Château du Plessis

Tour Guide

Restaurants

Where does one start?  This is a personal guide to the Restaurants of Touraine.  As such, it reflects our tastes and personalities, with all our biases and prejudices.  What does it mean?  Well, if your views and tastes match or relates with ours, it is a gold mine.  If you are more inclined to like fanciful and elaborate service and décor, or on the other hand funky colorful local atmosphere, this guide will only be a useful as a list of places to avoid.  But if you enjoy flavorful local cuisine prepared by talented trained chefs proprietors offering limited but carefully developed menus reasonably priced (but not bargain prices), served in a comfortable elegant but simple manner, this is the guide for you.

The guide is divided into sections:

1. The "Best Twenty Restaurants of Touraine".
2. Restaurants visited in 2008 and 2009.
3. Geographical listing of all the restaurants reviewed during the past eight years.
4. Restaurants visited in 2007.
5. Restaurant visited in 2006.
6. Geographical listing as of the end of 2005.
7. Restaurant visited between 2002 and 2005.
8. Tour de France Gastronomique (personal views)

“The Best Twenty Restaurants of Touraine”

We introduce this "Restaurant Guide of Touraine" guide with our top twenty restaurants.  Thanks to our scientific training, our rating is weighted as a function of Food quality, Price, Service, Atmosphere, and purely Subjective impression.  This methodology, probably a world’s first, is likely soon to be emulated by all restaurant guides!  Have no fear, we have copyrighted the formula, and stand to become millionaires as a consequence.

We started with fifty two restaurants. We developed a system to pare this list down to the best twenty. To give it the appearance of a scientific system, we identified five criteria to rank the restaurants and assigned a score weight to each (let us see that is 52 times 5 or 260 individual weight.  Next we needed to invent a formula to rank the restaurants.  Bear with me this might be a little confusing for those not familiar with scoring systems.  Here is how it works:

• Food: assign 10 points to the best restaurants and 1 to the worst; then assign a weight of 50.
• Price: assign 1 point to the most expensive and 5 to the cheapest; then assign a weight of 20.
• Service: assign 5 points to the best and 1 to the worst; then assign a weight of 10
• Style: assign 5 points to the most elegant and 1 to the dingiest; then assign a weight of 10.
• Subjective: assign 5 points to the most enjoyable and 1 to the least pleasant; then assign a weight of 10.
• Add the weighted score from each of us, and then total both scores. 

Your patience for getting this far is finally rewarded.  Without further ado, the breathlessly awaited final results are as follows:

Geographical List (2002 - 2009)

In this section, we simply list the restaurants we reviewed over the years and group them in six broad geographical areas around Thilouze. In each area we will list the restaurants in order of our personal preferences, independently of price, style, or standing.

Thilouze, Artannes, Saché, Monts, Montbazon, Veigné (along the Indre River):

This is the area closest to Le Plessis, following the Indre River in a easterly direction.

1. Auberge du XIIe Siècle (Saché)
2. La Casadéenne (Artannes)
3. Au Carousel des Saveurs (Monts)
4. La Chacelière (Montbazon)
5. Chateau d'Artigny (Montbazon)
6. Moulin Fleuri (Veigné)
7. Domaine de la Tortinière (Veigné)
8. A la Bonne Heure (Thilouze)
9. Auberge de Courtille (Montbazon)
10. Le Monts Gourmand (Monts)
11. Charmes de Candé (Monts)

Tours:

Center, walking distance. Included are Place Plumereau, Les Halles, Rue Colbert (Cathédrale)

1. Rive Gauche
2. Cap Sud
3. D'Ici et d'Ailleurs
4. La Souris Gourmande
5. Le Mastroquet
6. Le Petit Patrimoine
7. Le Timbre Poste
8. Les Palmiers
9. Restaurant Eden
10. Brasserie du Palais

Driving distance from the Center

1. La Roche-le-Roy (St. Avertin)
2. Charles Barrier (Tranchée-North of the Loire)
3. Le Clapotis (St. Avertin)
4. Bistrot de la Tranchée (St. Avertin)
   
   

Azay-le-Rideau:

Also near Le Plessis, along the Indre River in a westerly direction

1. Crêperie du Roy
2. L'Aigle d'Or
3. Le Grand Monarque
4. Les Grottes
5. Pom' Poire
6. Les Trois Lys
7. Relais du Château
8. Relais de la Salamandre
9. Au Ridelois

Villandry, Savonière (along the Cher River):

West of Tours, north of Le Plessis, along the Cher River

1. La Giraudière
2. La Maison Tourangelle
3. Le Saponaire
4. La Marina

Sainte-Maure, Ile Bouchard, Chinon and beyond (along the Vienne River):

South of Le Plessis, along the Vienne River toward Saumur

1. Auberge de L'Ile (Ile Bouchard)
2. Château de Marcay (North of Chinon-5KM)
3. Auberge du Val de Vienne (Sazilly - West of Chinon - 10 KM)
4. Les Hauts de Sainte-Maure (Sainte-Maure)
5. La Licorne (Fontevreau)
6. Château de Brou (Noyant - East of Sainte-Maure - 3 KM)
7. Diane de Méridor (Montsoreau)
8. Au Chapeau Rouge (Chinon)
9. L'Océanic (Chinon)

Amboise, Montlouis, Rochecorbon, Fondette (along the Loire River):

East of Tours, along the Loire River

1. Le Choiseul (Amboise)
2. Auberge de Port Vallière (Fondette - West of Tours - 5KM)
3. L'Aubinière (St. Ouen - North of Amboise - 5KM)
4. Les Hautes Roches (Rochecorbon)
5. La Tourangelle (Montlouis)
   

Restaurants (Update - 2009/2008)

During 2008 and 2009 we revisited many of our favorite Restaurants of the Touraine Region and discovered a few new ones. Before briefly reviewing our new discoveries (some excellent, some worth a visit, and some to avoid), we would like to summarize our six year restaurant experiences by grouping the restaurants by geographical areas.

Sadly, a few restaurants previously included in this unorganized guide are no longer in existence. We made the appropriate note in the previous years reviews. So here are the 2008 and 2009 updates:

 “A la Bonne Heure”: We celebrated the opening of the first restaurant in Thilouze in over two decades by visiting it for a weekday lunch. The old Cafe/Bar on the Place de la Mairie has been totally gutted and transformed into a clean, modern and rustic Cafe Restaurant. On weekdays the daily menu is an exceptional value at 10 and a half euros. It includes a salad bar for starter, the choice of four main courses, dessert and cafe. the house wine is equally reasonable. The generous and tasty daily specials seem improbable for the price. We also tried the restaurant on Saturday and chose from a more elaborate Carte. While the food was good, there were too many choices for the chef to execute each with the same expertise and attention as brought to the daily specials. The restaurant also caters within a 10 Kilometers radius (and Le Plessis is less that 2 kilometers away). Ala Bonne Heure is a welcome and valuable addition to Thilouze.

 “Crêperie du Roy”: Another great addition to the local Restaurant scene, Crêperie du Roy opened in 2008 in the center of Azay-le-Rideau. It is the perfect lunch stop when visiting Azay. The salads, omelets and Crêpes de Marie-Lou are light, fresh and very tasty. Here you can have a one course light tasty reasonably priced lunch (be sure to ask for the English Carte, courtesy of yours truly).

