Restaurants

Walk along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to breathe in the good sea spray! Charente-Maritime, in the west of France, is a region to visit, but also where to enjoy delicious cooked dishes. Rich in varied local products and gourmet specialties to taste, you will love sitting down at the restaurant to order seafood, potato dishes or simply spread semi-salted butter on toasted toast. By the sea or inland, there is no shortage of good addresses. Here you will find a selection by geographical areas or municipalities, according to your budgets and selection criteria.

Brasserie, fast food, creperie, world cuisine, farm inn or starred restaurant, it's up to you to choose according to your wishes. Charente-Maritime is rich in passionate cooks who work with local products all year round. The Marenne-Oléron oyster, for example, is the only one in France to have a PGI and to be Label Rouge. Served with a dash of lemon or shallot sauce, it can be enjoyed as a treat. If you like mussels, you will love those from Bouchot with the famous eclade recipe and homemade fries. Don’t forget to taste the potatoes from the Ile de Ré, an AOC with slightly sweet, nutty notes, cooked with half-salted Surgères butter which is a delight for all cooks.

Other specialties are on the menu with cagouilles (understand snails) in the Charentaise style most often stuffed, Charentais crickets which are a kind of confit pork pâté to spread on a slice of bread, or delicious Charentais melon with a homemade vinaigrette or country ham.

To wash down this good meal, open a bottle of Pinot des Charentes and accompany the dessert with a tasty cognac, a famous drink in the region. Whether you are in the big cities of La Rochelle, Pons, Saintes or in the small villages of Oléron or the islands of Aix and Madame, take a much-appreciated culinary break in the restaurants of Charente-Maritime which will delight you with specialties.

Enjoy your tasting in the restaurants of Charente-Maritime!