Au pied du Lariat

This restaurant is housed in a contemporary building exuding rustic charm on the banks of the Charente River and opposite the château that houses the Grand Marnier distillery. Both indoors and out on the terrace, modern decor provides the backdrop for the signature cuisine of father-and-son team Thierry and Julien Verrat. Proceedings open with sourdough bread and summer truffle butter, followed by refined bites with Japanese influences: beechwood-smoked oysters, eel chawanmushi, and chicken liver mousse with XO cognac. The mains continue in this delicate vein: foie gras with seaweed and sturge

A little way out of the town centre, this handsome 19C town house is now a luxury hotel, whose first-rate restoration work is particularly visible in the restaurant's swish, elegant dining room. Chef Anthony Carballo devotedly executes two several-course surprise set menus, inspired in part by the estate's vegetable garden. Marbled foie gras dusted in liquorice powder, liquorice reduction and orange-flavoured jelly; medallion of flawlessly cooked croaker, beurre blanc, baby broad beans, green peas and trout roe; poultry incised with foie gras and girolle mushrooms, tartlet of confit poultry le

The restaurant of the Hôtel Chais Monnet is housed in the room where cognac was aged in huge century-old barrels (the salle des foudres)! In the intimate-feeling dining areas with their hushed atmosphere, no detail has been neglected, from the exquisite contemporary silverware to the fine glassware. The cuisine is meticulously crafted in order to showcase local ingredients from the Charente terroir: free-range poultry, fish from the fish market, Île de Ré potatoes etc. The chef sets great store by plating his dishes elegantly and perfecting his concentrated sauces, and enjoys experimenting wit

Set in a former hardware store, the first-floor dining room, reached by an imposing wooden staircase, sports a retro feel. The ground floor is home to the open kitchen and a wine boutique. The score errs towards traditional French (from pâté en croûte to loin of veal with truffles, without forgetting an île flottante dessert), dotted with a handful of international accents. The seasons are reverently respected in dishes that are packed in flavour.

The brainchild of Thierry and Julien Verrat, Charentes recipes acquire a distinctly bistronomic edge here in a menu that keeps pace with the seasons. For example, duck terrine dotted with foie gras and dried fruit chutney; soufflé of zander, spinach and crayfish butter; or a lemon meringue pie to die for. On fine days, meals are served alfresco on the patio. A genuinely inviting cocoon devoted to good food and good cheer.

It is so popular that you have to book weeks, even months in advance. In a peaceful, airy house opposite the church, Mickaël Clautour and Laura Legeay lovingly craft a seasonal score. The vibe in the dining room is warm and attentive, while the kitchen team finetunes each detail with a focus on taste above all. Chawanmushi-style flan of crab and grapefruit, confit trout with citrus fruit, apples and sweet chestnuts: every dish is a masterpiece of delicate simplicity steeped in heroically wondrous flavour. Even better, it is all at sensible prices.

This endearing bistro has acquired a faithful crowd of regulars, enchanted by the weekly changing menu. Chef Seiji Inomoto expertly crafts fine Franco-Japanese fare, in which "humble" ingredients are taken to new heights thanks to flawless cooking and astute seasoning (panko breadcrumbs, miso, soy marinated veggies). The food is good, often unusual, and you won't believe the value for money. What’s not to like?