5 Best Restaurants in Nantes, Brittany

At this beautiful 150-year-old house, a minute's walk from the Jules Verne museum, you'll enjoy panoramic views of the Loire River along with exceptional local cuisine. Michelin-star chef Jean-Yves Guého studied his craft in such far-flung places as Hong Kong, New Orleans, and Paris, but his real love is for the culinary riches of his native Brittany. Seafood takes front and center in dishes like langoustine marinated in bourbon vanilla and lime with fava beans and blood orange, or white asparagus with Petrossian caviar and wild garlic. For dessert, try the house specialty: homegrown lemon verbena soufflé with raspberries and a chocolate tuile. The beautiful dining room is a place to linger, and on nice days you can dine outdoors on a spacious terrace overlooking the river.

Don't be fooled by this unassuming bistro's laid-back atmosphere and streamlined Scandinavian decor; here you'll discover some of the most deliciously inventive (and well-priced) cuisine to be found in Nantes. Fresh, local, and organic products are a big part of the alchemy, but it's the culinary wizardry of chef Léo Huet that really sets this dining room apart. There's plenty of deliciousness for vegetarians here too, and at €16 or €23 for the three-course menus at lunch and €25 or €35 at dinner, this is one of the city's best deals.

It may not be the fanciest restaurant in Nantes or the most central, but Les Chants d'Avril is where the locals go for affordable "bistronomic" fare. Murals, dark-wood paneling, and leather banquettes lend a warm, traditional look; the attention to market-driven ingredients and interesting wines, however, puts it on par with the best modern bistrôts à vin. You can be sure you're getting the freshest seasonal ingredients, as the chef offers one menu each day based on what's best at market, though he will tailor to special needs. The prices for this caliber of dining are exceptional (3-course dinner, €35; lunch, €20, €25).

Market-fresh cuisine, industrial-chic decor with elegant touches of velvet and polished wood, and an adventurous wine list all help make this Michelin-starred bistro a standout on Nantes's culinary roadmap. Well-crafted dishes forego French fussiness in favor of innovative combinations like scallops with tamarind and roasted-red-pepper puree, seared monkfish with wild l'ail d'ours (French garlic) pesto, or succulent spring veal accompanied by tiny roasted veggies. The four, five, or six-course menus (€75, €95, €115) are your only option at dinner, an assurance of the freshest ingredients, though food preferences are honored. Don't let the lackluster area put you off, as this is a Nantes culinary benchmark.

At the hottest gastro-bistro in Nantes, Dominic Quirke, a young English chef, who worked in some of Paris's top kitchens before striking out on his own, combines a sophisticated menu featuring the best of the local producers with a stellar list of natural wines. Locals know a great thing when they taste it, and that's why they come here for Nantes veal with tartare of Breton langoustine; Sologne lamb with grilled polenta, beet pickles, and glacéed vegetables; and roast sea bass with fennel risotto and capers with creamed zucchini. A pleasant, unpretentious ambience and a roster of talented visiting chefs keep the bistro's many regulars on their toes. At €55, the five-course tasting menu is a steal.