Michelin Restaurants in Nantes

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.

Nantes - FRANCE

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.

Nantes - FRANCE

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.

Nantes - FRANCE

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.

Nantes - FRANCE

ICI

Chef Xavier Rambaud, a real globetrotter, travelled quite a bit before dropping anchor here. The dining area is done out in an "industrial bistro" style (parquet flooring, wooden tables, exposed stonework and cast-iron pipes). The chef concocts multi-layered creative cuisine, such as stingray wing, rice and black garlic; scallops, asparagus and rhubarb; or pork belly, carrot and apple: well-rounded dishes replete with winning flavour combinations.

Nantes - FRANCE

Le Lion et l’Agneau

A lion and a lamb adorn the coat of arms of Auch – a lovely town in the southwest of France and birthplace of chef Thierry Lebé (Drouant, Coq Rico alongside Antoine Westermann). This explains the many references to the region in his cooking, which here ranges from "bistronomy" dishes to meats cooked on the rotisserie or à la plancha (duck breast cooked on the bone, rib of beef with Béarnaise sauce, whole pigeon). A great hit with customers (and not so hard on their wallets). The lunchtime menu offers unbeatable value for money.

Nantes - FRANCE

Pickles

This bright, industrial-style restaurant run by British chef Dominic Quirke is all about indulgence and bold flavours. He likes to come out of his kitchen and chat with diners (in English!) as the pop/rock soundtrack plays. Based in Nantes for the last 10 years, his delicious modern cuisine is inspired by his travels in Asia and his excursions into the surrounding countryside to visit organic market gardeners. His dishes include tourte de volaille au vin jaune (puff pastry chicken pie); Vendée pork with beetroot, kale and chard; and cauliflower, seaweed and kasha coulibiac with shiitake mushrooms. There's no shortage of vegetarian options either.

Nantes - FRANCE

Omija

At the helm of his own restaurant since 2019 and with a splendid starred experience under his belt, Romain Bonnet crafts a creative surprise menu of Asian inspiration: the ‘omija’ is a Korean berry known to feature the five ‘flavours’ in perfect harmony. Romain is unswerving in his dedication to taste: radish and seaweed gnocchi brilliantly play on acidic notes as shrimp adds a well-judged spicy edge. Flawlessly cooked, gutsy stocks and irresistible big-boned sauces. The produce, mostly organic, is painstakingly sourced (common shrimp from la Cotinière, Oléron Island, line-caught pollack, Vendée squab). An infectiously cosy eatery with unstarched, yet seamless service.

Nantes - FRANCE

Les Chants d'Avril

The enthusiasm of chef Christophe François is infectious. Every day brings his own appealing and confident bistronomy-style take on market-fresh cuisine. Fine ingredients from the region are showcased in surprise set menus (without options), served in a pleasant bistro setting. As for the wine, try some of the surprising picks in their selection, to be tasted blind. A sociable experience!

Nantes - FRANCE

Le Bouchon

Appetising, up - to - the - minute food, reinvented daily, a prettily appointed interior (terracotta tile floors, old beams and mirrors) and the wonderful terrace, which is a haven of greenery in the town centre. It isn’t difficult to understand why this establishment is so popular with Nantes’ inhabitants!

Nantes - FRANCE

L'Atlantide 1874 - Maison Guého

Just around the corner from the Musée Jules Verne, this fine mansion dating from 1874 overlooks the River Loire and the Île de Nantes. Through the restaurant's large panoramic windows, you can observe the boats as they come and go, Le Hangar à Bananes and the grey Titan crane – an emblem of the port city of Nantes. A Breton (from Vannes) who trained in Alsace at the Auberge de l'Ill before working as a chef in New Orleans and Hong Kong, Jean-Yves Guého conjures up a highly precise and refined array of dishes in which fish takes pride of place. The list of Loire wines is well worth perusing. Pretty, modern guestrooms with a view.

Nantes - FRANCE

Les Bouteilles

Next to the Marché de Talensac, an impressive wine bar/bistro: appealing wine - inspired decoration, excellent food based on quality products (Italian cold cuts, rough - and - ready canaille dishes, fresh fish) not forgetting – the clue is in the name – a memorable wine list (1,500 types), with a particular penchant for Burgundy.

