Restaurant Wrap

We've dined out each evening and we have come across some nice little local restaurants so I thought I should take the opportunity to give you the heads up on some top spots for your next trip to this part of the world. In most cases you can enjoy 2 courses with wine and coffee for between $25 to $35 per head....now that's value!!

Nantes.
We dined three nights in Nantes and the best spot was Le Fou du Roi, adjacent Un Chateau Fort. You will need to book for this one as it is only a small restaurant. Dining inside and out. Superb selection of seafood and duck. If you're lucky you might strike a musical performance in the grounds of Un Chateau Fort. Address is 2 Rue Premion, Nantes.

St Malo
Now this place has some fantastic dining locations and the three restaurants we tried were exceptional.
The area is famous for its seafood but they also have some great Galettes (crepes made on buckwheat flour) and pizzas.
Our first meal was at Le Coude a Coude (elbow to elbow) at the northern end of the main beach front, address is 79 Boulevard de Rathebone. The seafood and wine selection was very good. An excellent bottle of St Emilion Grand Cru will set you back about $50, but its worth every drop. The photo below was taken as we left the restaurant at about 10.30 pm.

The second night we walked west along the beachfront to Brasserie du Sillon. This restaurant sits out over the beach and is towards the old Walled City end of the beach. Address is 3 Chaussee Sillon. Again a fine selection of seafood, steak and duck.

We enjoyed two fabulous bottles of Chablis Premier Cru, provided by two groups of our clients who just happened to be dining on nearby tables....nice gesture.












On the third night we drove down to the old Walled City and took a punt on a Creperie/Pizza style place looking for the local delicacy, Galette. This is a crepe made with buckwheat flour and is a regional dish. The Walled City is a beautiful place to wander around, day or night and has some great little shops and eateries.

Galette with mushrooms, tomato, red peppers, duck and egg.

They also served some fantastic Moules Frites, great with Belgian beer.







Paris
My post on Saturday gave a run down on Le Train Bleu, where we enjoyed our departure dinner for our first group. On Sunday we lucked upon a great little spot near our Novatel Bercy. It was a great walk through the gardens that run along the Seine, parallel to Quai de Bercy, to Bercy Village. You walk east away from Gare de Lyon and you will find the village at the end of the gardens. The area is a refurbished wine storage area with boutique fashion and restaurants. You walk from a very quite parkland to a bustling eating and shopping venue, a real hive of activity on a Friday night but not crowded.

We enjoyed a casual meal at Bruno's Place, which featured some great artwork and a very secure cellar under the internal stairs....on the way to the loos!!

 

 







                                                                                                             Toulouse




We still have three nights in Toulouse, however on our first night we took the advice of our cabbie and dined at the nearby Bistro du Chevillard, the French address is Boulevard Mal-Leclerc 4, you will find it on the corner of Bvd Marechal Leclerc and Allee de Barcelone. This restaurant is noted for its regional cuisine and is primarily a steak house. The quality of the meat and wine is akin to The Norman or Brekky Creek in Brisbane, however a little more elegant and with greater variety of style.