 “Rive Gauche”: Another 2008 newcomer to the Touraine Restaurant scene. We saw the old traditional Rotisserie Tourangelle disappear in 2007 to reopen as the Rive Gauche next to the Musée Gouin in the center of Tours, aa a modern trendy Michelin Stared Restaurant. Pascal Vuillemin, student of the now closed Jean Bardet, is first rate professional offering a cuisine at the same time modern earning him the sought after award of Revelation of the Year in 2009 by Gault Millau.
We enjoyed a very good lunch during our first visit. The owner is from the area and the the chef thrives at preparing a fresh food with local ingredients. it can be pricey, but as most often in the region, the daily luncheon menu is quite affordable. It is a place for special occasions. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a chic parisian restaurant and not of a quaint country inn. Worth a visit.

 “La Chancelière”: Located in nearby Montbazon, La Chancelière is another starred Michelin restaurant. After attempts at morphing from the traditional renowned restaurant of the 1990s into a simpler more casual restaurant, the current modern version of La Chancelière has become one of the very best restaurant of the region. we have enjoyed a number of excellent luncheons and have enjoyed the very knowledgeable advice of the sommelier, one of the very best. Worth a visit.

 “Au Bout du Monde”: Located in Berthenay, a small village between the river Loire and the river Cher, Au bout du Monde is indeed near the end of the world for tourists. We recognized the owner from his days as Maitre D. at the Auberge du XII'e Siècle. The small restaurant serves an excellent regional cuisine and for cheese lovers the very best cheese tray we have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Hard to find (but close to Villandry) and well worth discovering.

 “Pom' Poire”: Lost in an apple orchard on the hill overlooking Azay-le-Rideau, Pom'Poire opened in 2006. Very hard to locate, the bucolic inn has rapidly become a local favorite. We are not sure why. Modern decor in a traditional inn, the food is modern and audacious, but to our taste, bland and indifferent. We went back for another lunch on a Sunday to give it fair trial. The restaurant was packed. the service while friendly was agonizingly slow. The food was still bland. Skip it.

 “Chez Gaelle”: Just outside of Ile Bouchard, along the Vienne River is another Crêperie. Off the road, in what seem like a family house, not all that well maintained, Chez Gaelle is a delightful little restaurant. We thought all Crêperies were alike to be proven wrong. Very traditional and very good. The daily special menu demonstrates once more, that old fashion family cooking still thrive in France and is as good as ever. Simple, tasty, and very reasonable.

 “Diane de Méridor”: Whether visiting the charming town of Montsoreau and its Chateau made famous by the Alexandre Dumas, or driving along the Loire to Fontevreau or Saumur, the Restaurant Diane de Méridor is worth a stop. The food is local, modern, and fresh. The dining room is elegant in a cottage style. As usual, one should choose one of the menus which are moderately priced.

 “Burdigala”: Saumur, in Anjou, is a delightful town well worth a visit. There are plenty of good restaurants in Saumur. One of them is Burdigala, at the foot of the Chateau. Modern, reasonable and serving original tasty food.

 “D'Ici et d'Ailleurs”: In Tours, rue Colbert, the restaurant name is a play on words, serving both regional dishes and in another section of the menu, specialties from other regions. The small restaurant is clean and modern. The food is high quality and reasonably priced.

 “Brasserie du Palais”: In Tours, near the City Hall on the Avenue de Grammont, this is a sidewalk cafe serving adequate brasserie food for the wary tourists in need of resting their tired feet.

 “Charmes de Candé”: Outside of Monts, along the Indre River, this workers restaurant will provide plenty of local color on weekdays luncheon. Very popular with the local tradesman, the generous special luncheon provides hearty food at very reasonavble prices and tons of atmosphere.

 “Relais du Château”: in Azay-le-Rideau, across from one of the entrance to the Château, a tourist terrace serving better than average "tourist" food in a peaceful setting.

 “Les Trois Lys”: In Azay-le-Rideau, next to the tourist office, traditional restaurant, less touristy than others. Decent quality full luncheon at reasonable prices.

Restaurants (Update - 2007)

We had so much fun with the previous editions of our unofficial, unauthorized, unedited, unabridged, unprofessional, unorganized “Extended English Restaurant Guide of Touraine” that we chose to expand it during 2007. So here are the 2007 updates:

2007 reviews

Our 2007 reviews appear not in order of preference, nor alphabetically, nor by price, but simply in order of frequency of visits.  In other words, the first restaurant is the one we frequented most often during 2007.  Our bribe from “La Casadéenne” for this impressive recognition was a pint of Caramel sauce we brought back to California, and enjoyed within one week of our return.

 “La Casadéenne”:  We patronized this unassuming Crêperie in nearby Artannes, no less than seventeen times during 2007!  Nothing has really changed since our last year’s review.  Michel still cooks daily specials that are exceptional values at €11.  Most workers who stop for lunch choose the three course daily special.  They tend to be dishes that grandmother used to cook.  One day it might be a lamb stew, another a roast chicken or steamed mussels.  They are always cooked to perfection with good quality ingredients.  And of course the crepes are all very good, with at least two dozen types of filling.  The dessert crepes are equally tasty, particularly those featuring Michel’s killer caramel sauce.  There are many regulars frequenting the restaurant.  The assistant to the Mayor for example is a daily visitor.  This is convenient since the Mairie (City Hall is next door).  Others, like our plumber and his family, tend to come weekly.  We exchange offering coffee with one another in a most friendly and congenial way.

 “Auberge du XIIe Siècle”: Our favorite restaurant in Saché saw us eight times in 2007.  On most occasions we were invited by our guests.  However we could not resist coming on our own on a few occasions.  The three menus change every season, while varying some of the favorites.  The signature “mise en bouche” of flan (custard) with foie gras and port wine remains everyone’s favorite.  The only down note in 2007 is attributed to the service.  The new crop of young waitresses was well intended but needed more training and seasoning.  The restaurant remains everyone’s favorite and one of the very best restaurants in the whole of the Touraine region.

“La Giraudière”:  We patronized La Giraudière five times during 2007, most of the time with our visiting guests.  The new chef seems to have improved and settled.  The food is getting more sophisticated without becoming faddish or superficial.  On one visit, with my sisters, the fire place was acting up and smoking in the dining room every time one opened the front door.  The staff finally managed to put the fire out of its misery before we were completely smoked out.  La Giraudière is one of those friendly places everyone seems to enjoy and we certainly do.  The owners are most charming and they enhance the restaurant’s appeal on each visit.  It is still a working goat farm and the menu highlights many goat cheese specialties.

“Auberge de Port Vallière”:  With three visits in 2007, the “Auberge de Port Vallière” remains one of our favorite restaurants.  We have taken a number of guests there as well and everyone seems to enjoy the excellent food as well as the relaxed atmosphere. 

“Au Carrousel des Saveurs”: Close by, in Monts, Chef Laurent Conraux and his wife Virginie bought the old restaurant « Le Moulin » in the old Monts in January 2007.  After a low budget but tasteful renovation and modernization, they opened “Au Carousel” in February 2007.  We gave it a try shortly after the opening and were very pleasantly impressed.  The cuisine is fresh and emphasizes local products.  The menu is interesting if not extensive.  The reception and the service by Virginie Conraux are both friendly and competent.  We have been there for lunch on three occasions and each time enjoyed a very tasty and well prepared meal. 

