Bistroquette

It’s the people’s pop-up at this spot from Les Socios association! In their Bistroquette HQ designed to be a cultural squat of sorts, the Arles-based collective shifts gears between parties, community events and chef-led evenings, all without the overly chic and snobby vibes that the city is often known for. Want an example? The “Déballe ton caddy” nights, where guests bring their own groceries to be cooked in-house, while they kick back around the folding tables of the guinguette-style terrace. During our trip there last summer, it was Caroline Pons, alias Paulette (the former boss at Chez Caro) running the kitchens alongside the Bouchées Doubles team, sending out effortlessly delicious small plates, perfect for quenching your thirst at night: straightforward eggs mimosa spiced with harissa; sublime grilled zucchini salad with sobrasada; creamy stracciatella with almonds and preserved lemon; focaccia with mortadella or gorgonzola and green grapes… And for dessert, a sweet date and labneh cake. // Megan Linard

FEELING THIRSTY? : The wine list brings together a few treasures, including 1000’F, a gamay-chardonnay blend by Laurence and Rémi Dufaitre (€6 a glass); L’Air du Paradis, an Aude pet’ nat’ from Geneviève and Gilles Azam (€29 a bottle), and Les Copains d’Abord, an Hérault white blend produced by Julien Peyras (€32).
PRICE: : Small plates €6-14.

Hopopup! Because sometimes wiping the slate clean is the best way to fill it back up again, this restaurant hosts a chefs-in-residency program. So it’s possible that when you visit, a new talent may have taken over the kitchen!