Jet-ski session near Nantes

Visit to Saline - Guérande Salt Marshes

One hour quad ride between Nantes and La Baule

PANORAMA TOUR OF NANTES by electric bike

Freia

This greenhouse with timber arches devoted to the goddess Freia is perched on top of a contemporary building. It is the perfect place to grow a garden of aromatic herbs and berries and to admire the panoramic view of Nantes. After the success of Vacarme, Sarah Mainguy crafts poetic and creative cuisine, mainly plant based and scattered with Scandinavian and Asian touches. Each dish is a treasure trove of brainwaves and delicious sauces – cases in point being the white asparagus with a vegetable seaweed XO sauce, or periwinkles with crisp green peas, topped with a glazed gwell snow. Reservations can be made online only.

Bairoz

Just a stone's throw from the River Loire, this charming, modern restaurant sports a striking decor: pendant lights, wood panelling and exposed stonework. At the helm are chef Estelle Méheust and pastry chef Jérôme Berdelou, both of whom are active in the kitchen as well as the dining room: one starts the service while the starters and main courses are being served, the other taking over when it comes to the desserts. This charming, discreet couple won us over with their market-fresh fare at lunchtime, and their more high-level cuisine at dinner. The jus are particularly tasty, eg the mushroom emulsion on the raviolo filled with brousse soft cheese, or the creamy bisque on the hake, saffron purple top turnips and fondant potatoes.

Vacarme

Chef Sarah Mainguy, who won French TV's Top Chef, has set up shop with her partner in this Nantes bistro with a cool, laid-back atmosphere and where everyone seems to be in a good mood. Renewed on a weekly basis, the bistronomy menu alone is enough to bring a smile to the face of any foodie: leek ravioli, anchovy cream; home-made sausage, rutabaga purée, citrus jus; cabbage stuffed with octopus and pork. Good list of natural, organic and biodynamic wines.

Sain

This restaurant is a café, canteen and grocery shop all in one, combining a relaxed atmosphere with a philosophy of serving food that respects produce and the planet: a stall for organic vegetables from the family farm in Guérande, a shelf of natural wines (to take away) and laid-back service provided by Samuel Huitric. His brother Josselin cooks tasty market cuisine that is on point without too much fuss: œuf parfait, cream of courgette, mint, pistachio, ham crisps; pork polpette, tomato, cumin, puréed potato.