Arles, Shortlisted
Hello and welcome back to Shortlisted!
I’m very excited to back in France after a few months stateside during the launch of le SUD. So excited, in fact, that I’m keeping Shortlisted in France for the month as well. This time were heading south to Arles, a city I have long loved to visit in all seasons of the year but especially in the summertime — and specifically during the annual Les Rencontres d'Arles (this year’s dates for the photography festival are July 1 - September 29th, go/see you there!).
I regularly make my way from Paris* to Arles by train and, since it’s also incredibly easy to travel between Arles and Marseille (either by car or train), I often combine the trip with a bit of time in Marseille. If you choose to go that route, see my recommendations for Marseille here! And, even if Arles is your sole stop of the trip, it still makes sense to get out of town for a meal or an afternoon. I’ve included a few (slightly) out of town favorites in close driving distance in the list below.
Finally, if you’re in need of a road trip / dinner / apéro / summer party playlist, did you know that there’s a le SUD playlist? I won’t take credit for it (all goes to my partner, Laila) but I did play it at every single le SUD the TOUR event and will continue to all summer long.
xRebekah
* if you’re planning a trip to Paris / in Paris for the Olympics, find the (recently updated!) Paris, Shortlisted here.
[eat | drink]
Chardon One of my favorite restaurants in Arles—honestly one of my favorite restaurants anywhere—Chardon was opened by the trio behind the equally phenomenal La Mercerie + Livingston + Petrin Couchette in Marseille. The chefs are rotating, the products are local, the wine is natural, the setting is perfect. If the weather permits, ask for one of the outdoor tables.
Inari Céline Pham’s restaurant on place Voltaire (set in a chapel dating back to 1224) has a short, season menu and is a truly beautiful place for lunch or dinner. (You can also privatize the space for a party).
Vague | Teruhiro Yanagihara's inter-disciplinary design studio with locations in both Arles and Kobe, Japan. Stop for a coffee, tea, or gelato at the café pre- or post- studio visit (the small shop in the café also has a small but perfect selection of porcelain, glassware, and ceramics for sale <added to the shortlist September 2024>