 “Le Monts Gourmand”:  Practically next door to the Carrousel, “Le Monts Gourmand” is a more modest restaurant catering mostly to the traveling salesman population.  It opened almost at exactly the same time in the space previously occupied by a Thai-Chinese Restaurant which did not survive in country France.  The daily three course menu is only €12, an excellent value.  The food is good but not as expertly prepared as La Casadéenne, nor nearly as interesting as the Carrousel (although much less expensive).  We visited it on two occasions and found it to be a convenient place for a reasonable lunch when driving by.

“Le Temple du Ciel”:  We love French food, but after a few weeks in Thilouze, we long for good Asian food.  The Touraine is not reputed for it but there are a few Chinese, Thai, and Japanese restaurants in Tours.  Most of them are of the cheap student variety, and we had resisted trying any of them up until now.  When shopping in the center of Tours on a cold and damp day, almost desperate for Chinese food, we walked into the “Temple du Ciel” willing to give it a try.  Located right off the Place Plumereau in the heart of the old town, it is very conveniently situated if probably very touristy.  We had a pretty good lunch even if the Dim Sum was terrible.  It was good enough to give it another try which we did a few weeks later.  Again we had a good lunch.  We tested a few of our favorite dishes, including “Hot and Sour” soup.  It did not come up to the standards of the best that the Bay Area can offer, but for desperate expatriates hungry for good Chinese food, it delivered very tasty food.  We will probably go back on most of our stays. (Ed. Closed and reincarnated as the Sakara Bistro - a decent Japanese Restaurant)

 “Le Choiseul”:  Right below the Château of Amboise, “Le Choiseul” is one of the very few Michelin starred restaurants in Touraine we had not tried.  Determined to make this guide as exhaustive as possible we made luncheon reservations on a sunny October Sunday.  The elegant dining room overlooking the Loire River was practically deserted except for two or three tables and a Russian small group whose members left the table every five minute or so to light up a cigarette since the dining room is non-smoking.  We chose the Menu Dégustation, and were not disappointed to say the least.  Very modern and immensely creative, the food is fresh, imaginative and absolutely delicious.  Except for the high price, this restaurant will compete for the best food we encountered in Touraine.  On the next trip we will give a try to the less formal and less expensive “Le 36” which is only opened on weekdays.

 “Château d’Artigny”:  Again, anxious to make this guide exhaustive, on a glorious sunny September Sunday, we had lunch at the “Château d’Artigny” in nearby Montbazon.  The current château was constructed in the 1920s by the rich industrialist Coty of perfume fame. He built the sumptuous château as an over scaled copy of a XVIII centurychateau he admired.  We had stayed at this overwhelming hotel in an opulent nouveau riche style (not unlike many of the Irish castles), first in the 1980’s and then again in the fall of 2002 the night before moving to Le Plessis.  Indeed, the Château was bought in 1959 by René Traversac, the founder of the “Relais et Chateaux” luxury hotel chain.  The restaurant is shy of the sought after Michelin star but still one of the most luxurious restaurants in the region.  Located in the central rotunda, the dining room is grandiose, with spectacular views of the Indres River below.  We enjoyed a very good lunch surrounded by small family groups celebrating a birthday or an anniversary.  Given the price, this is not a place for a casual meal.  However, we would not hesitate to recommend it to visitors wishing to celebrate an event in memorable style.

 “Charles Barrier”:  This was our second visit to this starred restaurant in Tours.  We chose Easter Sunday.  There was a large baptism party in the covered terrace portion of the dining room.  To our surprise, the party was not in the least disruptive and both the kitchen and the dining room staff handled both dining rooms very well.  We had an excellent lunch and it confirmed our earlier impression that Charles Barrier in the hands of its young Asian chef is indeed one of the very best restaurants of the Touraine region.

“Hotel du Cheval Blanc”:  On our fourth or fifth visit to Troo, we enjoyed yet another delightful lunch at the Cheval Blanc.  This being the low season, we sat in the first dining room which is a bit warmer than the larger second room.  The same friendly and competent waitress served us and the chef has not lost any of his talent.  We did not hear anymore news of retirement, and we hope to come again in 2008.

 “La Maison Tourangelle”:  On Ascenssion Day, we went to Savonnière and had lunch at La Maison Tourangelle.  Our previous visit had been shortly after the restaurant had opened and we were anxious to try it again a couple of years later.  To our surprise, we ran into the previous owners of Le Plessis who were having a family lunch as well.  After a brief chat with them we settled on the menu degustation and were not disappointed.  The chef demonstrated his talent to the fullest and his restaurant is offers one of the best cuisines in the area.

 “Auberge de L’Ile”:  With our guests, we went back to the Auberge de L’Ile for the third or fourth time.  The chef has maintained his very high level of cooking choosing to emphasize the quality of the ingredients over adding complex sauces.  This is definitely one of our top ten restaurants.

 “La Souris Gourmande”:  La Souris Gourmande is another of the inexpensive specialty restaurants on the pedestrian rue Colbert in Tours.  The specialty here, to no one’s surprise is cheese.  On one visit, we chose the seasonal Vacherin, an Alpine cheese that one serves in its own wooden box, after warming it up in the oven.  One spoons out the melted cheese and savors the rich unctuous cream.   On another visit we chose the daily special.  This restaurant provides a pleasant stop when in Tours.  It is economical, the food is good, the tab reasonable.

“Cap Sud”:  Yet another restaurant on the pedestrian rue Colbert in Tours.  This one is a little pricier though and serves a classic cuisine competently prepared.  The small restaurant is pleasant in its warm Mediterranean atmosphere.  It is worth a stop when in Tours and in search of a more sophisticated flavor that can be found in the other restaurants in the neighborhood.

“Timbre Poste”:  A tiny crêperie located near les Halles in Tours.  We had stuffed crepes that were fine.  Unfortunately, we are totally spoiled by la Casadeenne in Artannes where the quality of the preparation is just in another league.  Nonetheless, the Timbre Poste is a convenient stop for a quick economical lunch.

 “Leon de Bruxelles”:  A large formula restaurant in the commercial zone of Chambray-les-Tours, Leon is a franchise operation only distantly related to the original restaurant rue des Bouchers in Brussels.  It is surprisingly busy at lunch given the size and the very average quality of the food.  We continue to patronize Leon because we are fanatic lovers of mussels (the house “formula” specialty) and because we are occasionally stuck looking for a place to eat in Chambray when the stores close for lunch.

 “L’Oceanic”:  Our first visit to this seafood Chinon restaurant was in 2002 when we were looking to buy Le Plessis.  We had liked it, and decided to give it another try when visiting the Brocante fair in Chinon.  We had a pretty decent lunch in a reasonably pleasant if somewhat awkward dining room.  We probably would not drive just to eat here, but when visiting Chinon, L’Oceanic is certainly better than most of the other Chinon restaurants we have tried.

“La Tourangelle”:  We read a good review of “La Tourangelle in the local newspaper. Located by the Loire River in Montlouis, we had often driven in front of the restaurant and we decided to give it a try.  The dining room is long and narrow.  We sat all the way at the end, next to a kitschy indoor rock garden.  The restaurant was full and service was a bit slow.  The food was very classic but well prepared.  The tab was average for this style of restaurant.  We will probably go back when in the area one day, but do not feel the need to rush.

Restaurants (Update - 2006)

During 2006, we visited or revisited some eighteen restaurants, some multiple times.  There is no particular order to our snap shot impressions below (it sounds less pompous than “reviews”).

