French food and café towns off the beaten path.
Less-touristed food and café towns in France, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Collioure, voted France's favourite village in 2024, sits where the last ridges of the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean, and its dense waterfront café scene is a fair preview of what this page holds across 147 towns. Forcalquier's motto — "higher than the Alps" — captures the outsized ambition common here: places like Cauterets in the Pyrénées National Park and Moulins on the river Allier carry food-and-drink scenes that consistently outpace their size.
Montignac-Lascaux
Lascaux Cave, one of the world's most celebrated prehistoric painted caves, sits just outside this tiny village on the Vézère river in the Dordogne, making M…
Saint-Claude
Small mountain town in eastern France's Jura department, Saint-Claude sits on the river Bienne amid highland terrain with scenic viewpoints in the surroundin…
Cauterets
This spa town and ski resort in the French Pyrenees, Cauterets sits along the Gave de Pau river within the Pyrénées National Park, surrounded by mountain sce…
Moulins
This heritage-dense town on the river Allier in central France, Moulins is the historic capital of the Bourbonnais province and holds a walkable centre with…
Étretat
The white chalk cliffs of Étretat — rising high above a grey pebble beach on Normandy's Alabaster Coast — drew Monet, Courbet, Boudin, Maupassant, and Flaube…
Saint-Amand-les-Eaux
A walkable town on the river Scarpe in northern France's Nord department, Saint-Amand-les-Eaux has a centre with a real café and restaurant scene and sits on…
Forcalquier
Once the capital of a flourishing county in medieval Haute-Provence, Forcalquier is a tiny town in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence sitting between the Lure and L…
Collioure
A Mediterranean fishing village on the French Catalan coast where the last ridges of the Pyrenees meet the sea, Collioure has long drawn artists to its water…
Foix
The castle of the Counts of Foix, classified as a historic monument since 1840, rises on a rock above this modest medieval town at the foot of the Pyrenees i…
Banyuls-sur-Mer
Banyuls-sur-Mer gives its name to the surrounding wine region and sits on a bay at the southern end of France's Mediterranean coast, making it the country's…
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Village in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence with an unusual density of cafés and restaurants for its size, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie sits against a rocky escarpment…
Figeac
Tiny town on the Célé river in France's Lot department, Figeac draws summer visitors in numbers that have earned it the "Grand Site d'Occitanie" label, along…
Gérardmer
Sitting directly on its own lake in the Vosges mountains of northeastern France, Gérardmer is a compact town with a café and restaurant scene that would suit…
Calvi
This small Corsican town on the northwest coast with a waterfront setting, a café and restaurant scene that outpaces the town's size, and scenic viewpoints a…
Corte
Corte served as the capital of independent Corsica under Pascal Paoli between 1755 and 1769, and the town still carries that history at its centre — the cita…
Saint-Lary-Soulan
This dual-season mountain resort village in the Hautes-Pyrénées, Saint-Lary-Soulan draws skiers in winter to its slopes at Pla d'Adet and Espiaube, and hiker…
Joigny
A tiny wine-country town on the river Yonne in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Joigny has a medieval old town that has earned the Pays d'art et d'histoire designati…
Montargis
Laced with canals and bridges along the Loing and several other waterways, Montargis is a walkable town in the Loiret that markets itself as the "Venice of t…
Auch
This walkable Gascon town in southwestern France's Gers department, Auch sits on the River Gers and is known for its gastronomic scene, its cathedral, and a…
Beaune
Widely regarded as the wine capital of Burgundy, Beaune is a walled town in eastern France whose historic centre holds the cellars and facilities of wine pro…
Sartène
A small sub-prefecture in southern Corsica's Corse-du-Sud department, Sartène is an inland granite town with valley views and a café and restaurant scene str…
Le Puy-en-Velay
One of the principal starting points for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Le Puy-en-Velay is a heritage-dense town in south-central France's A…
Morlaix
Walkable Breton town in Finistère whose centre sits at the confluence of two rivers, Morlaix is defined by its 19th-century viaduct rising through the heart…
Pont-Audemer
This small Normandy town where tall half-timbered buildings line waterside streets, Pont-Audemer rewards a stroll with its well-preserved medieval architectu…
Ax-les-Thermes
Thermal spa village in the Ariège Pyrenees with more than sixty hot springs, Ax-les-Thermes also operates a winter ski area — Ax 3 Domaines, established in D…
Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Spa town in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, Bagnères-de-Bigorre sits in the valley of the Adour river and offers a café and restaurant scene that holds…
Murat
Compact mountain town in the Cantal department of south-central France, Murat sits in volcanic highland terrain with scenic surrounds and a concentration of…
Sancerre
Sancerre is a medieval hilltop village in the Cher département of Centre-Val de Loire, overlooking the Loire river and recognized as one of France's most bea…
Cluny
Founded in 910 by Duke William I of Aquitaine, the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny shaped this little Burgundian town into one of medieval Europe's great centres…
Douarnenez
This photogenic port town on Douarnenez Bay in Brittany, long famous for sardine fishing and canning, with a walkable centre and a food-and-drink scene to ma…
Esterre
A small hamlet in the Hautes-Pyrénées, Esterre sits alongside the Bastan river within the Pyrénées National Park, surrounded by mountain scenery and scenic v…
Castelnaudary
Castelnaudary, a small town in the Aude department of southern France's Occitanie region, claims to be the world capital of cassoulet and is a major producer…
Cluses
Sitting on the Arve river in the Alps of Haute-Savoie, Cluses is a town with a walkable centre, a café scene, and steep mountain slopes rising on either side.
