Le Brillet-Pontin

The striking metal fretwork façade of this restaurant on the outskirts of Mayenne is well worth a gander. Once inside, you will be greeted by a tastefully understated snug dining room. It is the stomping ground of a husband-and-wife team, chef Nicolas and Isabelle Nobis, both locals, who honed their skills with Bernard Loiseau and Georges Blanc. Simplicity and natural are the hallmarks of the chef's cooking, who strives to work with plants and vegetables sourced from local producers. The regularly renewed menu reverently respects the seasons.

The sprawling estate never fails to make an impression: a Classical 18C castle, a 19C water tower, works of art, a hotel made up of futuristic pods fixed to a central metal mast and, finally, the circular restaurant with a living roof that is reminiscent of a flying saucer that has landed in the middle of the vegetable garden. Chef Jérôme Jouadé draws on his true affinity with nature and plants to practise his art here. He also makes the most of a greenhouse, a snail pen and an orchard, and does his own wild picking. Pollack, red meat radish and wild garlic; skate wing, white asparagus from La

On the doorstep of Rennes, in Acigné, this granite building on the banks of the River Vilaine is home to Sylvain and Marie-Pierre Guillemot. Sylvain prides himself on his "instinctive, up-to-the-minute cuisine" and aims to showcase the knowhow of cherry-picked local producers and growers. His beautifully plated dishes celebrate first-class ingredients such as pollock, spring asparagus or onion ravioles. The stylish interior leads out onto a sunny terrace overlooking the river, while the pleasant, spot-on service further adds to the pleasure of this gourmet interlude. First class wine cellar.

The name may suggest an antique dealer's, but despite the absence of old tomes, 19C paintings and 1930s objets d'art, you won't be disappointed! Set outside of the town centre, L'Antiquaire is a very pleasant and welcoming restaurant, with a façade completely smothered by foliage. Chef Jérôme Lebreton's generous cuisine with flashes of creativity is sure to delight the palate with its distinctive flavours, not least his combination of veal sweetbreads and kumquats. Worth noting: There is a completely vegetarian set menu.

In the heart of the town, almost within shouting distance of the castle, this small modern bistro, which sports a workshop vibe of wood and metal, is the brainchild of chef Adrien Barrier, who was born in Évron and knows Mayenne inside out. After stints with Yannick Alléno and Philippe Mille, this gifted craftsman curates feel-good, flavoursome food that hits the spot every time, be it his white asparagus with haddock, houmous and hazelnut crumble or the confit of pork belly, pressed aubergine and pork jus.

Chef Clément Guyon is back in his hometown after a culinary odyssey that took him around France (notably Flocons de Sel in Megève) and abroad (Atelier Crenn in San Francisco). The timber of the façade and terrace are echoed in the restaurant's pared-back interior. The menu varies depending on the time of day: at lunchtime, bistronomic-style fare and a more high-flying slant come the evening, starring local and seasonal ingredients – served in a buzzy, bantering atmosphere.

In the lavishly restored Château des Tesnières, near Torcé, South African chef Chantel Dartnall has installed an ambitious project combining fine dining and charming hospitality – there are a handful of luxurious guestrooms upstairs. The decor combines Art Nouveau woodwork with pieces from South Africa to create a richly eclectic atmosphere. Featuring top-notch ingredients, the "Tabula Rasa" set menu, which revolves around vegetables and flowers, wins diners over with its visual poetry and the quality of its ingredients: finely crafted amuse-bouches (vegetable tartlets, a light root-vegetable