“La Roche-le-Roy”:  We had a special Easter Sunday lunch at one of our top five restaurants in Touraine.  The restaurant is usually closed on Sunday, but the Couturiers had opened the restaurant for a special Easter menu.  The set menu was excellent and the service impeccable (except for a minor accident when one of the attendants dropped the bread basket on the floor).  The restaurant continues to serve good reliable tasty classic French cuisine.  Couturier does not venture into daring new creations in search of a second Michelin star.  He simply executes impeccably a delicate traditional cuisine.

“Auberge du XIIe Siècle”: We ate at our favorite restaurant no less than seven times in 2007, including two dinners and three meals with guests.  We tasted all three menus and once ate a la carte.  We were never disappointed, although we have to admit that on some occasions, the food was simply excellent, just short of the customary superb.  All of our guests, and, if we believe the testimonials, all of the renters who have been at the Auberge are simply blown away by the food.  The chef, Thierry Jimenez is a superb saucier, which gives his preparation vivid tastes that explode in your mouth.

“La Giraudière”:  We routinely take our guests to this goat farm-restaurant when visiting the château and gardens of Villandry.  We had lunch on two occasions in 2006, and our guests enjoyed the experience.  We found the food a little less appealing on one weekday occasion.  We trust it was simply the chef’s off day.  It is great fun to walk around and see the spotless white goats and the black pigs.

“Auberge de Port Vallière”:  Another one of our top five restaurants in Touraine.  We had lunch twice and the food was consistently excellent.

“Le Ridelois”:  A small restaurant tucked on the narrow portion of the main street in Azay-le-Rideau. We had never tried it.  Since it is one of the closest restaurants to le Plessis, and conveniently located for visitors to the château, we decided to give it a try.  What a mistake that was.  We had a terrible lunch.  We ate a traditional country meal, poorly prepared with greasy undistinguished ingredients.  It makes the short, but growing list of restaurants contradicting the old saying: “you can’t eat a bad meal at a French Restaurant”.

“Les Haut de Sainte-Maure”:  A relatively new restaurant in a remodeled country inn on the national road at the entry of the market town of Sainte Maure.  We had a Sunday lunch in the practically deserted but tastefully decorated dining room.  The food was very well prepared modern cuisine served on elegant modern china.  The sommelier was very knowledgeable, very talkative and helpful.  We found the menu a little pricey perhaps.  Nonetheless, this is a worthy addition to the list of worthwhile restaurants to visit.

“Auberge de l’Ile”:  We had a very nice lunch in this other member of our top five restaurants of Touraine.  The chef’s style seem to be somewhere in between the classicism of Couturier at La Roche-le-Roy, and the explosive flavors of Jimenez at L’Auberge du XIIe Siècle.   We have never been disappointed here.

“L’Aigle d’Or”:  Perhaps the best restaurant in Azay-le-Rideau.  We invited Jean-Jacques, Sylvie, Véronique and Philippe to have lunch there on Ascension.  Jean-Jacques was suspicious.  They had intended to try the restaurant once before but had been turned off by its dowdy bourgeois appearance.  It was very crowded on this holiday.  The service was nonetheless very good, and the food quite good if not particularly original.  This is indeed a traditional bourgeois restaurant.  But the chef is competent and the food is tasty and well prepared.

“Relais de la Salamandre”:  The café restaurant is located on the market square in Azay-le-Rideau.  We sat on the large terrace shaded by large trees.  We ordered the menu of the day, a traditional roasted chicken and French fries.  We will describe this restaurant as worthy of a stop if one just wants a reasonably quick bite when sightseeing in Azay.  The food is adequate and reasonably priced.  You can probably get in and out in less than one hour, definitely fast food by French standards.

“Auberge Sainte-Catherine”:  We went to our antique dealer in Troo, and our favorite restaurant was closed.  We had lunch at the Sainte-Catherine, a hotel-restaurant on the other side of the village.  The old inn has been remodeled in a fairly modern country style that is both attractive and comfortable.  We had a good lunch, but decidedly not on par with the Cheval Blanc.

“Hotel du Cheval Blanc”:  On our next visit to Troo, the Cheval Blanc was open and we had another delightful lunch.  This is one of the few restaurants worried about the impact of the new non-smoking law.  Since they sell cigarettes in the bar area, there may be some justification for the fear.  The dining room was fairly crowded on this visit.  The friendly and effective waitress did not miss a beat nonetheless.  She was helped from time to time by the patroness, still longing for retirement.  We selfishly hope that the date will not come soon as we really enjoy her husband’s cooking.

“L’Aubinière”:  Following the visit to Amboise’s Château with one of our guests, we drove to nearby Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes for an excellent lunch at l’Aubinière.  The lovely drive to Saint-Ouen is in contrast with the non-descript hotel housing l’Aubinière.  However, the dining room is pleasant and comfortable.  The food is decidedly way above average.  There seem to be some sort of common thread among a number of restaurants just below the Michelin one star rating.  They serve very good food, competently prepared, at reasonable prices (for what one gets) in an elegant comfortable décor.  And that is in sharp contrasts to the multi-starred restaurants, as we were to discover on our trips to Normandy, Champagne and Burgundy. These prepare a much less flavorful cuisine.  In general, we find the experience more pleasurable and much easier on the wallet.

“La Cazadéenne”:  The small crêperie in Artanne has become one of our favorite spot for a reasonably quick and light lunch.  The menu is made almost exclusively of stuffed crepes (made with either wheat or white flour) stuffed with some twenty or so different fillings.  They also serve a few pizzas, and have a daily menu which gives tremendous value.  The husband and wife team operate the small restaurant all by themselves in a simple but friendly manner.  We also had dinner there once with Jean-Jacques, Sylvie and Véronique.  The menu is the same as at lunch.  We all enjoyed the evening. 

“Charles Barrier”:  On a very hot September day, we celebrated our anniversary at Charles Barrier, the only one star restaurant in Tours that we had not tried.  We sat on the attractive terrace where the atmosphere was somewhat spoiled by the constant roar of traffic climbing the steep tranchée road right in front of the restaurant.  The food was very good.  We had heard some less than complimentary comments about Barrier.  Our only complaint (besides the street noise that is) was the steep bill at the end.  The food was excellent and we will certainly go back (and sit as far from the street as possible).

“La Licorne”:  Visiting Fontevraud with friends gave us an opportunity to have another lunch at la Licorne.  Lunch was very good and the service was excellent.  However, the food never seemed to rise to the level of excitement we experienced on our first visit a few years earlier when we ate an exceptional “tasting” menu.

“La Poêle d’Or”:  We drove frequently by this restaurant located at the entrance of Tours.  Since it was listed in the very reliable guide of the “Touraine Gourmande” we had targeted it for a test.  The terrace offers a lovely view of the Loire River.  But the décor is aged, bourgeois and tacky to excess.  We ordered from the not too appealing menu, and were served a mediocre lunch.  The patroness explained that they had tried to sell the restaurant for the last couple of years, but that no one seemed interested in putting out the hard work required to operate a restaurant gastronomique.  Obviously the tired décor and the bland tasteless cooking made us wish that they had found an energetic talented chef to rejuvenate the restaurant. (ed. Closed in 2008)

“Le Moulin Fleuri”:  The lovely restaurant is located on the Indre River, in Veigné, just outside of Monts.  We had been there for dinner and for lunch and had fairly good memories of our visits.  This time, the restaurant let us down.  The menu features an unusual selection of courses which did not work for us.  When we wished to select the more traditional starter, main course, desert combination we were bumped to a higher price “custom” menu.  And the food disappointed us as well.  The chef is obviously talented, but the selection of dishes lacked appeal and todays’ cooking was flat.  Given the inflated prices, we were disappointed with our meal.