Nantes - FRANCE

Le Manoir de la Régate

On the outskirts of Nantes in a beautiful residence near the Erdre, a chic and trendy decor and a menu of culinary delights awaits in this enticing restaurant. Chef Mathieu Pérou, who has worked in many Michelin-starred properties, skilfully combines fresh and elegant flavours in his beautifully presented dishes which he prepares using the region’s best ingredients. Front of house, his sister Anne-Charlotte oversees the highly professional service.

Nantes - FRANCE

L'Instinct Gourmand

Two young men, who met in Oxford, have teamed up in this ‘no label’ bistro, determined to forge a name for themselves without the usual traditional trappings. Simple, fresh food is their goal, illustrated by the enticing slate menu that changes daily depending on market produce. Trust your own instincts and book a table!

Nantes - FRANCE

Sources

The meat, fish and vegetables are all meticulously sourced by Sources. Guillaume and Ingrid, who met at the Ferrandi School (Paris), treat us to fresh, bold cuisine with a vegetarian and seafood slant; a market-based set menu at lunchtime, carte blanche for the chef with the five-course dinner menu. Educational resources service nearby.

Nantes - FRANCE

Song, Saveurs & Sens

Self-taught chef Nhung Phung was born in Vietnam, but grew up in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The aromas and perfumes of her childhood have forged her culinary identity: sensitive, intelligent, balanced cuisine, poised between Southeast Asia and France, delicately spicy and crafted with premium produce. The interior sports a striking blend of turquoise, black and wrought iron – a fine setting for a sensibly priced meal.

Nantes - FRANCE

Lamaccotte

Generosity, flavour and good ingredients are the elements underpinning Maxime Fillaut's cuisine, which reaps the rewards of his time at La Mare aux Oiseaux and Le Clarence in Paris. The restaurant occupies a modern, light and airy ground-floor space in a stone building in the historical city centre. The menu changes daily, reflecting the produce available at the market, and the dishes are beautifully presented. This is simple and delicious food: fondant home-made gnocchi, vegetable tops and roasted almond pistou; vegetable carbonara, parmesan emulsion, paprika-glazed celery and helianthis; meadowsweet parfait glacé, blossom honey and lemon marmalade, buckwheat sablé and caramelised dried fruit. Fast, well-paced service.

Nantes - FRANCE

L'Abélia

Chef Vincent Berthomeau and his spouse Pascale have set up shop in an edifice dating from 1900 that is slightly outside the city centre of Nantes. Their handsome mansion is further enhanced by a conservatory, a terrace and a garden. The regulars return for the chef’s generous seasonal score and his menus vary depending on what he finds on his frequent forays to Talensac market. Enticing dishes such as a cassolette of langoustines and pleurote mushrooms in a flavoursome seafood stock or an exquisite chocolate, butterscotch and caramelised peanut tartlet, further jazzed up by a carrot sorbet and carrot coulis.

Nantes - FRANCE

L'Océanide

Roasted scallops with cabbage and crunchy buckwheat, red mullet in a shellfish jus... L'Océanide certainly maintains close ties to the sea, although the menu also features duck foie gras simply ‘cuit au naturel’ and veal kidneys sautéed with shallots. Chef David Garrec sources his produce from the famous Talensac Market next-door, hence the unmistakable freshness of the fish! The authentic 1950s vintage interior oozes old-fashioned charm by the bucket load.

Nantes - FRANCE

LuluRouget

Trained under Michel Troisgros, Ludovic Pouzelgues is one of the faces of the city's fine dining revival. A stone's throw from the famous Machines de l'Île, he heads up this restaurant with a pleasing, comfortable and contemporary interior. Here, the finest produce reigns supreme (the fish markets of La Turballe and Le Croisic are nearby); it is prepared with precision and inventiveness to create surprise menus based on what the market has to offer. Modern cuisine that is full of personality: a real success.

Nantes - FRANCE

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