Don Quichotte

Overlooking the little Canal de Goulaine, this white building with a contemporary interior boasts a lovely garden terrace for alfresco dining in fine weather. Having cut his teeth abroad, chef Mathieu Corbineau bridges the gap between traditional recipes and modern influences: braised pork shoulder, thyme jus and vegetable tarte Tatin; fillet of pollock, shellfish marinière and a medley of Nantes carrots. Affordable lunch set menu and a wine list that zooms in on Muscadet.

In a former textile mill on the banks of the Sèvre Nantaise, diners can enjoy a smart brasserie interior (red velvour banquette seating, bay windows) and the chef's delicious repertoire of dishes, which are full of flavour and lovingly prepared. Last but not least, service courtesy of a young and dynamic team.

The Papin couple have set up their contemporary restaurant in a tastefully renovated old building marrying rustic and chic elements. An open kitchen, exposed beams and raw materials make for an inviting space, in which the chef, a farmer's son and tireless traveller, showcases modern cuisine inspired by his experiences in London, Montreal and Tokyo. Local produce, seafood influences and creative touches are perfectly expressed in refined dishes, such as tempura oysters or delicious pork secreto with clams and artichokes.

Chef Philippe Maizières is breathing new life into this inn on the banks of the River Loire, where Clémence Lefeuvre invented the beurre blanc sauce around 1890. Maizières, who trained with Jean-François Piège at Le Parc Les Crayères and Clos des Sens, signs a concise, legible menu rooted in the Loire. An example: fillet of hake, paired with a medley of cauliflower and a… beurre blanc sauce.

On the banks of the Loire, this restaurant is set in a pretty townhouse dating back to the late 19C. It has been proudly serving its guests delicious food in an elegant, cosy decor for 75 years – so you could say it's an institution. The current chef uses the finest local produce in traditional regional cuisine: frogs' legs with parsley butter or a herb sauce; local fish (pike, pike-perch and sea bass) with beurre blanc; golden-brown calf sweetbreads with a morel cream. A smiling welcome awaits you, as does a large shady terrace surrounded by a bucolic garden planted with colourful flowerbeds.