Geographical List (end of 2005)

As 2005 comes to an end, we thought it might be helpful to organize our Touraine Restaurant experiences in a more practical manner. In this section, the restaurants are listed geographically. We start in Tours and move in a clockwise fashion away from Tours, in a radius of approximately 20 KM around Tours.

“Le Petit Patrimoine” is a very small bistro on the pedestrian section of Rue Colbert between the Rue Nationale, Tours main shopping street, and the Cathedral Saint-Gatien.  This section of the street is one restaurant after another serving informal food from most part of Europe and even the world.  Le Petit Patrimoine serves a daily set menu, very reasonable, and quite well prepared.  Service is very informal and rushed but friendly.  A convenient place to drop in but reservations an hour or so ahead are advisable since the place is very small.

“Le Mastroquet”, located on the square next to Les Halles, is a much more formal and traditional country inn.  The food is well prepared and the menu is very classical, reasonably priced and competently served.  The décor is warm but unimaginative. It is a quiet and comfortable oasis after a busy shopping morning.

“Restaurant Eden”, right off the Place de la République, in the center of the shopping district, is sort of a find.  Small, unpretentious, somewhat funky, it serves a quick tasty carte of salads and pasta with a distinctive Mediterranean overtone.  The service is very informal but efficient and prices are very reasonable.

“Bistrot de la Tranchée”, is on the north side of the river. We went back to theowned by Jean Barrière who runs a one star restaurant next door (which we have yet to try).  We had a nice lunch the previous year when the restaurant was empty.  This time we squeezed into the non-smoking section (in other words next to the smoking section) and had a mediocre lunch.  The service was very amateurish (a rarity in these parts) and the experience very forgettable, to be kind.

“Bardet” is where we celebrated an anniversary. It is the reigning one and only two star restaurant of Touraine.  Somewhat controversial with restaurant critics, Bardet is set in an elegant XVIII century mansion in the midst of a delightful garden.  On a hot day we had our aperitif on the terrace before moving to the very formal but not terribly attractive and somewhat stilted dining room.  The carte is very elaborate, mostly classique, and very expensive.  We had an excellent lunch but not memorable.  It lacked imagination, creativity, surprise. (Ed. Closed in 2009 - Bardet retired)


Moving from Tours in a clockwise fashion, the village of Rochecorbon along the Loire River provided us with a couple of promising stops.

“La Lanterne” tempted us as we drove by on a number of occasions.  There always seemed to be a number of local cars parked in the small parking lot across the road.  When I made the reservations, I was surprised to hear the hostess answering in French with a distinctive Australian accent.  We met her, broken arm in a cast, and found that she was indeed from Australia and had met her French chef husband when visiting France some forty years earlier.  The simple but formal bourgeois inn serves a very classical fare, well prepared, fairly priced.  The service is friendly and effective.  Fluent English is spoken, and that is not all that common in this area.  The food is good but not memorable. (Ed. Closed as of September 2006).

“Domaine des Hauts de Roche”. We stayed at the hotel, a troglodyte Relais et Châteaux three years earlier while waiting for our container to arrive.  We had been very impressed with the restaurant.  We came back to celebrate a birthday.  The gorgeous dining room is attended by very friendly, competent and impeccable staff.  The chef is from Brittany, and the carte relies heavily on Atlantic fish.  The preparations are elegant and the fish quality is superb.  But Brittany style cuisine tends to be on the minimalist style and we found most of the dishes lacking in flavor.  The wine steward is very knowledgeable and served us some excellent reasonable local wines.  This is a wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion.

“L’Aubinière”. Following a visit to Jacky Blot our favorite wine grower near Montlouis, we looked in the excellent guide, “La Touraine Gourmande” for a restaurant nearby. L'Aubiniere is located in St. Ouen-les-Vignes, a charming village ten kilometers north of the Loire.  Unfortunately, this being a Saturday, the restaurant was booked.  The owner gently but firmly pushed us away until Lynn spotted an empty table on the covered terrace.  It was a cool and grey day and she informed us that it was too cold to eat outside.  At that time her husband, the chef, came out of the kitchen and she asked if he could handle two extra meals, to which he immediately acquiesced.  The terrace overlooks a lovely garden.  We had an excellent lunch and our less than friendly hostess metamorphosed into a delightful waitress.  We will go back to L’Aubinière after making sure that we have a reservation.

“Domaine de la Tortinière” is a XIX century château in the middle of a large park, tucked away in Veigné less than fifteen kilometers north east of Thilouze.  On a gorgeous Sunday, we descended into the “orangerie” overlooking the Indre River.  The dining room would benefit from rejuvenation.  Fortunately, the view made up for the unattractive décor.  We had a fairly good lunch, but nothing very special or extraordinary.  La Tortinière is a nice place to have lunch on a pleasant summer day.

“Auberge du Moulin Fleuri” We came for dinner.  We went back for lunch and again were the only guests in the attractive dining room which exhibits paintings from various local artists.  The lunch was excellent and the Plateau de Fromage simply exceptional.  A very nice place (if a little pricey), very close, where we will return on occasion.

“Auberge de la Courtille” is in the town of Montbazon. We often drove in front of it, an inviting country inn right along the N10 highway.  One day, back from shopping in Chambray-les –Tours, we stopped for lunch.  The pleasant bourgeois dining room walls are covered with paintings of dogs and cats.  The local artist paints pets on commission.  We were tempted to have her paint Soufflé but eventually abandoned the idea.  The lunch was well prepared and the carte was appealing if not very original.  The service was good if not as professional or friendly as in some of the other local restaurants.
 
“Chateau de Brou”. Our tapissier (upholsterer), Christian Hulin and our menuisier (carpenter), Dominique Courtois, invited us to dinner at the “Chateau de Brou” in Noyant, about fifteen kilometers south east of Thilouze.  We had stayed overnight on a previous trip.  We sat for drinks and were joined by the owner.  Around 9:30 PM we adjourned to the dining room where we were served a superb dinner accompanied by very good wines.  It was well after midnight when the party broke up promising to find excuses to do it again the next time around.

“Auberge de Ile” is another discovery from the Touraine Gourmande guide.  During a “brocante” search on a previous trip, we stumbled on to the awkward looking modern building on a small island in the middle of the River Vienne.  Inside the dining room is very modern but with a bourgeois comfort.  We were welcomed by the hostess sporting a punk rock hairstyl
The food is creative, but more importantly very good and the prices are rather fair.  We went back to the auberge in the middle of Ile Bouchard barely twenty kilometers south of Thilouze.  Our second visit was even better than the first.  The quality of the ingredients is only surpassed by the care the chef takes preparing them.  The experience certainly compares favorably with many starred restaurants.

“Auberge du Val de Vienne” is a little farther west, along the Vienne is the small town of Sazilly right in the middle of some of the best Chinon vineyards.  L'Auberge du Val de Vienne”, also in the Touraine Gourmande guide, was favorably compared by some American friends who own a house nearby to our favorite restaurant in the whole of Touraine, Auberge du XIIe Siècle in Saché.  We could not resist trying the restaurant and on a gloomy Sunday we entered the attractive newly remodeled dining room full of noisy customers, particularly a Belgian foursome sitting right behind us.  The décor is slightly eclectic and trendy.  The dining room is a little somber with garish lighting.  We did enjoy the food, but would not compare it to our favorite Inn in Saché.  The food and the service do not come close.  Nonetheless, we had a very pleasant lunch and would not hesitate to go back when convenient.

