Mike M.
Google
This was our first evening in Tours, marking the beginning of what we hoped would be a memorable journey through the Loire Valley. As a group of non-European visitors with limited experience in France, we were drawn here because of the Michelin guide and high Google ratings. Unfortunately, our experience turned out to be a complete disappointment, across food, service, and atmosphere. We left not only hungry, but more importantly, feeling unwelcome and unsafe.
Food: The portions were small (which we understand may be typical in France), and while I personally enjoyed the snail risotto starter, some of my friends found the snails fishy and not fresh. For mains, we ordered cod and veal. Sadly, both were overwhelmingly salty. The veal, though plated in a ‘fine-dining’ style, was dry and too salty, its presentation resembles a British Sunday Roast, but at a third of the portion size and without the hearty taste. The potatoes were passable but tasted like something from a UK university dining hall. The cod dish, which could have been a good pairing of creaminess and citrus, was similarly ruined by to much salt. In the end, we joked amongst ourselves that we would have preferred fish and chips or a British pub Sunday roast. We ended up going to McDonald’s across the alley right after.
Service: The service was among the worst we’ve experienced. The waitress appeared impatient and condescending when we attempted to speak in basic French, and her attitude suggested annoyance with our lack of fluency. The menu was entirely in French, and with no WiFi and poor signal, it took us a while to translate. We absolutely did not expect an English menu, but a little patience from staff would have been much appreciated. Some of us didn’t finish our meals due to the taste, and this again drew disapproving looks from the waitress, as if not finishing the food was a personal offence.
Atmosphere: The restaurant had a tense, unwelcoming vibe. The waitress carried on conversations with other (French) guests while delivering our plates, and the overall tone of the place felt rigid and disciplinary. Despite keeping our voices low and being respectful, we received gazes from others. It felt as if we were being judged or gossiped about, and the dynamic left us deeply uncomfortable. As anthropologists, we couldn’t help but reflect on the subtle power dynamics at play: this was an unexpectedly Foucaultian experience of surveillance, discipline, and subjectivity.
In summary:
AVOID AT ALL COST, especially non-European, visitors to avoid this restaurant. This was more than a bad meal, but above all a very much deeply saddened encounter. Our first night in France should have been nice; instead, it left us feeling othered and disappointed.
