Le Chardon-Marie — Restaurant in Digne-les-Bains

Came for dinner on a Wednesday evening. We didn't have a reservation, and when we went to put our names on the list before they opened they told us we would have to split our party of five into two separate tables (which we didn't mind, because many other restaurants were either fully booked or closed). Thankfully, when we went back once they opened at 7:30pm, they were able to seat us together indoors instead of on the terrace.

We ordered from their three-course formule menu (42.5€), getting one each of the starters, mains and desserts. We had an amuse bouche of gazpacho as well which was tasty and refreshing. Every course that followed was amazing, and very nicely plated - especially loved the foie gras ravioli, tuna tataki, pork and mushroom risotto. The desserts were impressive as well, and the rhum baba cake was huge.

Service was wonderful - there were only two people taking care of the busy dinner crowd and they were polite, friendly and attentive throughout. It's a pricier meal but well worth it. Very comfortable ambiance as well. Would definitely recommend Le Chardon-Marie. Just be sure to make a...

We had been having disappointing meals on our vacation, so honestly, this wasn’t the worst meal. But it wasn’t the best either.

They gave us complimentary little taste of blended pea with onion oil. Delicious! I really enjoyed the appetizer of duck rillettes and ceviche.

I was, however, SUPREMELY disappointed with the spinach gnocchi. I was shocked when I took my first bite because it was so bitter that I thought there must be a mistake. I kept looking around to see if I was being dramatic or if other people were also reacting the same. I’m hoping it was just an off night for them.

The other entree, fried popcorn chicken caesar salad with grilled romaine, was just okay. I wish we had gotten the pork confit instead, it looked good. The peach soup for dessert was fabulous!!

It’s a pretty big restaurant and not that many servers, so, yes, the service was slow and it took a long time to complete dinner and we waited a while between courses, but I didn’t mind that too much. What really shocked me was the gnocchi… the flavor wasn’t “bad”...

A lovely spot recommended by the shop owner across the street! She was so right! We sat at a table overlooking the waterfalls and the quiet streets of Moustiers St. Marie. The aroma from the kitchen was wonderful! The server was happy and generous knowing our French was not good! We ordered the special “Pot of Pho” it was AMAZING! The small bite before the pho was celery cold soup with an unexpected light aroma. The smooth delicious texture and light flavor were perfect, wakening our palates for the main course. The spiced aroma was just beautiful! The sliced beef was flavorful and tender with a delicious broth. The whole bowl was full of delicious vegetables and hearty homemade noodles! The giant meatball was the best we ever had! The chef is young energetic obviously he loves what he does! Everything was perfect and the cost was very reasonable. We recommend...