Dinan
A walled Breton town in the Côtes-d'Armor department of northwestern France, Dinan sits on a hill above the Rance river, its medieval ramparts and château fo…
Mende
Mende is the little prefecture of France's Lozère department in Occitania, set along the River Lot amid mountain terrain and offering a café and restaurant s…
La Ferté-Bernard
Tiny French town in the Sarthe where a grand Gothic church with flying buttresses and intricate stone carvings dominates the centre, complemented by watersid…
Mirepoix
A heritage-dense tiny town in the Ariège department of southwestern France, Mirepoix sits on the River Hers-Vif with a café and restaurant scene that punches…
Aiguèze
Sitting on the Ardèche river in southern France's Gard department, this modest village has been a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France since 2005 — th…
Saint-Florent
A former fishing port on the Gulf of Saint-Florent in Haute-Corse, this small Corsican village now fills its harbour with pleasure boats and its waterfront w…
Pérouges
This medieval walled village in the Ain department, northeast of Lyon, Pérouges is listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France and carries one of the most…
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Clinging to a steep cliff above the Lot river in south-western France, this small Quercy village draws visitors with dramatic viewpoints, a strong café and r…
Arcachon
A well-established Atlantic seaside resort in the Gironde, Arcachon was created in 1857 as a destination in its own right, set within the Landes forest south…
Gavarnie
This small Pyrenean hamlet in the Hautes-Pyrénées is the gateway to the Cirque de Gavarnie, a massive glacial cirque and UNESCO World Heritage Site that also…
Tournus
This compact Burgundian town on the Saône river with a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, Tournus sits in the heart of Bourgogne-Fr…
Bonifacio
Modest commune at the southern tip of Corsica with an unusual concentration of cafés, restaurants, and churches for its size, and scenic viewpoints that make…
Gruissan
A little Mediterranean coastal town in the Aude, southeast of Narbonne, Gruissan sits within the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée regional nature park alongside l…
Jonzac
A spa town in the Charente-Maritime since 1986, Jonzac sits on the Seugne river in the heart of Cognac wine country, with a café and restaurant scene that pu…
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
One of France's most storied seaside resorts, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage sits on the Opal Coast at the mouth of the Canche river in Pas-de-Calais, with a wide be…
Saint-Martin-de-Re
This waterfront village on the Île de Ré, off the Charente-Maritime coast near La Rochelle, Saint-Martin-de-Ré is home to Vauban's 17th-century fortification…
Bidart
A small Basque Atlantic-coast town in southwestern France, Bidart stretches along several kilometres of shoreline where heavily folded cliffs drop down to be…
Apt
This small Provençal town on the Calavon river in the Luberon mountains of Vaucluse, Apt has a café and restaurant scene that would suit a town twice its siz…
Pont-Aven
Known as "the city of painters," this pocket-sized Breton town on the Aven river drew Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, William Bouguereau, and a number of other…
Sisteron
Wedged into a narrow gap between two long mountain ridges where the Durance, Buëch, and Sasse rivers converge, Sisteron has served as the gateway between Pro…
Les Vans
A tiny village in the Ardèche with an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size, Les Vans sits on the water in the Cévennes area of southern Fr…
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
A little beach resort on the Bay of Biscay in France's Basque Country, Saint-Jean-de-Luz sits at the mouth of the River Nivelle near the Spanish border, with…
Tournon-sur-Rhône
Small Rhône-side town in the Ardèche, Tournon-sur-Rhône sits in deep wine country north of Valence with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Villefranche-de-Rouergue
This little town in the Aveyron department of southern France, Villefranche-de-Rouergue holds both a "Ville d'Art et d'Histoire" designation and the "Grand S…
Voiron
A gateway town to the Chartreuse Mountains in southeastern France, Voiron sits at the foot of the range with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants,…
Ispoure
A small Basque village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Ispoure sits in mountain terrain in the former province of Lower Navarre, with scenic viewpoints in the s…
Tresserve
This tiny town in Savoie sits on a hill between Aix-les-Bains to the east and Lac du Bourget — France's largest natural glacial lake — to the west, with scen…
