Le Saintongeais

Restaurants nearby

• Notes★ Michelin 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 le19.7km
• Les Foudres★ Michelin 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 wit21.4km
• Saveurs de l'AbbayeBib A stone’s throw from the Abbaye aux Dames, now a concert venue, this stripped - back restaurant serves fresh, light, spontaneous food with a distinct preference for fine regional produce from the market, to which chef Vincent Coiquaud, basket in hand, goes daily. Plain, pleasant rooms for overnight stays.11.4km
• L'IØDEBib A butcher's son born on the Île d'Oléron, chef Benjamin Girard has chosen to focus on fish and seafood. In this narrow modern dining space done out in white and blue hues, the delicious dishes with creative touches keep on coming: mackerel half-cooked with a blowtorch, grilled watermelon and tomato water; halibut with a langoustine foam and blackberries; black forest gateau-style "explosive cherry" dessert. Eater-friendly prices and an enticing wine list with plenty of organic options.11.6km
• Le ParvisBib (Temporarily closed) This pretty stone house two minutes from the Charente is the gourmet haunt of Pascal Yenk, who rustles up delicate, flavoursome cuisine with distinctive fresh notes and sweet-sour touches. A shell-less soft-boiled egg, sautéed asparagus and morels, or a low-temperature duckling, fragrant pastilla and confit of kumquat: everything is emblematic of the chef’s technique and generous nature. The garden patio offers a more casual experience courtesy of a tempting tapas and cocktail menu, all of which with slick, smiling service.11.9km
• La Ribaudière★ Michelin 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 sturge29.4km
• Le Coude à CoudeBib Ten minutes from Cognac, this stone building houses a contemporary bistro with a large terrace overlooking a small garden. With clear names and distinct flavours, the dishes appeal to the taste buds. The chef cooks with vegetables from a nearby farm, fruit from the orchard, fish from La Cotinière. Fresh ingredients, precise seasoning, good technique: everything is made in-house, from the bread to the ice cream.18.2km
• La Table du FleuveBib 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.29.4km
• Le Dallaison The handsome exterior of this 18C manor house, set in grounds, belies its 21C interior, visible in the various dining nooks: designer furniture, striking light fixtures, white walls, wine cabinets. A setting designed to inspire chef Jérôme Dallet, who has worked with Emmanuel Renaut (Megève) and Anne-Sophie Pic (Valence). Local produce is given pride of place (mogette beans, snails, Confolens lamb…) in the chef’s wonderfully indulgent gourmet score. Alfresco dining on the leafy terrace in fine weather is bliss.10.8km
• RafalesBib In Royan, a breath of fresh air is blowing across the restaurant scene, brought not by an up-and-coming young chef, but by a couple in their fifties from Toulouse. Laurence and Philippe left Le Tire Bouchon, their Toulouse wine bar-cum-eatery, to set up shop where she grew up. As they embark on the last decade of their working lives, the exuberant and enthusiastic pair has created a spirit reminiscent of Parisian bistros. Philippe takes care of the restaurant floor and cellar (over 200 natural and biodynamic wines); Laurence crafts fresh, generous dishes that smack of home cooking: puff pastry33.6km

Includes Michelin / Black Pearl / guide picks (reference quality, no prices); data from Overture, Michelin Guide and others.