance. Having rented a car, I decided to explore the South of France from Ribaute to Marsielle to Sete and all the other towns and cities in between. I came upon Avignon very late in the evening on my way to Sete. I hadn't eaten since early morning and as I drove throughout the cobble stone streets, I was afraid I would be left hungry until the next day until I happened upon a young man walking out of a small quaint restaurant. I asked if the restaurant kitchen was open and only being a patron, he kindly went inside to ask if they would receive me. To my fortune, I wasn't turned away. The young waitress was welcoming and very attentive throughout my dining experience. The crowd that remained was lively and the atmosphere was happy and upbeat. Although the restaurant is known for it's wood fired pizza, I was so famished that I opted for a lovely strong and robust meat lasagna that was served piping hot with a delicately lite and delicious earthy wild greens salad. The rioja house wine was a perfect compliment to the entree. The restaurant houses a full bar so I finished my meal with a sweet silky Limoncello. The owner who was very hospitable, overhearing that Limoncello is my favorite after-dinner drink, offered me a second glass on the house. I highly recommend you drop by El Verso whenever visiting Avignon. I departed on my way to Sete with a full belly, warm heart, and satisfied soul....

Unfortunately I can't give this utterly horrible place and experience a zero star rating. The food is only edible when inebriated, consisting of American style pizza, bottled sauces, high prices, and the worst service. Despite the quality, this "restaurant" chooses to serve duck and beef gazpacho. The beef was bland, but edible. The duck on the other hand, ordered medium, was chewy and bland; inedible. After alerting the serving staff, they seemed confused and asked if I "wanted it cooked longer". I've had better duck at worse places, I really just wanted to leave. I asked for the cheque, having left the meal still intact. The bill included the duck.

I politely asked for the duck to be removed from the bill of three items. The server responded aggressively: "why? We already cooked it". I plainly said I hadn't eaten it, it shouldn't be on my bill.

She quipped: "There isn't anything the kitchen could have done, maybe you just do not like duck."

Then offered to remove the margarita pizza from my order. (The prices are vastly different).

0/10 - genuinely appalled, disgusted, and angered. Save yourself the money and emotional labour and go to any of the...

Absolutely the worst establishment I've eaten in quite a while. The food was at best blant, the pizzas are extremely thin, oily and the sauce is barely seasoned. Only credit due is that it is Indeed cooked on woodstove, this is the only thing differentiating it from a 2 eur Carrefour pizza. The Lasagna I've ordered is only the worst sin against Italian cuisine. It literally floats in the sauce! No meat, blant sauce and soggy interior (no wonder from a lasagne-boat). I should have taken a picture, but unfortunately didn't. You can clearly see the sad state of the lasagna in the other reviews which are for some reason positive about it(no idea why or how). I must say I've devoured the food just because I was so hungry, but I'd rather go to KFC or something. When leaving the restaurant, we've seen that the bread that they offer the guests is simply sitting there in the open surrounded with flies and moths (photo attached, sorry for bad quality).Thank god we did not have any bread that night. The only good thing is the location in the middle of the old city. Absolutely awful...