Leucate
A small Mediterranean coastal town in the Aude, Leucate sits between the sea and the Étang de Leucate lagoon, with a café and restaurant scene that punches a…
Lannion
A walkable Breton town on the river with a centre full of cafés and restaurants, Lannion sits in the Côtes-d'Armor department of northwestern France and serv…
Céret
Known for its modern art museum, cherry harvests, and bullfighting tradition, Céret is a tiny Catalan town in southern France's Pyrénées-Orientales, sitting…
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Sarlat-la-Canéda's medieval and early Renaissance centre — a dense network of narrow lanes, shaded squares, and stone mansions with lauze-tile roofs — was th…
Bar-le-Duc
First recorded in 1344, the currant preserve known as Bar-le-Duc jelly — sometimes called "Bar caviar" — takes its name from this Renaissance town in northea…
Tréguier
Small port town on the Breton coast in Côtes-d'Armor, Tréguier has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, with waterfront access and a hist…
Remiremont
A modest town in the Vosges where the Moselle and Moselotte rivers meet, Remiremont has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, and sits at…
Issoire
This compact French town in the Auvergne, its dense orange-tile rooftops dominated by a striking Romanesque church with twin towers, set against rolling upla…
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
Tiny Provençal town on the Rhône across from Avignon, where a massive medieval fortress with round towers and crenellated walls rises above stone houses, cyp…
Lagrasse
This compact village in the Corbières massif of southern France's Aude department, Lagrasse sits on the Orbieu river in wine and mountain country and holds m…
Privas
Privas is the birthplace of Clément Faugier, who in the late 19th century built the enterprise that made Ardèche chestnuts — and the marron glacé and crème d…
Argelès-Gazost
This tiny town in the Hautes-Pyrénées with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Argelès-Gazost sits on the Gave de Pau river in the footh…
Jacob-Bellecombette
This tiny town in the Savoie department of southeastern France sits where the Chambéry valley meets the northern foothills of the Chartreuse massif, offering…
Pézenas
A small town in the Hérault department of southern France with one of the oldest protected historic districts in the country, Pézenas holds a dense café and…
Nérac
A small town in Lot-et-Garonne, southwestern France, sitting on the water with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, and vineyards in the…
Mers-les-Bains
A small seaside resort on the Somme coast, Mers-les-Bains is known for its Belle Époque seafront villas — a listed quarter that earned the town second place…
Cabourg
Marcel Proust's favoured retreat on the Normandy coast, Cabourg is a Belle Époque seaside town on the Côte Fleurie where the river Dives meets the English Ch…
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
This modest town in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques with a notably dense café and restaurant scene, several historic churches, and a position right on the water wit…
Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille
This compact Auvergne village of stone and red-tile houses spread across rolling green upland country, Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille sits beside a river with vol…
Paray-le-Monial
This pocket-sized Burgundian town on the water, Paray-le-Monial draws visitors with its ornate Renaissance town hall on an open square, an unusual density of…
Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Wine-country town in the Gard department of southern France, set on the Cèze river with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants.
Le Grau-du-Roi
The only commune in the Gard department with a Mediterranean coastline, Le Grau-du-Roi is a small southern French town with a real café and restaurant scene,…
Pont-Saint-Esprit
A small town on the Rhône in southern France's Gard département, Pont-Saint-Esprit sits at a historic river crossing where the Ardèche meets the Rhône just t…
Le Vigan
Modest town in the Cévennes region of southern France's Gard department, Le Vigan sits on the River Arre and carries a café and restaurant scene that punches…
Sommières
Little town in the Gard department of southern France where the Vidourle river runs through the centre, Sommières sits in deep wine country between Nîmes and…
Samoëns
Alpine village in the Vallée du Giffre near the Swiss border, Samoëns holds a "ville fleurie" designation for the quality of its gardens and public greenery,…
Louviers
This walkable Norman town on the water, Louviers sits in the Eure department of Normandy with a centre well supplied with cafés and restaurants.