“Le Saint Nicolas Gourmand” is still farther west, and just north of the Loire. “Le Saint Nicolas Gourmand” is in the village of St. Nicolas de Bourgueil, famous for its Cabernet Franc red wines.  The inn is in on the main road and recently redecorated with more good intentions than good taste.  The dining room is nonetheless very comfortable in a bourgeois atmosphere.  The proprietress is originally from Belgium.  We became good friends rapidly.  The chef’s brother lives in Thilouze and they visit him frequently.  We had a good lunch, which included the first carp we ever tasted.  While it was a nice fish, we probably would not go out of our way to try it again. 

“Maison Errard” is in the picturesque town of Langeais and its medieval château. On a torrid day, we had lunch at “Maison Errard”.  We sat on the terrace, strangely divided into two zones, the bistro and the restaurant.  A table cloth distinguishes the restaurant’s tables from the bare tables of the bistro.  We had a adequate lunch served by a well intended but not very competent waiter assisted here and there by the proprietress who did not hesitate to correct him in front of the patrons.  This is perhaps the only disappointing meal we had from a restaurant listed in the Touraine Gourmande guide.  It is likely to still be the best restaurant in Langeais and will be adequate for tired and hungry visitors of the Château. 

“Auberge de Port Vallière” is one of our very favorite restaurants in the area. It is close to Tours in Port Vallière near Fondette and just across the road from the Loire river.  It changed owners a couple of years earlier, just before our first visit. 
The new proprietress is from Perpignan and has not lost her Mediterranean accent.  We did not hear the chef, her husband talk, but he speaks eloquently through his cuisine.  The dining room is sunny with some bright fabric and faux painting on the walls.  The food is superb.  We had the best escargots we have ever eaten.  We will almost certainly stop by at least once during each trip to le Plessis.

“Le Saponaire”. On a sunny Sunday we invited Jean Jacques, Sylvie, Véronique and Philippe to join us for lunch to thank them for taking such good care of Le Plessis during our absence.  We chose “Le Saponaire” in the picturesque town of Savonnière which is squeezed between limestone hills and the calm Cher River, just west of Tours.  The terrace overlooking the river was nice and warm but lacked a few decorating touches.  We had been to Le Saponaire the year before shortly after it had opened and had enjoyed a very nice lunch.  On this Sunday the restaurant and the terrace were full and the charming proprietress and her helper, running like chickens with their heads cut off still could not keep up with the demand.  More unfortunately, her husband, the chef, seemed to have had a bad day.  We started with an uninspired menu, and were served unremarkable food.  Fortunately our guests seemed to enjoy themselves.  Unless the food improves, we will not go back to the restaurant.

“La Maison Tourangelle”. Another new restaurant has recently opened in Savonnière.  The waitress at the Château de Brou had highly recommended “La Maison Tourangelle” whose chef was a friend of hers.  Located in a converted hotel overlooking the river, the dining room has been entirely redone in a minimalist modern style.  It is clean and attractive if not particularly in our decorating style.  The food was just as good as advertised and the service was friendly, professional and effective.  We like to drive through Savonniere and will certainly go back to La Maison Tourangelle. 

“Le Domaine de la Giraudière”. Just outside of Villandry, less than ten kilometers from Thilouze, “Le Domaine de la Giraudière” is a must stop.  Located in a working farm, specializing in goat cheeses, the four dining rooms and the large terrace seem to be completely packed with locals every Sunday.  The hearty country fare is generous, the menu is somewhat limited.  However, the ingredients are impeccably fresh, the service family style.  The prices are most reasonable and the owner is absolutely charming.  Walking around the farm after lunch and watching the animals is fun if hazardous.  On one visit, we discovered a goat who had managed to entangle her horns in the fence protecting a tree.  We called the owner who in turn enrolled my help.  I had to grab the two horns and bend them close together to pull the poor goat out of the fence.  She thanked me immediately by watering my shoes.  The hazards of country life!

“La Grotte”. Our neighbors, the Tessiers, spoke highly of a restaurant in nearby Azay-le-Rideau.  We had never heard of “La Grotte”.  Located on the north shore of the Indre River, I decided to investigate during one of my frequent bicycle rides.  I rode the back road to Saché where I crossed the Indre River.  The road to Azay closely follows the river, crossing the hamlets of La Sablonnière, and Perre.  Along the short ten kilometers ride, I discovered two lovely water mills, an impressive château probably dating from the XIV to the XVI century and another semi dilapidated XVIII century château in the middle of a handsome park.  As I arrived in Azay-le-Rideau, the restaurant La Grotte appeared welcoming enough and the carte posted on the front gate seemed interesting.  We tried it a few days later.  The dining room is carved into the rock as the name of the restaurant implies.  While nicely decorated in Provencal style, it does feel slightly claustrophobic.  The food was quite tasty and the prices were reasonable.  We concluded that it was on par with the other two top restaurants in Azay and it is very conveniently located near the castle. We will probably go back because of its convenient location. (Ed. Renamed Le Bistro with a simpler menu in 2009 - we have not yet tried)

“La Casadéenne”. One of our favorite places to have a simple lunch or an early dinner is “La Casadéenne” very nearby in the village of Artanne.  It is a simple crêperie serving very good pizzas and of course various crepes for main courses and desert.  Unpretentious and very reasonable it is a great place to stop when one is not hungry for a full multi course meal.  The chef is actually pretty talented and it amazes us how he can turn up so many variations out of his tiny kitchen with one four burners stove and his wood burning oven.  As of this date we must have stopped for lunch or dinner as many as five or six times and have never been disappointed.

“Auberge du XIIe Siecle”. Last but definitely not least, as is now our custom, on four occasions, we visited our most favorite restaurant the “Auberge du XIIe Siecle” in Saché less than five minutes from Le Plessis.  On one of our visits, we invited the “local Host” hired by the rental agency to take care of our renters.  She knew the place and enjoyed it as much as we did.  On a sunny day we ate out on the shaded terrace and chose the more elaborate “Balzac” menu.  It was superb.  On our last visit we decided to go for the tasting menu, the “Calder” menu.  It was magnificent.  It is our incredible luck that the best restaurant in Touraine is just five minutes away from Le Plessis.  The staff is totally professional, very knowledgeable about the food.  The wine list includes a superb selection of Loire Valley wines and the sommelier can be relied on to make judicious recommendations, based on marrying the wine with the food and not at all on prices.  What can I say, this is a gem.

Restaurants (2002-2005)

Château de Brou (Ste. Maure - 2005)
At dinner time, we were joined by friends and by the Giraults the charming owners of Brou.  The Giraults, who owned a number of commercial hotels, were looking for a property for hunting.  They fell in love with Brou which is surrounded by nearly 250 acres of woods where pheasants, deer and wild boars abound.  They bought the property from a group of nuns, and converted the château into a first class small château-hotel.
The dinner was superb.  Monsieur Girault happens to be a wine collector.  He went down to his cave (cellar) and brought out a few of his most prized possessions.  One of them, a twenty year old Chinon Blanc had a bad cork and he had to go back to the cellar to find an appropriate replacement.  It was well past midnight when we got up from the table, thankful that we only had to walk a few yards to our room in the tower, instead of driving back to Thilouze.

