FIGURE D'ANCHOIS

Figure d'Anchois, Forcalquier: Pearl Verdict

Figure d'Anchois sits at 3 Rue des Cordeliers in Forcalquier, a small Provençal market town in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence that draws visitors primarily for its Saturday market, its lavender-country position, and a genuinely local restaurant scene that has not yet been overrun by tourism. If you are already in Forcalquier or planning a stay in the area, this address is worth knowing. If you are considering a dedicated trip, the honest framing is this: the town itself is the draw, and Figure d'Anchois fits naturally into that context.

The name references the anchovy — a firm, assertive ingredient that signals something about kitchen intent. Anchovy-forward cooking in Provence tends to lean into preserved and fermented flavour, building dishes around depth rather than delicacy. That is the kind of tasting progression worth arriving hungry for: courses that accumulate rather than simply follow one another. Whether the kitchen here delivers that progression in a structured tasting format or as à la carte selection, the address and setting suggest an intimate room with a short, considered menu rather than a sprawling brasserie operation. For a returning visitor, the question is less about what to try first and more about whether the kitchen has shifted its emphasis with the season — spring in this part of Provence means asparagus and wild herbs; summer leans toward tomatoes, courgette, and the preserved fish the name advertises.

Forcalquier is not a destination that rewards spontaneity in the way that larger Provençal towns do. The restaurant count is small, and the better addresses fill on market days (Mondays and Saturdays) and during summer weekends. At Figure d'Anchois specifically, the booking difficulty is rated Easy, which means walk-in attempts are more viable here than at comparable addresses in Aix or Manosque, but calling ahead on a market day is still the sensible move. See the full Forcalquier restaurants guide for context on what else is available in town, including Aigo Blanco, which offers a useful point of comparison for the local dining register.

For broader Forcalquier planning, Pearl has guides covering hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences in the area. If your trip is specifically about serious French cooking, the regional comparison is worth making: Flocons de Sel in Megève, Mirazur in Menton, and Bras in Laguiole each represent a different argument for destination dining in France. Figure d'Anchois operates in a different register, neighbourhood and terroir-focused rather than destination-tasting-menu, which is precisely why it fits Forcalquier rather than competing with those addresses.

Other anchors in the broader French fine-dining context worth knowing: Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, Les Prés d'Eugénie in Eugénie-les-Bains, Troisgros in Ouches, Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, La Table du Castellet in Le Castellet, and Georges Blanc in Vonnas collectively define the range of what serious French regional cooking can mean. For international reference points on tasting menu architecture, Le Bernardin in New York City and Lazy Bear in San Francisco both demonstrate how a kitchen can build a coherent narrative across courses, the same standard worth applying when you assess how Figure d'Anchois sequences its menu.

Practical details: Address: 3 Rue des Cordeliers, 04300 Forcalquier, France. Reservations: Booking difficulty is Easy, walk-ins are feasible outside peak market days, but calling ahead is advisable on Mondays and Saturdays. Budget: Price range not confirmed in available data; treat as a neighbourhood restaurant and plan accordingly rather than assuming destination-level pricing. Dress: No dress code confirmed; smart-casual is appropriate for a Provençal town restaurant of this type. Getting there: Forcalquier is approximately 35km northeast of Manosque, accessible by car; public transport connections are limited, so a vehicle is strongly recommended.