L'Ouvre Boîte

Arles


Alexandre's little joint (the 'Open Box') has become a firm Arlésian favourite for chilled evening eats in the courtyard of the Hôtel du Cloître. It specialises in shared tapas-like 'little plates' – oysters, octopus in herby-tomato sauce, pork in Asian broth – ordered to share. Arrive early for a prime table.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Arles attractions

1. Église St-Trophime

0.05 MILES

Named for Arles' semi-mythical first archbishop, this Romanesque-style church, built over a 5th-century basilica, was a cathedral until the bishopric…

2. Théâtre Antique

0.06 MILES

It's easy to admire the grace and engineering of this theatre – built at the behest of the unofficial first Roman Emperor, Augustus, in the 1st century BC…

3. Hôtel de Ville

0.07 MILES

Completed in 1676, and still the seat of Arles' government, the handsome Town Hall is also the entrance to the subterranean Roman Cryptoportiques.

4. Cryptoportiques

0.07 MILES

The origins of these fascinating underground chambers, now sitting below the current city centre, go at least back to the first Roman colony in Arles in…

5. Museon Arlaten

0.13 MILES

Arles' cultural museum, founded all the way back in 1889 with the intent of documenting regional culture, styles and creators, is closed for renovations…

6. Place du Forum

0.13 MILES

Just as social, political and religious life revolved around the forum in Roman Arles, so the busy plane-tree-shaded place du Forum still buzzes with life…

7. Espace Van Gogh

0.14 MILES

The 16th-century hospital where Van Gogh had his ear stitched on and was later locked up hosts the occasional exhibition (which attracts an entry fee). At…

8. Les Arènes

0.16 MILES

In Roman Gaul, every important town had an amphitheatre, where gladiators and wild animals met their (usually grisly) ends. Few examples have survived,…