Le Cheval Blanc (Troo - 2004)
Having worked up an appetite, we entered Le Cheval Blanc where we were the only guests except for an English couple who came in as we were enjoying our dessert.  The décor of the restaurant is comfortable bourgeois, without much taste. The food on the other hand is innovative, creative, and above all well prepared.  Le Cheval Blanc is a little known gem well worth visiting time and time again.

Auberge de Port Valliere – Fondette (2005)
For our last two Sundays in Touraine, we diligently pursued our newly adopted tradition of exploring the area restaurants over Sunday lunch.  On a glorious sunny Sunday, but with an icy wing blowing, we headed for “The Auberge de Port Vallière” along the Loire River, in the town of Fondette, just west of Tours. 
It was a lucky find.  We had attempted to walk in on a Sunday the previous year, but the place was fully booked.  This time we made reservations.  In the meanwhile, the restaurant had changed ownership and chef.  The warm and fresh dining room was comfortable and attractive.  The colorful drapes covering the windows are reversible.  So we saw them in their warm and bright winter colors.  In the summer, the drapes are a softer pastel color. 
The lunch was the highlight, however.  We had an excellent luncheon menu if slightly pricey.  Every course was original, attractive and delicious.  We decided to add this lovely place to our recommended list and to visit it again on our next trip. 

Le Clapotis (Saint-Avertin - 2005
Our last visit was to “Le Clapotis” in Saint-Avertain, Tour’s southern suburb.  The restaurant is a little hard to find, tucked in the backside of the lower floor of a large office complex. 
It overlooks a small lake.  The modern décor is decidedly unattractive.  The view of the lake was not much of an attraction on this cold gray drizzly hazy day.  The food however turned out to be quite good and very reasonably priced.  The restaurant was not crowded for a Sunday lunch and the service friendly, our waiter speaking with the thick singing accent from the Languedoc region.

Auberge du XIIe Siècle (Saché -2004)
Our favorite restaurant was crowded as usual.  We sat at the corner table and enjoyed another superb lunch.  Our tapissier iis a good friend of the Chef-Owner, Thierry Jimenez (and maybe of every other good chef in Touraine!).  After lunch, he invited the chef and his partner Xavier Aubrun to have a champagne drink with us.  We had a pleasant conversation.  It turns out that over 80% of their clientele are local regulars.  They do not rely on the tourist trade.  When asked why they did not have the coveted Michelin second star, Jimenez explained that he feared such an award.  He much preferred serving two star food at a one star price in a one star atmosphere, rather than having to upgrade the décor and prices to maintain the two star rigid requirements.  It would attract a different clientele and he did not want that either.  We thought this was an interesting perspective.

Le Saint Romain (Saint-Romain-sur-Cher – 2004) – near the Château de Valancay
On our way we visited a winery in Saint Romain-sur-Cher and bought a couple cases of nice, but not great, Sauvignon de Touraine.  We stopped for lunch at “Le Saint Romain”.  It was a very traditional 2 ½ hour Sunday lunch in a comfortable bourgeois dining room without much attraction.  The lunch was very good but not exceptional.  This restaurant will not make our personal guide book.

Les Palmiers (Tours – 2003)
Besides introducing us to Paul and Flaure, Josette, of the French San Rafael connection, had also recommended a Moroccan Restaurant in Tours.  We found “Les Palmiers” near les Halles in the center of the town.  Baby Dahby, the owner, happened to be there at lunch time.  We chatted and reminisced about our wonderful trips to Morocco.  He told us of his trips to the US where he has relatives.  He happens to be a renowned magician and participates in magic conventions in France, North Africa, and the US. 
On Baby’s recommendation, we ordered couscous, and were served huge bowls of semolina accompanied with dish after dish of stewed meats, and vegetables.  The food was excellent and generous to an excess.

Auberge de L’Ile (Iles-Bouchard – 2003)
We had a great time exploring the Brocante on Easter Monday and decided to satiate our growing appetite by driving to Iles-Bouchard some 10 KM to the west and try the “Auberge de L’Ile”.  Luckily it was open (Easter Monday is a holiday in France).  The décor is somewhat pleasant in a very modern style, and the food was superb.  We decided to add the Auberge to our growing guide of local restaurants. 

Château de Marcay (near Chinon – 2003)
On Sunday, following a traditional French breakfast with croissant and pain au chocolat, we put on our heavy coats and boots and took a walk through the park.  In need of thawing, we drove to Chinon and the nearby Château de Marcay for a superb Sunday lunch under battering icy rain.

La Marina (Savonnière – 2003)
We drove to Savonnière to try a little café-restaurant “La Marina” which he seemed to particularly enjoy.  The Marina’s main asset is its low price.  Otherwise we would call it a “dive”.  The food was not bad, but totally uninspiring.  The décor has not changed in 40 or 50 years, as witnessed by the yellowing paint on the walls.   The clientele was made up of a few locals and tradesman looking for hearty food at reasonable prices.  There was a copy of Heller’s book on the bar counter.  The owners had not read it since they do not speak English, but they volunteered that every few weeks during the summer season American tourists would stop by and have lunch there, most of them writing short comments on the book cover.  We abstained!

La Roche-le-Roy (Saint-Avertin - 2003).
One of our very favorite restaurants in the area is “La Roche-le-Roy” in Saint-Avertin on the Northern side of Tours.  It turned out that our tapissiser had just finished a major design project, remodeling the two upstairs dining rooms.  On our last night in Thilouze, he invited us to dinner at la Roche-le-Roy.  Obviously a good friend of the owners, the Chevaliers, he had reserved the best table in the restaurant. 
Madame Chevalier attended to the service and we had a wonderful dinner.  Christian is a wine aficionado, and as all good Frenchmen, has very specific opinions as to which wine should go with which food.  The result is that we were treated to lovely Burgundy wines, the Loire Valley wines being too acidy to satisfy Christian. We came home, late of course, following a wonderful dinner.

Auberge du XIIe Siècle (Saché – 2003)
On Sunday, we were invited to have lunch in our favorite restaurant, l’Auberge du XIIe Siècle in Saché.  Since Sunday is most popular for lunching out in France, we just managed to get a table inside, while all the other guests were eating outside on the terrace.  The five course menu in our private dining room was as good as we remembered.  Some two and half hours later, our happy guests left us to drive back to Paris. 

La Promenade (Le Petit Pressigny – 2003) – near the Château of Loches
The restaurant “La Promenade” sits in the center of the sleepy village of Le Petit Pressigny.  Michelin found it worthy of one star.  The old house opens into a surprisingly modern dining room, with Plexiglas partitions separating the immaculate white tablecloth tables.  The bare tile floor adds to the sterile atmosphere.  The Maitre d’Hôtel, who doubles as the Sommelier, immediately put us at ease.  The restaurant was barely half full.  He commented on the very difficult summer they had, particularly since they are off the main tourist routes.  He guided us through the seductive menu and selected some superb Loire Valley wines to accompany our seven course extravaganza.  As we departed after the obligatory two and a half hour lunch, we concluded that the kitchen was worthy of a second star, but that the out of context décor probably kept Michelin inspectors back from awarding another star.

La Licorne (Fontevraud – 2003)
Following our visit we walked to la Licorne, a one star restaurant where we had enjoyed a magnificent lunch the year before.  The meal was excellent but short of our expectations resulting from our memory of the previous visit.

