Bistrot Jaja

A new favorite for us in Les Alpilles. Dishes are creative, fresh, beautifully-presented, locally-sourced, and delicious. Julian and staff are warm and welcoming, with abundant bonheur. Atmosphere appealing. We will be back—often.

- Stephen Davis -

We stumbled upon Chez Nico in Maussane les Apilles, France, to our lasting delight. Earlier in the day we visited Carrières des lumières after driving 120 kilometers from Cassis, France, where we were staying. We finished our visit shortly after midday and wanted to eat lunch before setting out on the return trip. We remembered driving through a lovely small town, Maussane-les-Apilles and decided to backtrack to find a place to eat. Luck prevailed. We parked near the market and started walking through town. Chez Nico was the first restaurant we came upon. Set back from the street, Chez Nico's presence is announced by a small sign and posted menu at street side. The restaurant is a new looking building, an anomaly in this ancient town. The appearance is crisp and simple. Outside seating is setup on a patio in front of the entrance. Inside are nicely spaced wooden tables, upholstered chairs, lighting and art that create a clean and overall modern decor. We sat close to a large fixed window that provided ample natural light and made the room seem larger and connected to the outside. We chose the menu offering a 2 or 3-course meal with a choice of entrée, main course and dessert. Of these, we opted for a main course and dessert. Our meals were delicious, beautifully prepared and attentively served. We asked for a wine from somewhere nearby and were served rose from two different local wineries. Other wines were available by the glass or bottle. The restaurant draws its food from surrounding agricultural sources and the small salad served with our meal was ample evidence of the sourcing. Our Crème brûlée and Crème au chocolat would have made the experience worth it if only for dessert. We agreed our dining experience at Chez Nico was one of our all-time favorites in France. Alas, we won't be back to Chez Nico on this visit, but if we had more time before our scheduled departure, we surely would have returned for a more elaborate dinner. Next time in France, we hope.

- Harry Vonk -

Absolutely amazing experience. We loved our food. It was so delicious. The restaurant looked amazing with beautiful hanging lights and the cutest little yard! We loved it and we can’t wait to go back there!

- Jasmin Piccin -

We had a fantastic evening - amazing food and friendly service. They also had no difficulty catering for vegan options. Thank you so much and we will be returning fur sure. Highly recommend it

- Mary Harrison -

C’est merveilleux!! The food was so delicious, including for the vegetarian we were with, the service was wonderful and the atmosphere was so charming. Fresh local ingredients, les appellations et terroirs sont les deux disponibles

- Emily H -