Film and food! That’s the winning combo from the illustrious Utopia arthouse cinema, which is literally glued to the flamboyant Palais des Papes, all thanks to its cheeky bistro where you can get a taste of la dolce vita. Who’s behind Café Roma? The Neapolitan chef Italia Palladino, who already runs the restaurant Italie in her home country. Here, she brilliantly alchemizes (organic) bistro fare from both France and Italy – which you can devour inside (vintage mirrors, old carpenters’ tables, a mural of the poster for Playtime) or on the terrace under the fairy lights. The day we went for lunch our plates featured: a silky organic poached egg bathed in a comforting red kuri squash velouté with hazelnut butter, almond crumble and parmigiano reggiano; then a perfectly-cooked spelt wheat risotto from Sault, doused in an amber-toned jus, with sunchokes and vegetable chips; before the imperial conclusion to the meal, a lovely Paris-Brest pastry (the classic praline cream was given a twist with lemon and Piedmont hazelnuts), selected from the dessert cart – which does the rounds from 3pm to 6pm in the tearoom. // Raoul Taburin
FEELING THIRSTY? Local, organic beverages: Avignon blonde beer from La Comédienne (€4 for 250 ml), a Ventoux white from the Domaine Solence (€8 a glass), or a Primitivo from Imperatore in Puglia (€40 a bottle).
PRICE: Dish of the day €13 (weekday lunch), menu €35, brunch €25 (Sunday).
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