Vague

Japan and Arles come together beautifully at Vague, which boasts all the charm of the city of Kobe in this luminous stone building along the banks of the Rhone River, designed by Teruhiro Yanagihara (Marcel Breuer chairs, rounded smoked glass and brushed steel tables, monochromatic tiled floors). Plus shelves, a counter and a kitchen that are all meticulously curated: a (much too) brief pop-up residency by chef Masayo Funakoshi (Farmoon in Kyoto); a cool selection of wines to take home, chosen by Rafaëlle Emery (Inari’s sommelier); pottery by the Kyoto ceramicist Naoto Ishii and other Japanese treasures… Must-haves include the coffees roasted by Cafar Café in the center of town (cold brew, hot drip, etc.), hot or cold teas (black kou-cha, bergamot and koji) and juices made with local fruits by Raphaël Hoffmann that go perfectly with one of the tsunami-like ice cream creations from Sayuri Sakairi, a culinary researcher: Provence apricot and Sardinian myrtle; amazake, cacao, sake kasu and black cherry; cardamon, melon, gin and olive oil… // Angela Dolu

THE HIDDEN GEM: The quality jars of fermented goods by Mimi Ferments (Berlin), like the ama miso barrel-aged for 18 months (€21).