French bistro€€GraslinTue-Fri 12:00-13:45; Fri-Sat 19:00-21:30; closed Sun-Mon
Le Petit Boucot seats just 24 covers in the Graslin quarter of Nantes, working a weekly-changing card of creative plates built on seasonal produce.
Signature: Weekly changing market card
Tip: Reservation is effectively mandatory at this size; dinner only happens Friday and Saturday.
French bistro€€DecréMon-Sat 12:00-14:15 and 19:30-22:30; Sun 12:00-15:15
L'Éphémère runs organic, zero-waste bistronomy on Rue Maréchal Joffre in Nantes, a chef, pastry chef and mixologist trio behind the €25 menus.
Signature: Zero-waste seasonal plates
Tip: The three-course menu costs the same €25 at lunch and dinner, unusual for the level; cocktails are taken as seriously as the food.
Farm-to-table€€DecréMon 12:00-14:00; Tue-Thu 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-22:00; Fri 12:00-14:00; closed Sat-Sun
SAIN is the café, canteen and grocery of brothers Samuel and Josselin in Nantes, cooking from their family's organic market garden in Guérande.
Signature: Farm vegetable plates
Tip: The grocery shelves sell the farm's vegetables, eggs and preserves to take home; natural wines pour by the glass.
French bistro€€DecréTue-Wed 12:00-14:00; Thu-Fri 12:00-14:00 and 19:30-22:00; Sat 19:30-22:00; closed Sun-Mon
Le Reflet, founded by Flore Lelièvre in 2016 in Nantes, staffs half its bistro team with people with Down syndrome, Luna Vicariot leading the kitchen.
Signature: Short seasonal bistro card
Tip: Book ahead, the room is small and the project draws a loyal crowd; the seasonal card stays short and changes often.
Modern French€€€Champ-de-MarsTue-Sat 12:15-13:30 and 19:30-21:15; closed Sun-Mon
Bairoz pairs Estelle Méheust's kitchen with Jérôme Berdelou's pastry on Rue Fouré in Nantes, market lunches then gastronomic menus at night.
Signature: Market lunch, Evening tasting menus
Tip: Lunch menus run €21 to €26 against €52 and €64 dinners; the Loire-heavy wine list favours Nantes-region growers.
Modern French€€Champ-de-MarsTue-Sat 12:00-14:00 and 19:30-21:00; no dinner Wed; closed Sun-Mon
Art'n Blum on Rue Léon Blum in Nantes runs Alexandre Pichard's creative seasonal cooking with Valentin Maillet matching wines glass by glass.
Signature: Seasonal creative plates
Tip: There is no dinner service on Wednesday; the by-the-glass list is priced kindly for the cooking level.