French regional€Île de NantesTue-Sat 10:00-19:00; closed Sun-Mon
Laiterie Nantaise makes mozzarella, ricotta and burrata in a street-facing workshop by the Machines de l'Île, from one farm's organic hay milk.
Order: The burrata heart, at €9.90 per 100g
Why locals love it: Two former aerospace engineers make the cheese in a street-facing workshop by the Machines de l'Île, using organic hay milk from a single farm near Nantes.
Tip: The shelves also carry yoghurts flavoured with verbena or black sesame and a few natural wines, including a sparkling from Anjou.
French regional€€DecréMon 14:30-20:00; Tue-Sat 09:30-20:00; closed Sun
Les Bottes is the turquoise-fronted butcher on Rue Saint-Léonard in Nantes, whole animals from small farms hanging behind a glass cold room.
Order: Pastrami smoked by the urban smokehouse Marché noir, €90 a kilo
Why locals love it: There is no counter between butcher and customer, only a glass cold room; the two owners retrained as butchers and Nantes restaurant kitchens buy from them.
Tip: A second shop on Rue Racine opens on Sunday morning and shuts on Monday, the reverse of this one, so between them they cover the week.
Crêperie€€BouffayMon-Fri 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 11:30-14:15 and 18:45-22:00
Le Loup, le Renard et la Galette unsettles Nantes crêperie habit on Rue de la Baclerie, galettes built on guacamole, hummus and roast chestnuts.
Order: The Crazy Avocado galette at €12.50, or La Cueillette
Why locals love it: The house takes no bookings at all and keeps a second dining room round the corner on Rue de la Juiverie, so the queue on the pavement is only half the story.
Tip: Composed galettes run €3.20 to €7 and sweet crêpes about €7.50, so it stays cheap even with the elaborate toppings.
Pizzeria€€GraslinMon-Fri 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-22:30; Sat 19:00-22:30; closed Sun
Agapè is Pierre-Yves Combradet's locavore pizzeria on Rue Racine in Nantes, sourdough bases topped with Grandlieu raclette and Safré blue cheese.
Order: The seasonal pizza, on its slightly askew sourdough base
Why locals love it: The pizzas are entirely organic and around 80% of the produce comes from a dozen farms on short chains, hence Grandlieu raclette and Safré blue on the seasonal one.
Tip: Formules start near €10.50 and pizzas run €11.50 to €19; there is no lunch on Saturday and no service at all on Sunday.
Cafe€€DecréTue-Fri 09:30-18:00; Sat 10:00-18:00; closed Sun-Mon
Café Bouture on Rue Maréchal Joffre in Nantes runs a café inside a plant shop, comfort food at lunch and every plant in the room up for sale.
Order: The pinsa at lunch, or a vegan cake with the coffee
Why locals love it: Every plant in the room is for sale as well as decorative, and the café runs plant swaps and maker markets between services, which is not what the shopfront suggests.
Tip: Saturday brunch is €26 for a hot drink, a cold drink, a plat, a dessert and a pastry; weekday lunch plates are about €12.
Bakery€€MalakoffTue-Sat 09:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00; closed Sun-Mon
Couleur Chocolat works in small batches on Rue Général Buat in Nantes, ganaches, pralines and mendiants beside pistachio and mango-passion sorbets.
Order: A box of ganaches and mendiants
Why locals love it: It took over the old Flandrin house on Rue Général Buat in 2016 and still works in small batches, so the counter changes with whatever has just been tempered.
Tip: The shop shuts between 13:00 and 15:00, so aim for late morning; travel cakes and jams survive the journey home better than the ice cream.
