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The tables of Nantes (‘Les Tables de Nantes’) offer an array of seductive food experiences you must try when you visit this French city. Chefs in Nantes delight in selecting local and seasonal ingredients and crafting dishes from them in ways that allow each item to speak for itself. Visit Nantes and experience the delights of bistronomy – French casual fine dining where quality ingredients are the stars of the show.
Disclosure: Our visit was part of a campaign with Brittany Tourism. HDYTI maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site.
The concept of ‘bistronomy’
Have you ever eaten food prepared from ingredients that were so fresh and filled with flavour that you could taste each one distinctly? This was the highlight of our food experience during our visit to the western French city of Nantes.
Elevated French cuisine is often regarded as an art form. This level of sophistication can sometimes feel daunting to the untrained palette and exclusionary to those uninitiated to the world of French fine dining. It can also be an expensive taste!
This is where the concept of “bistronomy” comes into play. We were unfamiliar with this concept prior to our visit to Nantes. When we first heard it, we figured that the term was an amalgamation of the concepts of ‘gastronomy’ (the art of selecting, preparing, serving, and enjoying fine food) and ‘bistros’ (neighbourhood restaurants serving simple food presented in a home cooked style).
According to Thomas Bissegger, chef and lecturer at the EHL Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality (SSTH), “Bistronomy is a culinary style that combines bistro foods and dishes with gastronomic cooking methods. People get the popular and traditional dishes they like with simple and seasonal ingredients, yet the dishes are elevated by high-level culinary techniques.”
The Tables of Nantes gave us the opportunity to experience the local interpretation of this food concept – the elevation of ingredients that preserves their simplicity and flavour while combining them in unique and creative ways.
Les Tables de Nantes – A guide to a city’s food culture
From coffee shops to neighbourhood canteens and from takeaway establishments to Michelin-starred restaurants and vineyards, Les Tables de Nantes is a search directory that visitors and locals can use to find recommendations for places to eat and drink in Nantes.
Every year, Le Tables de Nantes is refreshed with carefully selected establishments that have to meet certain criteria to qualify to be listed.
This unique city restaurant guide aligns with Le Voyage à Nantes (the city’s tourism initiative) to host an annual food festival called ‘La Nuit des Tables de Nantes’. This celebration of food complements the Voyage à Nantes annual arts festival which features music concerts, street performances, museums staying open late into the night, barbecues and outdoor dining.
During our visit, we learned that Nantes (a former major port city) has a rich history of being a leader in France’s food processing industry. The Nantes Saint-Nazaire metropolis is home to some of the nation’s top food research companies that are driving innovation in food security.
Restaurants in Nantes rely on a network of farms, growers, fisherment and food producers who supply fresh ingredients that grow in (and are nurtured by) the unique terroir of the Loire Valley and the Atlantic coast. Another component of the food and drink industry in Nantes is Muscadet, a dry white wine which the region is famous for.
We are by no means experts on French cuisine but, with Les Tables de Nantes as a guide and some local recommendations by our hosts at Le Voyage à Nantes, we felt we had sufficient information to savour the best that the city’s food culture had to offer.
Each restaurant and chef we mention below gave us a unique interpretation of bistronomy in Nantes.
Sepia by Lucie Berthier Gembara
Opening hours and booking information: Sepia Restaurant | Dinner for two (estimate with alcohol not included): £90
The first question you are asked when presented with the menu at this cosy bistro is whether you want a ‘plant or animal sequence’ (vegetarian or non-vegetarian set menu). In our very shaky French, one of us selected 4 items from the plant menu (there is an option to do a ‘Great Sequence’ with 6 dishes to select) while the other chose 4 items from the non-vegetarian menu.
Chef Lucie Gembara’s mission at Sepia is to promote quality and seasonal ingredients, carefully selected from trusted local producers and with the lowest carbon footprint possible. She infuses her dishes with subtle Mediterranean accents which create playful flavours.
Our taste buds went on a journey at Sepia! The flavour combinations and the multiple layers and textures were unexpected, waves of delight hitting us as we enjoyed each bite.
