L’Aubinière

Tulip tree in garden@L'Aubinière

This is a charming restaurant and certainly one of my favourites. It also has six rooms, in the pretty village of Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes, which is about 10 kilometres north east of Amboise. Run by Jacques and Odile Arrayet, the food is excellent and very reasonably priced and the service excellent – attentive but relaxed. Fine wine list including a good selection of Loire wines with at times some old vintages of Huet’s Vouvray. In the summer you can eat outside on the terrace overlooking the pretty and well-tended garden. Menus: Menus: €24 (Tuesday to Friday lunchtime only – €48. Restaurant is closed on Monday.

29 Rue Jules-Gautier, 37530 Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes
Tel: 02.47.30.15.29
Email: restaurant-laubiniere@wanadoo.fr
Web: www.aubiniere.com

Mareuil-sur-Cher and Bléré

Ferme Auberge de la Lionnière
This lovely ferme auberge offers a warm welcome, simple good food, great value and is particularly recommended.

Run by Frédéric and Françoise Bouland the cost of the menu varies between €19 and €23 depending upon what main courses are available on the day. This brings you a salad to start, an entrée, main course, cheese and dessert. On public holidays the menu is €24. Since they are producers of goats’ cheese, goat and their cheese features on the menu. Since they are producers of goats’ cheese, goat and their cheese features on the menu. Their repetoire includes chèvres braisées au sauvignon, chevreau ail et moutard, canard aux rutabagas, agneau en côtes ou en gigots, navarin d'agneau aux petits legumes, poulet grand-mère aux champignons de Mareuil and coq au Sauvignon.

Three local wine producers – Clos Roche Blanche, Domaine de la Mechinière and Jean-Christophe Mandard – feature on the short wine list. They have two chambres d’hôtes and you can also buy their delicious goats’ cheese to take away with you. Booking advised as this restaurant is deservedly popular.

La Lionnière is open every day in July and August. During the winter only Saturday and Sunday lunchtime, otherwise during the ‘middle season’ open every day except for Sunday night and Monday. Open for groups every day throughout the year. Access is off the road from Cére-le-Ronde and St Aignan. Be warned that they don’t take credit cards, payment by cheque or cash – the nearest ATM machine is in Saint-Aignan around five miles away.

1 Rue de la Lionnière, 41110 Mareuil-sur-Cher
Tel: 02.54 75.24.99; fax: 02.54.75.44.74
Email: fa-lionniere@wanadoo.fr
Web: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/frederic.bouland

Carnival time in Bléré April 2007: musicians
in front of the Cheval Blanc

Le Cheval Blanc, Bléré
This hotel/restaurant has recently changed hands with the long-serving Blériots retiring. The rooms are reasonably priced and the cooking has always been good (Michelin star) but Mme Blériot’s habitual glacial welcome deterred me from going back. No matter how many times we went it was always as though it was our first visit. I’m not looking for a fawning welcome but some recognition that you have already eaten in the restaurant and welcome when you arrive is surely part of being a restaurateur. Also the service wasn’t up to a Michelin star standard.

Now, under the new owners, (Hélène et Fabrice Tavernier) smiles are back and the service is much more efficient. During the week (Tuesday to Friday) two courses (entrée and main dish) are €22 with a €7 supplement for dessert.

Place de l'Eglise - 37150 Bléré
Tel. 02.47.30.30.14
Email: le.cheval.blanc.blere@wanadoo.fr
Web: www.lechevalblancblere.com

Château de Chenonceau

Chenonceaux
Auberge du Bon Laboureur
The Bon Laboureur is both a very comfortable place to stay and one of the best restaurants in Touraine with impeccable service. The wine list, particularly the Loire, is very good and the staff really know both their wines and how to serve them. It is possible to eat outside in the garden during the summer. Founded in 1786 as a Relais de Poste, Antoine Jeudi took it over in 1902 and now his great grandson, also called Antoine, runs it. The American writer Henry James stayed here and he mentioned his visit in A Little Tour in France.

We had one very amusing incident here in the middle of August 2003 – the year of the great heat wave. When we booked we tried to get a table outside but this wasn’t possible so we were promised one by the window, which we were duly given. However, it was so hot (probably around 35˚C) that even without moving we were soon all pouring with sweat. By coincidence we had an electric fan in the car and were given permission to set it up by our table, which made the prospect of having a meal bearable. During the evening it was noticeable that the staff did as much of their preparation as possible close to the fan. At the end of the meal as we disconnected the fan we could see that our fellow diners were aghast and surprised at what we were doing as we had been the first to arrive and the rest of the diners arrived after we had plugged the fan in.

Nowadays this should not be a problem as the restaurant now has an efficient air conditioning system.

Menus: €30 lunch – except Sunday and public holidays. Evening €48 and €85 (€72 with one course less).

Auberge du Bon Laboureur
37150 Chenonceaux
Tel: 02.47.23.90.02
Email: laboureur@wanadoo.fr
Web: www.bonlaboureur.com

Sadly the other restaurants in Chenonceaux are nowhere near this standard. The Relais Chenonceaux, 10 Rue Docteur Bretenneau (02.47.23.98.11) is one to avoid – the food is mediocre and the service is poor.