Jolie chambre entre mer et campagne

A globetrotter and keen ornithologist, (with birds fluttering freely in his garden,) Éric Guérin has invented a universe that is uniquely his own. On an island ringed by circular canals, in the heart of the Brière Regional Nature Park, he has immersed himself in his terroir, all the better to serve up his own superb take on it. Indeed, the chef is an artist at heart, whose first passion is "creating". It is in the kitchen that he has found "his mode of expression", and for that we are grateful to him! Using first-class ingredients, he crafts appealing "natural" dishes that are rife with person

The HQ of Benoît Gauchet, who trained with the likes of Jacques Thorel, Olivier Roellinger and Jean-François Piège, stands in the heart of the picturesque town of La Roche Bernard. The modern score celebrates country produce sourced from local markets in which fish and seafood take pride of place. The elegant dining room overlooks a herb garden. A few guestrooms are available for overnight stays.

There is space for just eight diners at the large counter laid out face to face with the kitchen, plus a few more tables to the rear. Every day, a single fish-forward set menu is improvised by chef Guillaume Brisard, who has forged an impressive culinary path (Fort de l'Océan in Le Croisic, Le Skipper in Saint-Nazaire). Fine ingredients inspire his dishes, which you can savour as you engage in conversation with the chef.

This smart restaurant is part of the family-owned Grand Hotel de Solesmes estate, which boasts a charming patchwork of traditional cottages, houses and manors, manicured grounds and a jaw-dropping ocean view. Chef Maxime Nouail, also a fisherman, consummately works with premium seafood and local country produce. Lobster is the house signature, but the rest of the enticing menu is equally first-class: carpaccio of langoustines, green peas, cockles; John Dory roasted in butter with artichokes prepared several ways. Deft craftsmanship, crisp forthright flavours, a splendid wine list and flawless

Just a stone's throw from the Porte Saint Michel in Guérande's famous fortified wall, this understated bolthole is the haunt of Sébastien Tranchant. The chef deftly crafts modern, precise, aromatic dishes courtesy of local ingredients and savvy exotic touches. An example: scallops, mushrooms, kumquat and oat milk or the delicious dessert of butternut, praliné of squash, clementine and orange blossom. A refined interior and a wickedly indulgent score.

A meal at this restaurant housed in the outbuildings of a 13C manor on the outskirts of Guérande is a must. Quality ingredients that are meticulously sourced from the region go into modern cuisine with bold flavours. This lunchtime, the starter of asparagus and octopus, enhanced by pronounced herbaceous flavours, was well made; the cod precisely cooked in hazelnut butter was accompanied by tasty ravioli. The pear dessert plays on sweet and sour with great success.

MAJU is a portmanteau of MArine and JUlien, who are at the helm of this elegant contemporary bistro, overlooking the port. From his open kitchen, the chef rustles up an ambitious, modern score in the shape of a single menu rolled out in several courses. Bliss from the first to the last bite thanks to a devotion to detail in terms of plating combined with a focus on premium local country produce, including from the local fish auction, seaweed, samphire and vegetables…