Largentière
Silver mining shaped this pocket-sized Ardèche village for centuries — its name, adopted in the 13th century, refers directly to the silver-bearing ore extra…
Beuvron-en-Auge
A hamlet in Normandy's Calvados department that holds the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France designation, Beuvron-en-Auge punches above its size with a little…
Anduze
A small town at the foot of the Cévennes in southern France's Gard department, Anduze sits on the River Gard with a café and restaurant scene that punches ab…
Crépy-en-Valois
A walkable town in the Oise department of northern France, Crépy-en-Valois sits at the heart of the Automne valley and served as the historic capital of the…
Millau
This town at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers in Aveyron, Millau is best known for its Viaduct and a walkable centre with a dense food-and-drink…
Aigues-Mortes
Enclosed within well-preserved medieval walls, this pocket-sized town in the Camargue region of southern France sits at the junction of two waterways and dra…
Soorts-Hossegor
This small Atlantic resort town in the Landes department of southwestern France, Hossegor is built around surfing: its beach break, including the wave known…
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer is a sub-prefecture town in Pas-de-Calais where the canalised river Aa begins its course toward the North Sea, giving the centre a waterside chara…
Wambrechies
This small French town on the water near Lille, Wambrechies draws the eye with its ornate brick town hall — a stepped-gable, diamond-patterned tower rising a…
Laguiole
Compact Aveyron village of tightly packed grey stone-slate rooftops and chimney pots, Laguiole sits in upland country with several listed historic monuments…
Hennebont
A compact Breton town on the Blavet river, Hennebont rewards visitors with medieval ramparts visible from the waterfront, a Gothic church spire rising above…
Guingamp
This tiny Breton town in the Côtes-d'Armor with a café and restaurant scene that is unusually rich for its size, Guingamp also holds a concentration of histo…
Aubenas
This small town in the southern Ardèche with a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, Aubenas sits on the river Ardèche at a crossroads…
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Antique shops and Sunday markets define this Provençal town on the Sorgue river in Vaucluse, where working water wheels line the waterways and waterside café…
Dax
France's leading spa town for mud-based rheumatism treatments, Dax sits on the Adour river in the Landes department of southwestern France, with thermal esta…
Pontarlier
Pontarlier became France's absinthe capital in 1805 when Henri-Louis Pernod established his distillery here, and the town still produces traditional absinthe…
Lons-le-Saunier
The capital of the Jura département in eastern France, Lons-le-Saunier takes its name from the salt springs first exploited by the Romans, which drove the to…
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
This pocket-sized seaport and resort on the south bank of the Somme estuary, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme has medieval ramparts, a Gothic church, and a long waters…
Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines, a town in the Moselle department of northeastern France's Grand Est region, has a long tradition of faience pottery-making and a walkable cent…
Hesdin
A small town on the River Canche in Pas-de-Calais, Hesdin sits at the heart of the Sept Vallées area — a stretch of river valleys in northern France — with s…
Epinay-sous-Senart
This small residential town on the southern edge of Paris, Épinay-sous-Sénart sits alongside the Yerres river and borders the Forest of Sénart, with a café a…
Lectoure
This small town in the Gers department of southwestern France, Lectoure sits above the River Gers in a region historically nicknamed the "French Tuscany," wi…
Le Barcarès
A tiny Mediterranean coastal town in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Le Barcarès sits on the shore of the Salses-Leucate lagoon complex — a protected natural area t…
Montbrison
Montbrison lends its name to Fourme de Montbrison, a blue cheese made in the Forez region of central France for centuries and granted appellation d'origine c…
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
A tiny Pyrenean village in Haute-Garonne that punches well above its size in historic architecture: the Cathedral of Notre-Dame has been a protected monument…
Étaples
Fishing and leisure port on the Canche river in northern France's Pas-de-Calais, Étaples has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size and sits…
Danjoutin
Compact northeastern French town in the Territoire de Belfort, where red-tile rooftops spread across a gentle valley backed by forested hills, with a lively…
Aups
A pocket-sized Provençal village in the Var department that calls itself the truffle capital of the Haut-Var, Aups sits in mountain terrain surrounded by vin…
Bessancourt
A pocket-sized Île-de-France town with a stately 19th-century mairie on its central square, vineyard surroundings, a walkable café and restaurant scene, and…
Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val
