St-Émilion
Knowing foodies adore this spectacular vineyard restaurant, born out of Jean Nouvel's designer revamp of Château La Dominique's wine cellars, 5km north of…
Must-see restaurants in Atlantic Coast
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Bordeaux
To dine à la Gordon Ramsay without breaking the bank, reserve a table at his elegant belle époque brasserie with an interesting Anglo-French hybrid…
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Bordeaux
Follow the hip crowd across the river to this huge industrial hangar on the right bank, France's biggest and best organic restaurant with a gargantuan…
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Nantes
This buzzing neobistro would be right at home in Paris. Market-sourced, modern and wholly creative cuisine by English chef Dominic Quirke (a Newcastle lad…
Bordeaux
Filled with the aroma of soup simmering inside a tupina ('kettle' in Basque) over an open fire, this iconic bistro is feted for its seasonal southwestern…
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Atlantic Coast
Cognac brandy invariably stars in the inventive, veg- and pulse-packed dishes of chefs Nathalie and Delphine at L'Arty Show, an edgy bistro with vintage…
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La Rochelle
The Basket of Crabs is, funnily enough, a self-proclaimed bistrot de gens de mer (seafarers' bistro) dishing up sensational Marennes d'Oléron oysters,…
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La Rochelle
Opened in the 1950s as a waterfront seafood cafe, André grew so popular it began buying adjacent shops. It is now an eye-catching maze of eight different…
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St-Émilion
A few doors down from the tourist office, this wine bar with fire-engine-red façade is one of the finest places to eat – and inevitably drink – in this…
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Bordeaux
Seasonal market produce and a generous pinch of creativity form the backbone of this bistrot coloré (colourful bistro), tucked down a backstreet lane…
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Bordeaux
Reservations are essential at this Michelin-starred restaurant and wine cellar where vins d'auteur (carefully curated wines by small regional wine…
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Bordeaux
Talented young chef Léo Forget is turning heads in foodie Bordeaux with his striking new locavore neobistro, with stylish zinc bar, mix of rough chip-wood…
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Île de Ré
Grab a straw hat to keep off the sun, snag a table overlooking oyster beds and indulge in a plate of freshly shucked oysters, an entire crab, shrimps,…
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Bordeaux
There's nothing flashy or fancy about this hardcore French bistro, an ode to traditional market cuisine with charismatic François front of house and…
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La Rochelle
Lunch local. Between 10am and 1pm buy a dozen oysters from one of the stands in front of the Marché Central, pay and ask for them to be shucked, then head…
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Nantes
Bruno Triballeau, chef at the French embassy in Bogota for 10 years, and his Colombian wife make a formidable duo at this stylish cevicheria. In their…
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Arcachon
Stunning shellfish and seafood to suit most budgets, gracious service and an elegant terrace on the seafront with white tablecloths makes this…
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Arcachon
Each year this pop-up beach hut on sandy Plage Pereire is built afresh, much to the joy of local foodies and bons vivants who flock here for tasty seafood…
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Bordeaux
Dining at the Michelin two-starred, gastronomic restaurant of 18th-century Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux is staggering. Presided over by celebrity British chef…
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Bordeaux
Whatever the time of day, Horace can do no wrong. Outstanding speciality coffee roasts (including Oven Heaven beans roasted locally), sophisticated fruit-…
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Nantes
With a summertime pavement terrace basking in the sun and an enchanting interior bursting with antique curiosities, this gourmet sandwich shop is a secret…
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Bordeaux
If there's one stall at the city's iconic food market that sums up the contagious joie de vivre of Les Capus (as locals call the market), it is this…
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Nantes
No visit to Nantes is complete without breakfast, brunch, lunch or afternoon tea at the city's legendary brasserie, a sensational feast of ceramic tile…
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Arcachon
With comfy, candystriped cushioned seating overlooking kitesurfers on sandy Plage des Arbousiers and an atmospheric bar wrapped around a tree, the Bikini…
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Bordeaux
This iconic bistro, with dining rooms both sides of a narrow pedestrian street and former Michelin-starred chef Stéphane Carrade in the kitchen, is the…
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Nantes
The cafe-restaurant inside Nantes' Musée d'Arts cooks up a seasonal Nantaise menu signed off by Michelin-starred chef Eric Guérin. Tasty sardine, cheese…
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Bordeaux
This retro food truck – a French-manufactured Citroën HY – is worth tracking down; the week's schedule is on its website. Sydney chef Tristan and savvy…
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Nantes
Everything is fait maison (homemade) at this fashionable millennial cafe with bold turquoise-painted brick wall, excellent specialist-roasted coffee and…
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Île de Ré
Tucked beneath a tour (tower), hence its name, Ars’ village épicerie (grocery) is a gourmet hot spot for savvy cyclists and knowing locals. Its varied…
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Bordeaux
As part of the ambitious Euratlantique development project that continues apace until 2020, derelict abattoirs on the riverfront have been transformed…
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St-Émilion
Wine pairings are naturally in a league of their own at this exquisite Michelin double-starred restaurant, in the heart of the village in a luxurious,…
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La Rochelle
Named after the multi-hull proa (prao in French) sailboat typical to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, this hipster bistro takes great pride in the products…
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Bordeaux
St-Michel's legendary bakery has been in the biz for over a century. House specialities include moist bread loaves studded with dried fruit, escargots …
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Bordeaux
Bordeaux winemaker Bernard Magrez is the creative clout behind this luxurious, five-star hotel restaurant, overseen by twin Michelin-starred chef Pierre…
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Bordeaux
This contemporary oyster-grey space is the creation of four young chefs from France and Vietnam, Israel, Japan and New Caledonia, whose innovative,…
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St-Émilion
Talented young chefs Camille Brouillard and Soufiane Assarrar both previously worked with Michelin-starred chefs before opening their own restaurant, and…
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Île de Ré
No trip to St-Martin-de-Ré is complete without an ice-cream cone from this glacier extraordinaire. There are between 250 and 300 incredible flavours to…
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Nantes
Follow locals to the iconic bistro of 'chef magicien' Christophe François, who runs this hugely successful locavore address with his wife Véronique…
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Poitiers
Be prepared to dine extremely well at this brilliant modern bistro. Chef Grégory Delhaie roots his cuisine firmly in French tradition, infused with a…
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Île de Ré
For an authentic taste of island life, spurn St-Martin's portside restaurants and pick up the cycling path to Ars-en-Ré – on foot or by bike. Within…
