The Loire Valley is a fabulous place to dine and offers a wide range of eating experiences from local, traditional rustic cuisine to gourmande michelin star restaurants. This guide will give you a little flavour as to what is on offer. That is if you can manage to eat after our delicious breakfasts!!

There are a wide range of restaurants in the local area to suit every taste and pocket. To help you plan your dining experiences during your stay, here is our own review of the restaurants that we recommend with distances based on location to La Grande Maison by car.

Those marked *** are special occasion restaurants we consider worth trying whilst you are in the area. Simply click on the restaurant to go to their website.

Close by Cheerful, Good Value & Very Local

Bouchon Ponot Le Puy Notre Dame 5 mins - Good local traditional food in closest village. Friendly waitress Magali who speaks good English. Not fussy just relaxed & casual with a few local wines. The kind of restaurant you want after a long journey.

Le Puy au Vins Le Puy Notre Dame 5 mins - Local wine bar with casual lunches and occasional soirées when open

Auberge Bienvenue Doue la Fontaine 10 mins - Fine dining with good value fixed price menus and a la carte in a local Logis de France

La Barbacane Montreuil Bellay 15 mins - Terrace overlooking the Chateau of Montreuil Bellay. Dining outside on warm evenings, salads, grills etc

Auberge des Isles Montreuil Bellay 15 mins - At the foot of the Chateau of Montreuil Bellay by the River Thouet

L’Escalier St Pierre Montreuil Bellay 15 mins - Handy creperie for savoury galettes and sweet crepes

There are also many other restaurants in nearby Doue la Fontaine only 10 minutes away if you want to drive into town and check them out.


Gourmande :

*** Tresor Belge Pouancay 20 minutes -  Let Marc and André entertain you in true Belgian fashion. Belgian cuisine and beers a speciality. Come home with a box of fresh Belgian chocolates if you dare!

Les Menestrels Saumur 20 minutes - Fine dining in Saumur

*** Favre d’Anne Angers 45 minutes - Michelin * and French celebrity chef Pascal produce some amazing dishes. Whilst Mathilde surprises you with her wine selection with each course. Worth the drive for a special treat or after a day out in the city of Angers.

*** La Gambetta  Saumur 20 minutes - Michelin * amazing food presentation and superb Loire wine list. Decor, service and ambience very French

*** Logis de Pompois Pompois 30 minutes - A real treat in store especially the cheese board. A rather special restaurant which aids the training and employment of mentally impaired chefs and waiting staff into the restaurant business. Superb presentation and service. (Should have a Michelin *)

La Licorne  Fontevraud Abbaye 40 minutes - Michelin * and possibly the best place to find a bottle of the elusive but delicious Clos Rougeard

Diane de Meridor - Montsoreau 45 minutes - Fine dining by the Loire in Montsoreau

Smart Hotel Restaurants

Le Prieure - Chenehutte 30 minutes - Very sit up straight but great for cocktails high up over the Loire river. Great setting.

Le Prieure - Fontevraud Abbey - Fontevraud 40 minutes Historic dining in the cloisters of the Abbey.

Manoir de Restigné  Bourgeuil 45 minutes - Michelin * in 2010 and as it says on their website "The delicate cooking of Damien cousseau is an appointment for you to achieve a feeling of fullness." ;)


Autour du Vin


Taverne d’Antoine Les Ulmes 15 minutes  - Casual dining, good food and great local wines

Pot au Lapin - Saumur 20 minutes - This is a Loire wine lovers restaurant and the foods not bad either - advisable to book.

L’Aromate - Saumur 20 minutes - Popular with the Saumur locals in the know. Inventive cuisine and good selection of Loire wines.

*** Domaine de la Bergerie - Champ sur Layon 40 minutes - Vineyard setting with wines from the domaine. Great for lunch whilst out touring in the Anjou area.

*** La Table Square Chaufonds Sur Layon 50 minutes - For those who want to go a little further afield. Contemporary setting towards Savenniere.

Cafe de la Promenade - Bourgueil 45 minutes - Great meat/cheese platters with wines by the glass if you are out touring in the Bourgeuil area

L’Escargot - Saumur 20 minutes - Casual dining, good food and great local wines


Enfin du Vin - Candes st Martin 45 minutes  - Wine bar and wine shop. Great selection of organic and natural wines. Damien will help you select a wine from the chalk board listing to go with cheese/charcuterie boards for lunch.

Comptoir de Vins - Fontevraud 40 minutes - Sister wine bar of the Promenade in Bourgeuil

Le Croissette Guinguette Behuard Savennieres 50 minutes - Riverside dining on the island of Behuard a summer favourite

Cave Restaurants / Traditional Loire

Les Caves de Genevraie Montreuil Bellay 15 minutes - Traditional cave restaurant with set menu that includes wine. Serves fouace, rillettes, goats cheese, cassoulet. Should be tried once for the experience whilst in the Loire.

Caves Rou Marson - Treves 30 minutes - Traditional restaurant with set menu that includes wine. Serves fouace, rillettes, goats cheese, cassoulet.

Caves aux MoinesL’Helianthe Turquant 30 minutes - Probably the most sophisticated of this type of cave restaurant. More choice and advisable to book.

Cabernet d’Anjou  Le Thoureil 30 minutes- Our favourite boating cafe and bar with sun terrace that looks onto the Loire. A good stop at anytime for a verre or great for a casual lunch, salads, omlette frite, bavette etc.

Le P’tite Guingette Gennes 25 mins - No website but a 3 course fab meal in a traditional bistrot setting for 12 euros makes this definitely worth a visit (lunchtime on Monday - Friday and Friday evening)

Fig Tart with a Cabernet Franc Ice Cream at Domaine de la Bergerie in Champ Sur Layon

Tel: 00 33 (0)2 41 40 35 06                           Email:  resv@lagrandemaison.net