Lizzie Byrne
Google
Vaut le détour. I've just had a three course dinner with a kir en apéritif, and 25cl of red Touraine wine for 32€. A gorgeous galette of potato and goat's cheese with a side of salad as a starter, tender and full of flavour on the palate. Mains of roast breast of chicken on the bone, in a creamy wholegrain mustard sauce; although not announced on the menu, it came with a generous side of creamy mash. For desert, a chocolate bomb, on what seemed to be a coconut base, with delicately stewed pieces of apple inside. The best meal I have had in France in ages. The chicken was slightly tough, the sauce a bit too mustardy, but these are meer quibbles. The helpings are generous and hearty. The place is buzzing, so be sure to reserve. The restaurant seems to be run by a team of young people, who are warm, efficient, charming and friendly. What's not to like? I am so well fed that I have had to stop for a digestif of cognac on the way back to my lodgings. I'm in Blois for the annual history festival, les Rendez-vous de l'histoire de Blois. But if you are touring the Loire Valley, make sure you stop over here for lunch or dinner. It's also an hotel, so you can stay over too and sleep off the feast. Be sure to leave a tip on the table for the utterly lovely staff.