Medieval village on the Aveyron river in southern France's Tarn-et-Garonne, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val has preserved much of its historic core — with many liste…
Belley
A small French town in the Ain department with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Belley serves as the historical capital of the Bugey…
Beaucaire
This heritage-dense small town on the Rhône in southern France's Gard department, Beaucaire has a walkable centre with many listed buildings, a good spread o…
Sauve
A small village in the Gard department of southern France, set on the Vidourle river amid Mediterranean vineyards, with a café and restaurant scene that punc…
Embrun
This little French Alpine town set against broad mountain slopes, Embrun sits beside the water with a lively road-entry scene, flower-decorated streets, and…
Venette
This small village on the Oise river sits within the Compiègne urban area in northern France, with a café and restaurant scene and a number of churches that…
Belvès
This member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Belvès is a compact village in the Dordogne department of southwestern France, with a café and restaurant s…
Saint-Dié-des-Vosges
Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, a town in the Vosges department of northeastern France, holds a remarkable place in cartographic history: it was here, in 1507, that th…
Amancy
A compact Haute-Savoie village with a stone-towered church anchoring its sunny central square, sitting close to upland country and within easy reach of the w…
Brioude
This modest Auvergne town on the Allier river, Brioude draws visitors with its grand Romanesque basilica — warm golden-red stone, ornate arcaded apse, and a…
Bouzigues
Oyster production defines this little village on the Étang de Thau lagoon in southern France's Hérault, where an unusual concentration of seafood restaurants…
Bergues
A little canal-ringed town in northern France's Nord department, Bergues sits close to the Belgian border in a historically Flemish area and has a café and r…
Ganges
A compact town in the Hérault department of Occitanie, Ganges sits at the confluence of three rivers — the Hérault, the Rieutord, and the Vis — with a café a…
Bagnères-de-Luchon
This Pyrenean spa town in Haute-Garonne, Bagnères-de-Luchon — commonly called Luchon — combines thermal baths with a ski area at Luchon-Superbagnères, reacha…
Venthon
This tiny Savoyard village of timber-and-stone chalets spread across a densely forested hillside above Albertville, Venthon offers easy access to Alpine upla…
Manom
Pocket-sized French village in Moselle where a handsome stone mairie faces a tall church steeple above the river plain, with hills nearby and a surprisingly…
Limoux
Blanquette de Limoux, a sparkling wine first recorded in a 1544 text and now protected by a designated origin classification, has defined this small Aude tow…
Manosque
Walkable town at the eastern edge of the Luberon in southeastern France, Manosque sits near the Durance river with a food-and-drink scene concentrated in its…
Uzès
Uzès, a tiny town in the Gard department of southern France's Occitanie region, carries the historic title of "premier duché de France" — a precedence grante…
Saint-Martin-Boulogne
A small town on the edge of Boulogne-sur-Mer in Pas-de-Calais, Saint-Martin-Boulogne has a notably dense café and restaurant scene for its size, several hist…
Berck
This seaside resort town on the Opal Coast in northern France's Pas-de-Calais, Berck sits behind a broad sandy beach stretching several kilometres along the…
Issoudun
Issoudun, a little town in France's Indre department, sits along the Théols river and several smaller waterways, with a café and restaurant scene that punche…
Cogna
A small French hamlet in the Jura, set among snow-dusted fields and conifer forests with flat-topped hills rising in the distance, sitting close to the water…
Gaillac
Gaillac wine has given this small Tarn town its identity for centuries, with vineyards spreading across the surrounding countryside and the River Tarn runnin…
Guéret
This compact prefectural town in France's Creuse department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, offers a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Salavas
A small Ardèche village sitting right on the water, with a lively café and restaurant scene well above its size, vine-covered surrounds, scenic viewpoints ne…
Argelès-sur-Mer
A Mediterranean coastal town in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Argelès-sur-Mer sits directly on the water with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its s…
Saint-Palais-sur-Mer
A modest Atlantic seaside town on France's Côte de Beauté, just west of Royan in Charente-Maritime, Saint-Palais-sur-Mer developed as a resort in the late 19…
Luxeuil-les-Bains
Known since Celtic times for its hot springs, Luxeuil-les-Bains is a pocket-sized spa town in Haute-Saône, eastern France, where thermal bathing has shaped t…
Vittel
Vittel, a small spa town in the Vosges department of northeastern France, is the source of the globally recognised Vittel mineral water, bottled here by Nest…
Le Riols
A tiny French hamlet in Tarn's hilly countryside, Le Riols sits directly at the water's edge and punches above its size with several historic churches, all w…