Restaurant Recommendations

[Blake]

Had a great meal at "Le Pinky" opposite the indoor food market in Fontenay.
Good food, reasonable price and a pleasent atmosphere from what looked like a husband and wife team.
Spoke to some english regulars who confirmed that it is always a good place to eat.
Anyone with any other recommendations?

[rockhead]

The bar opposite pinky does the best steak i have tasted,and the restaurant down at the abbey in Mallazais do a great eel and frogs legs.theres also the mobile chippy but i have never tried it. ( but has been recommended to me by others)

[tournesol]

L'Auberge in St Cyr en Talmondais gets my vote. Lovely food (and wine) in a beautiful setting. For any veggies out there, they have a veggie option as the chef has worked in the UK and knows that vegetarianism exists!

[fabbi]

L'Auberge in St Cyr en Talmondais gets my vote. Lovely food (and wine) in a beautiful setting. For any veggies out there, they have a veggie option as the chef has worked in the UK and knows that vegetarianism exists!

Glad to hear of a place that has vegetarian options! And good wine too of course. I am vegetarian myself and sometimes have a very hard time in French restaurants as almost all the dishes contain some type of meat

[Rochej]

Very occasionally I hear of a (French) friend of a friend of a friend who is vegetarian, but have yet to meet one to ask how they cope - not just with eating out, but eating at friends and even sometimes getting ingredients

[tournesol]

We are both veggies and although it is harder than in the UK it's not impossible. Our French friends are willing to make the effort to prepare veggie food and we also have a French friend (possibly the only person in the Vendee) who is also veggie himself! We find that when eating out it is often Italian or Indian restaurants where we find the best choice. As for ingredients - the BioCoop in La Roche sur Yon is hard to beat.

[marcandjen]

Check out restaurant "Au Fil de L'Eau" Mervent,
http://restaurantaufildeleau-mervent.wifeo.com
Always a good welcome and reliable opening hours, all day every day.

[spotty]

Personally I don't see why being a veggie in France is such an issue other than a wee bit of attention seeking.
I enjoy a kebab from time to time, surely the veggie option is either to remove the meat or order the kebab without & have a healthy salad "sandwich" ?

Spotty

[woofa1]

Re restaurants can recommend Le Capt'n in Fontenay. In season they have the best moules around. Winter tagines are great. Veggie option is hot goats cheese saladwithout the lardons. Also try Route 66 at Chassenon, excellent food and menu d j for 12 euros, 3 courses including wine. For a special occassion try La Tartine in Niort (passport needed as not in Vendee! I jest.)

[kaz]

Was told recently that some french consider the Vendee to be the "gastronomic desert of France". We tend to agree. Reasonable restaurants around Fontenay can be counted on one hand, including Le Pinky, the george at St Juire, les quatre saisons just outside Lucon. Where is all this haute cuisine we dreamed of when we moved here? We were obviously spoiled for choice in the UK! The best meals we ever eat here are at friends homes - english and french.