La Roche-le-Roy (Saint-Avertin - 2002)
Discussing the pros and cons of various forms of faux paint texture for the living room and dining room with our tapissier, he suggested that we plan to have lunch at La Roche-le-Roy in Tours.  He had just finished re-decorating the upstairs dining room and was the decorator of the main dining room which we had admired during a previous visit.  It appears that he is a good friend of the Couturiers, the chef and his English wife, who coincidentally are also good friends of our architects.  Touraine is indeed a very small world. 
Anyway, since we love the restaurant we did not hesitate to follow his suggestion and we had another very good, very enjoyable lunch at La Roche-le-Roy.  The Maitre D, who happens to be part owner as well, proudly took us on a tour of the newly redecorated upstairs private dining room.  It is very handsome indeed, even though perhaps not in our favorite color scheme.  The muted grey palette seems just a little too cold for us.  However, quality details abound, including a wonderful door hidden behind rows of leather bound books and opening into an additional small private dining room.  The faux paint on the walls was very good and we decided to have the painter come to Le Plessis and test his talent in the living room.

Auberge du XIIe Siècle (Saché – 2000 & 2002)
Our planned lunch was at the Auberge du XIIe Siècle in the village of Saché, home of Balzac.  The Auberge has a well deserved Michelin star.  We arrived past 1:59 PM some 30 seconds before closing time.  The owner graciously agreed to serve what turned out to be the best meal of our stay.  In particular, he recommended a particularly good and reasonably priced bottle of Vouvray, one of the Loire’s better wine districts. 
Two years later, we made another appearance at the Auberge luckily located less than 10 minutes from Le Plessis.  When I reminded the owner of our visit two years prior and of his superb wine recommendation, he astonished us by not only recognizing us, but also remembering the wine.  Of course he was on safe ground since I didn’t remember the specific vineyard myself.  He went on to make another superb recommendation and again when we came back for a lunch with our realtor.
In fact, at each and every restaurant, we found a sommelier or sommelière with extraordinary breadth of knowledge about the superb wines of the Loire.  The wines of the Loire Valley are particularly challenging.  There are thousands of individual growers, each with only a few dozen acres.  Each recommendation turned out to be pleasant discoveries.  Some of the wines were world class, but not the prices.

Lynn & Gérald de Kerchove “Tour de France Gastronomique”

Les Baux-de-Provence *** “L’Oustau de Baumanière” http://www.oustaudebaumaniere.com
One of the most beautiful geographical settings in France.  Superb hotel (get a room with a terrace).  We haven’t been there in over fifteen years.  Founder Raymond Thuillier passed away a few years ago.  Recent reports indicate that current chef. may be even better.
Laguiole *** « Michel Bras » http://www.michel-bras.com
We spent a W/E in Laguiole in 2002.  The dinner at Michel Bras(tasting menu) was one of the two or three best meals we have ever had.  The minimalist décor of the rooms is not high on our list, but the setting and the views are exquisitely peaceful.
Saint-Emilion ** « Hostellerie de Plaisance » http://www.hostellerie-plaisance.com
Philippe Etchebest offered us a menu « surprise »while asking for our preferences.  It was superb in a classic style (2004).  The hotel is superbly located in the center of Saint Emilion (note: get a lower floor room with a terrace; some of the rooms are very small)
Èze ** « Château de la Chèvre d’Or » http://www.chevredor.com
Incredible setting overlooking the Mediterranée.  We first stayed there in 1971.  The room in a small house (hundreds of steps!) had the most incredible terrace with unlimited views.  We have been back for lunch on a number of occasions and the food is very good.  Superbgoatcheese tray.
Eugénie-les-Bains.*** « Les Prés d’Eugénie » http://www.michelguerard.com
Michel Guérard, the inventor of the Nouvelle Cuisine style in the seventies, has created a small paradise in Eugénie-les-Bains.  Lovely rooms and excellent food.  On our last visit, we received a call during dinner, announcing that Soufflé, our dog, had become blind.  The Chef, seeing Lynn’s tears, worried that we did not like his food!
Reims *** « Château Les Crayères » http://www.lescrayeres.com
We have never been to Les Crayères.  It is high on our list of places to visit as it consistently rated as one of the best hotels and restaurants in France.
Valance ***  « Maison Pic » http://www.pic-valence.fr
We had a fantastic lunch at « Pic » in the mid eighties.  It was our first visit to a three star restaurant and we were enchanted with the visit.  Since then, Anne-Sophie Pic has taken over the kitchen from her father and the reviewers unanimously reports that she is best chef the family ever produced.  The restaurant is housed in a “maison bourgeoise” without much appeal.  We did not stay at the hotel which is furnished in a modern style.
Vonnas *** « Georges Blanc » http://www.georgesblanc.com
Somewhat like Michel Guérard in Eugénie, Georges Blanc seems to own the village of Vonnas.  We visited on New Year ’s Eve in the late eighties.  We stayed in a huge but bizarre room.  The réveillon dinner was very good, but below our expectations.  It was unquestionably an experience.
Onzin ** « Domaine des Hauts de Loire » http://www.domainehautsloire.com
Our first visit dates back to the seventies.  We have since been back on two occasions.  The Domaine has grown in size, has been extensively modernized and upgraded (not necessarily for the better) and has gathered a phenomenal reputation.  We enjoyed each of our stays and ate very well indeed.
Lunéville **  « Château d’Adoménil » http://www.adomenil.com
Located near Nancy, Adomenil is a real find.  We visited on Christmas day 2008.  The Christmas lunch was absolutely phenomenal.  The décor is modern eclectic, and our room in the annex was very comfortable, very spacious but had a bizarre layout.  Since we were staying overnight, the chef whipped up a light delightful supper, even though the restaurant was closed.  The owner is perhaps the most charming hostess we have ever met.
Chagny ** « Lameloise » http://www.lameloise.fr
We first stayed at Lameloise in 1971.  Our room was right on the N6 and we did not sleep a wink.  We came back in 2006 and the N6 is no longer there.  Our room was comfortable if not exceptional.  We enjoyed a superb dinner.
Mougins ** « Le Moulin de Mougins » http://www.moulindemougins.com
We enjoyed a couple of memorable lunches at Le Moulin during its glory under Roger Vergé.  The site is enchanting, and the décor is in the best of taste.  We never stayed at Le Moulin but it appears to be a wonderful hotel as well. 
Pauillac ** « Château Cordeillan Bages » http://www.cordeillanbages.com
Thierry Marx is the one iconoclast French chef determined to outdo the-chemist of the Spanish cooking vogue.  Dining at Cordeillan Bages is an unforgettable experience, but not necessarily one to repeat. The hotel is in gorgeous chartreuse.  The rooms are comfortable without being exceptional.

Our thirteen étapes of this Tour de France Gastronomique cover most of the French territory.  However, it has a definite southern emphasis with four stops in the Southeast and three in the Southwest. 
Our favorites?  If we had to choose, our top four would be:

1. Michel Bras
2. Hostellerie de Plaisance
3. Les Prés d’Eugénie
4. L’Oustau de Baumanière

In picking our favorites we considered the quality and the originality of the table, the beauty and the attractiveness of the site; the comfort and the charm of the sojourn, the warmth and friendliness of the accueil.  Note that it is important to investigate and select the best room in each establishment.  The best can be exceptional; the worst can ruin the experience.