Restaurant L'Epicurien - Abbaye de Villeneuve

Very elegant place. Waiters and sommelier can speak English. Very friendly. Food is so beautiful and tasty. Chief is incredible!

Since I finished my main challenges (every Michelin Stars in Paris and 3 Stars in France - follow me for all the reviews and updates), I’m working on new ones and exploring as much as I can. Notably I tried every new 2 stars and I explored all the new one Star around Vendée. This is a 2023 one star south of Nantes. The quiet luxury of an abbey What’s interesting here ? Trivia: This abbey is where the Dalaï lama stayed when he came in Nantes. Nothing screams more quiet luxury than an abbey. Castles and palaces are luxurious but a bit loud. Abbey gave smaller windows and gigantic common rooms. They are more private and have rooms inside for grandiose. This restaurant is the same. Two rooms with big tables, plenty of space, and really impeccable service. The service is on the high end side of a one star, which matches with what I saw in the hotel. The cuisine is discreetly modern rather than bourgeoise. It’s not based on the luxury of the products but on their qualities, their beauty. Quiet luxury is about the quality. You’ll have a beautiful beef, no need for truffles. And discreetly modern because it is modern. But you’re in an Abbey, the chef stays humble while magnifying the vegetables and being an excellent saucier. I was there a Sunday lunch so the crowd was family oriented. You can dress up a little bit because the place allows you to do so. And by the way the wine list has some interesting selection, so enjoy it. I have also no doubt that it will be a solid star. I may need to try the big tasting menu next time.

We had the tasting menu and the flavours and creativity were simply stunning. The service was perfect without being over the top with a cozy atmosphere. Knowledgeable staff helped with the wine selection and we had a fantastic evening. Thank you!

Incredible lunch at this Michelin starred restaurant. We got the fixed menu (5 courses including dessert). It was truly memorable. Maybe instead of the last meat (chicken) I’d have swapped for cheese but that’s just a minor detail as every dish was truly delicious and surprising. We paired it with a lovely glass of savennieres wine. The staff was lovely and attentive without being too intrusive. We enjoyed our coffee on the sunny terrace by the pool which came with a few extra sweet treats :) A wonderful meal and overall experience for all of us. Highly recommended. Maybe next time we’ll also try the hotel :)

We had the most amazing time at L’Epicurien. We got the 5 course prix fixe menu with wine pairing. Everything was exquisite and we very much appreciated the chef’s flexibility as my significant other doesn’t eat fish / sea food (but I do!). The cheese was out of this world, and the wine too. Service was impeccable. We’ll be back to l’Epicurien if we are ever in Nantes region again!

Fresh ingredients, nice menu suggestions, really good staff: good for both dates or business/lunch dinners.

Pour célébrer nos 40 ans de mariage, nous avons choisi ce restaurant étoilé "le 1201", situé à l'Abbaye de Villeneuve (début 13e) rénovée avec goût et intelligence. Le cadre est apaisant, ce qui a permis à l'ensemble de notre table (nous étions 7) de déguster avec attention chacun des 7 mets qui nous a été servi. La cuisine savoureuse et raffinée procure de l'émotion. L'équipe qui nous a accompagnés, ainsi que le sommelier, se sont montrés attentifs pour faire de ce déjeuner anniversaire une fête qui restera inoubliable pour chacun d'entre nous. Afin de parfaire notre enchantement, une visite de la cave a été organisée avec un autre sommelier, enthousiaste à l'idée de nous faire partager ses trésors et sa passion. Nos félicitations à toute l'équipe.

Nous avons passé un excellent moment dans ce restaurant étoilé. Nous avons opté pour le menu dégustation en sept services, à 120 euros par personne, accompagné d'une bouteille de vin. Le service était impeccable, le rythme des plats parfaitement orchestré, sans aucune attente excessive. Les mets étaient raffinés, joliment présentés et confectionnés avec des produits de grande qualité. L'ambiance était élégante, peut-être un peu formelle, mais le personnel était d'une grande gentillesse et d'une agréable convivialité. Nous avons savouré ce repas en amoureux pour célébrer nos onze ans de mariage.