Intention! Every dish appeared to be prepared with the intention for each ingredient to achieve its full flavour potential. The dishes were styled to draw the eye to each element of the plate.
HDYTI Tip: Don’t leave any sauces on your plate. The bread is provided for a reason. Use it to mop up those delicious sauces that accompany the food. Select from their Muscadet menu to try the local wine.
Sain by Josselin and Samuel Huitric
Opening hours and booking information: Restaurant Sain | Lunch for two (estimate with alcohol not included): £55
Sain (a combination of the names of the brothers) is a café, restaurant, and grocery store perfectly suited for visitors looking for a quality meal and the chance to shop some locally made products.
The Huitric brothers can boldly stand behind their ‘farm-to-plate’ approach to bistronomy because one of their local food suppliers is their own family farm (Huitric Producteur) located in Guérande, a medieval town west of Nantes Saint-Nazaire.
Lunch service was in full swing when we visited and the place was filled with locals (always a good sign!). We loved the grocery store design of the restaurant which surrounded us with shelves of local and regional food (vegetables, eggs, canned items) and drink (wines, coffees, teas) products personally curated by Josselin and Samuel.
The food (one of us chose the pollock, potato and celery gratin with citrus butter) and flavours were simple. However the freshness and quality of the ingredients were undeniable. Presentation was laid-back with no frills. The focus was all on the taste of the food which did not disappoint.
HDYTI Tip: Browse through the grocery store before you leave and pick up a tasty souvenir or two!
Maison Bagarre with Martin Davy
Opening hours and booking information: Maison Bagarre | Dinner for two (estimate with alcohol not included): £80
The Graslin district of Nantes is a lovely area to walk around before or after a meal. The epic-looking fountain at Place Royale serves as a confluence for streets that lead to elegant shops and gourmet restaurants. Nearby monuments like the Théâtre Graslin and the Grand Passage Pommeraye are testaments to a period of economic boom in Nantes between the 18th and 19th centuries.
However classy this neighbourhood might be, restaurants like Maison Bagarre offer an accessible way to taste locally sourced (think farmers markets), fresh and good quality ingredients in a contemporary setting.
Our table on the mezzanine level gave us a good view of the open kitchen where we watched chef Martin Davy at work. We yearned to chat with him but our mastery of French would not hold up to scrutiny.
However, our main dishes had a very surprising and memorable element, spicy rocket leaves that, while a simple ingredient, elevated everything else! It was clear that nothing ended up on our plates as an afterthought and every element of the dish was designed to create a rich and fulfilling crescendo that delighted our senses.
HDYTI Tip: Although we noticed some walk-in guests being accommodated, due to its popularity, we advise that you make a reservation in advance.
Eat and drink by the River Loire in Nantes
Beyond Les Tables de Nantes, we also recommend checking out a few establishments situated along the Loire River that offer a chance to sample the local food culture and soak in the vibe of the city.
La Cantine du Voyage
On our Green Line walk, we stopped at this temporary structure (open from spring to autumn) for drinks. La Cantine du Voyage sits on a large, open space converted from agricultural greenhouses and is home to a canteen, bar, a vegetable garden, and play area (La Colline). Time your visit for dusk (when the city lights come on) to really appreciate Les Anneaux (The Rings) by Daniel Buren and Patrick Bouchain. More info
Little Atlantique Brewery
This refurbished 19th century oil pressing factory in the Bas Chantenay area is home to a popular microbrewery. More info
Trentemoult
South of Nantes along the Loire River, we sighted this former fishing village while riding the Navibus (water taxi) in between Green Line attractions. We hear there’s some good seafood to be found here! More info
The Muscadet Wine region
Recommended as a day trip from Nantes to Clisson (Le Voyage dans le Vignoble), exploring vineyards in the Muscadet wine region sounded like a good idea to us. We will try this next time!
Travel to the tables of Nantes
For up-to-date information about visiting Nantes and current programs and attractions, visit Le Voyage à Nantes. Special thanks to the teams at Voyage à Nantes and Brittany Tourism for sharing this experience with us.
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