The story
At Première édition, the idea was simple from the start: "a living, warm and accessible neighborhood restaurant." Located on rue Prévôt in Avignon's historic centre, this is a place where every ingredient has a story. "Cuisiner commence chaque matin par une réflexion, un choix, une envie," the team writes – cooking begins each morning with thought, choice and desire.
Traceability is a personal commitment that runs through the entire chain. In the kitchen, the product is central, and the people who grow, raise or catch it are celebrated as part of the adventure. Fish comes from Mathieu Chapel, a committed fisherman in Grau-du-Roi who practices sustainable fishing – "the sea is not a supermarket." Beef and pork are sourced through Thomas Bessette, a fourth-generation butcher who selects animals from trusted farms in Haute-Loire. Poultry from Elisabeth at Le Champ du Coq, where she raises her birds extensively and abattoirs them on-site. Vegetables are cultivated in the Alpilles by Jamal Benhida and Fabien Dumont – the team visits the fields weekly, using the harvest as inspiration for each plate. Foraged plants and flowers come from Juliette, mushrooms from Esra at Maison Naturelium, citrus from the Vessières family nursery in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Cheeses are sourced from engaged local farms.
The atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious, shaped by the owners' experiences abroad. Colours, materials and sounds all reflect the personalities behind the stove. The wine list – natural, low-yield, sincere – mirrors the kitchen's ethos.
Dinner offers a tasting menu at 60€ alongside a thoughtful à la carte: hand-made potato gnocchi with confit garlic cream, Parmesan and Espelette pepper oil; Elizabeth's breaded and fried pullet with pumpkin caramel and poultry juice; BBQ cuttlefish from Grau-du-Roi in a fruit-and-vegetable sauce inspired by a grandfather's grape sauce. Sweets include frozen lemon curd with brûléed Italian meringue or a chocolate mousse cup with caramelized hazelnuts.
This commitment to a living, instinctive modern cuisine earned Première édition a Michelin Recommendation for 2026 – recognition that the team's "free and sensitive cooking," at the crossroads of the reflective and the instinctive, truly hits its mark.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Things are changing in the medieval city of Avignon! Aurélie and Jonathan Thomassin have converted a local institution (L’Ami Voyage, a former bookstore/restaurant that was also the first printing press for Actes Sud editions) into an intriguing restaurant : a waxed concrete bar, Japanese-inspired lighting, skateboards hung on the walls… Once night falls, make way for tantalizing small plates: light zucchini blossom beignets stuffed with brousse cheese and sumac, plus green gazpacho (Green Zebra tomatoes, melon, zucchini) with just the right amount of vinegar; lovely chicken thigh cooked in a press, with tender meat and crispy skin, drizzled in a tarragon, marigold and mandarin orange jus, with smashed potatoes; and a comforting s’more dessert made with homemade barbecued marshmallow in between two tuile cookies, all sprinkled with shaved dark chocolate and toasted buckwheat. // Raoul Taburin
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