Le Bistrot Des Alpilles

The service was good, and I appreciated that they peeled and deveined my shrimp, but the food was disappointing for the price, especially since we’d been looking forward to it. My entree arrived just a minute after ordering, which felt odd. The dish listed as octopus was more like three frozen squid tentacles, and the food didn’t seem very fresh. We skipped dessert. At least they were still serving lunch after 2pm, which is rare.

We felt hurried, as if turning tables quickly mattered more than giving people a relaxed meal. The food was decent, but nothing had much of a wow factor. The salmon gravlax with citrus and hummus and the watermelon salad with buffalo mozzarella were both okay, though neither had standout flavour. Tuna sashimi and salmon with aubergine were similarly average. The chocolate fondue with pistachio sauce was nice, but the tiramisu tasted more like cheesecake. Bistrot des Alpilles is fine, just not especially memorable.

In this massive heatwave, I can understand a waitress wearing shorts, and even forgive the way she tossed the plate in front of me. But gritty razor clams, rotten lettuce, and a burnt dessert are hard to explain. With a name like Bistrot Des Alpilles, I expected better. It feels like another tourist trap.

We had a great lunch. The burger was excellent, and the staff were really friendly. It has a relaxed, family feel. After eating, we sat outside on the patio in the sun and had a beer.