Hôtel du Grand Cerf

This restaurant is housed in a 16C building on a cobbled street in the town centre. The decor is chock-a-block with charming details: a large fireplace, stone window frames, exposed beams and colossal wooden branches from which the light fixtures hang. Your discreet hostess (who is also the pastry chef) and the chef, who can be seen fully focused and hard at work in the open kitchen, extend a smiling welcome to their guests. The seasons dictate the menu and the lunchtime lineup is a steal.

Deep in the Normandy countryside, the huge forest of Andaine seems to have put down roots in this wood-rich restaurant as it nurtures and nourishes Franck Quinton’s forest-inspired cooking. His way with mushrooms is second to none: tricholoma, bearded hedgehog, blue foot or grey and yellow oyster mushrooms make guest appearances in his famous “mushroom toastie”. The surrounding woodland plays a prominent role in his cooking, as the Douglas pine used in herbal tea illustrates. A committed champion of local produce, the chef cherry-picks his ducklings, veg from down the road and creamy Gillot AO

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.

Formerly the canteen of the local iron ore mine (closed in April 1970), this inn has been the haunt of the same chef for over 40 years. Trained classically, his watchword is simplicity and his cooking is the epitome of straightforward authenticity, albeit with flawless technique and inspired creativity. Examples include calf’s sweetbread flanked by Vire andouille and braised in hay – culinary bliss! This enticing seasonal score is served in two stylishly sleek dining rooms that manage to avoid the starched formality that can be characteristic of such places… What a treat to go down the mine!

This charming, rustic16C presbytery in the heart of a photogenic country village on the road to Mont Saint Michel is home to a restaurant flanked by a cottage garden. The latter provides chef Thomas Benady with plenty of produce (veg, fruit, aromatic herbs, flowers…) and inspiration for his single set surprise menu. Benady also works with small local producers and independent fishermen. You can expect a veggie-led, seafood slant presented and plated in a modern, minimalist manner and steeped in the distinctive personality and character of its author. Examples: roast Jerusalem artichoke served

Fontaine-Daniel is the epitome of an old French country village and the birthplace of the famous Toiles de Mayenne fabrics. Overlooking a pond and the forest, this venue is housed in a former outbuilding of a Cistercian abbey, which became the hub of this textile manufacturing enterprise in the 19C. Chef William Blondel cooks primarily with local produce that he doesn’t hesitate to enhance with modern and creative twists gleaned from his own globetrotting travels.

This restaurant with a bright, contemporary decor delivers the goods when it promises a warm welcome. Chef Gaëtan Crespin works with excellent seasonal produce, most sourced locally, to craft creative and technically on-point cuisine. A shining example comes in the form of his scallops, endive and clementine, or roast veal, parsnips and shiitake… And with excellent value for money guaranteed, it was love at first bite!