Clos de la Court d'Aron

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.

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

This shipowner's house on the pretty little port dates back to 1652. With wood panelling, a fireplace and old hardwood floors, the well-kept interior is inviting… but in fine weather, the terrace beckons. The menu is an ode to local fishing and the place is renowned for the excellent quality of its fish – the place to eat on the island!

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.

This stylishly refurbished mansion a few kilometres from Les Sables-d'Olonne is home to talented couple Amélie and Nicolas Coutand. An advocate of fresh, seasonal produce, his approach is creative, joyful and flavoursome; regional ingredients take pride of place on his menu, from premium produce to humbler items such as sardine, mackerel and hake. A huge 1 400m2 kitchen garden brings a vegetal flourish to his light, exquisitely refined dishes. On weekday lunchtimes, bistronomy is the name of the game.

"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?