Le Chardon-Marie, home cooking on the church square in Moustiers

A lunchtime restaurant

Le Chardon-Marie is on the church square in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, next to the Romanesque bell tower, right in the middle of the village. It is a small house serving home cooking made with fresh produce from local farms and craftspeople, and the menu changes with the seasons. It opens only at lunchtime: it is the meal that fits after climbing to the chapel of Notre-Dame de Beauvoir or seeing the faïence museum, before heading down to the lake in the afternoon.

It does not take bookings. You arrive, wait your turn and eat. So it is wise to turn up at twelve, especially from June to September, when the village fills up.

What to order

The 2026 lunch menu is short. To start or share there is a pea velouté with goat's cheese, a paté de campagne and a black olive and thyme tapenade, at €9 each, and lemon fish rillettes at €15. The main dishes are on a blackboard in the dining room, which changes every day. If you want something cold, there is a sandwich of the day and a quinoa salad with honey-roasted vegetables for €12. For dessert, the dessert of the day or a lemon crème brûlée.

For 2026 the Moustiers tourist office publishes starters from about €14, mains from €20 and desserts from €12 à la carte, and a menu of starter, main and dessert for €39.50. For children they serve dishes from the menu in small portions, from €15, and there is a high chair.

When to go

It opens Wednesday to Sunday, at lunchtime; closed Monday and Tuesday. The tourist office gives hours of 12:00 to 16:30, and the menu says the kitchen serves from 12:00 to 14:30. Leave the car in a village car park and walk up to the square. They accept card and cash, and serve in French and English.