La Maison Salée

Overlooking the Plage de la Concurrence, the sign on the front of the restaurant says it all: "Christopher Coutanceau, chef and fisherman." Fishing here is a lifelong family passion, and Christopher takes it further by campaigning for sustainable methods and against waste. His sincere and unfussy cuisine, with its bouquet of marine scents, an invigorating ode to the Atlantic Ocean, is an extension of this commitment. The finest fish and seafood - turbot, sole, sea urchin - is prepared with care and imagination, while the modest mackerel or sardine is rendered sublime by the same devotion and t

Previously Alexandre Couillon's sous-chef at La Marine, Simon Bessonnet has set up shop in premises dating from 1860 in the heart of a wine-producing village in the Fiefs Vendéens. But as the contemporary interior he has designed for his restaurant suggests, the chef is very much in touch with the times. Drawing on a regional pantry, he comes up with bold and original combinations and chooses just the right emulsions, jus and condiments to intelligently boost his dishes. As for the desserts, they are models of deliciousness.

"Briemm" is a contraction of Brice and Emmanuelle, who have partnered up (in business and in life) to found this dinky eatery in a lovely stone-built house, which is depicted by generous cooking and a gracious welcome. The sensibly priced patriotic lineup stars a succulent list of dishes that reveals a genuine eye for detail and a fine bouquet of flavours, e.g. crunchy pig’s trotters, purée of granny smith apples and caramelised walnuts, or flame-licked mackerel flanked by watercress soup and squid ink-laced shortbread. What’s not to like?

A stone's throw from the church, St André d'Ornay, Welsh chef Nathan Cretney and his partner Solen Pineau run this attractive and discreetly charming restaurant. A palette of soft hues and bare stone walls contribute to the inviting and bang-on-trend decor – just the ticket for an intimate dining space where diners are well looked after. The food reflects regional ingredients and local producers in a creative and refined single set menu that is composed according to what the market has to offer. For an immersive experience, sit at the chef's table right next to the stoves.

This fine dining restaurant is tucked away in a quiet back street between the indoor market and the beautiful church, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port. Its name, in the local dialect, refers to the small fish caught by children in the port. At the helm, a talented pair, Mélanie Roussy and Boris Harispe, trained at Michelin-starred restaurants (including La Villa Madie), have decked the place out in a contemporary style (navy and white walls, designer furniture etc). The menu is packed with seafood dishes (among others) and constantly changes, as the chef scrupulously follows the seasons, works with all

Behind its discreet façade, this contemporary bistro is the backdrop for Valentin Guignard's precise and sincere cuisine, which is served up by Meggie Blanc, his partner. Every lunchtime, the chef reworks his carefully crafted set menu using local and seasonal produce – for a price that won't break the bank. He sears the hake to perfection, accompanies it with a silky butternut squash purée, and seals the deal with a light and fresh almond, meringue and Granny Smith crumble. The evening menu is even more ambitious.

Run by a bubbly, youthful team, this friendly dinky bistro at the tip of the island is invariably packed to the seams. The menu, as concise as it is tempting, never fails to deliver the goods: most of the fruit and veg is grown on the island, the fish is from local fish auctions, (crafted in many guises), local producers and natural wines frequently take the limelight and the bread is made in-house with flour produced on Oléron. The signature dish varies with the season from agnolotti of langoustines to royal shrimp, from Oléron, of course! Bookings are essential given the establishment’s popu