We've been in France for five days now and this has been the best meal yet. Everything was perfect…read morewith locally sourced food. Must try!

After our first visit, we had to return for a second seating. We were welcomed with open arms and…read moreremembered by the owners. The second night we returned we were pleasantly surprised that all English speaking customers had made reservations. The owner/waiter stated he was worried his English may not be good enough, but every table was pleased with him. A lentil purée amuse buche followed by beets cooked in many ways with bacon was mind blowing. The braised pork cheeks with carrot purée and calvados broth made us want to pack the restaurant in our suit case and bring them back home! That was followed by a creme brûlée with lychee fruits and a whipped creme that delighted the taste buds. Top that with a bottle of wine paired for the three course meal by the owner. And all of it cost us €77..... Can't beat that. After our second meal there we realized this was in fact the best food we have had in all of France and made a third reservation! The place is always busy, so the small husband and wife staff are very busy, however attentive to your needs. Traditional to French cuisine they make conversation with you when you order and bring the food, however being as cozy as it is, if you need something they are right there to serve you. This place is such a special niche it is very important to make a reservation or you will miss out on a dinner of a lifetime.

Hidden away in a small hamlet about 15 minutes from Chinon makes for a wonderful break from the…read moretourist overload in Chinon proper. We had eaten in Chinon the previous night, and found that while the quality was comparable or perhaps slightly better, the price, quiet atmosphere and attentive service more than made up for the difference. The husband/wife team worked tirelessly to make our dinner pleasant, and although their English isn't as strong as one might get in a tourist hub - it was more than sufficient! We each had the prix fix menu for under 20 euros, including an appetizer, main, and dessert. With wine and coffee, we spent just less than 60 euros for two - highly competitive in Chinon, where similar prix-fix menus go for between 30 and 40 euros per person. The quality and taste if the food was without reproach, and presented fresh and simple French cuisine at its best. The fish/ratatouille main is a must-try, as is the prawn/fish roulade.

Wonderful Loire Valley cafe in a medieval city square. Lunch is terrific and very affordable + the…read morewine selection of nearby caverns impeccable.

Atmosphere: 5 The restaurant is spacious with outdoor…read moreseating as well. They also have a "terrace bar" which seem to also have seating in their courtyard area. Overall very spacious so you won't feel cramped at all. They opened for dinner on the dot after 7:15, and we were let in. Despite not having a reservation, they were able to seat us at the window so we had a nice view of the street. There is a tablet menu that allows you to change languages which helps so much with the language barrier. Note: the British one works for English but the American one doesn't work yet. It also seems that the tablet doesn't have the function to place orders yet. Service: 5 Service is typical of French restaurants it seems. Definitely a sit down restaurant and you should plan to spend a couple of hours here. One of the waitresses speak English so that was really helpful! They checked in on us periodically and we didn't feel forgotten at all. I could tell that the kitchen was making each dish in a timely manner because the guests were all basically served each part of the meal at the same time. Food: 5 Where to even begin! The flavors were so good and I love how the starter and main dishes have elements that you put together because it felt more interactive. Each dish was plated so beautifully. They contained so many colors and made the meal so appetizing. It looks like the portions aren't a lot but it's actually perfect and the pacing helped the food settle. We actually had to kill some time while waiting for the restaurant to open at 7:15PM, but it was so worth it! It's also a bit pricey per person but the flavors, freshness of the food and the cooking technique is all worth it!

They have refused to let us in with a baby, saying that our daughter could possibly start crying…read more Hate this arrogant place.

Great food, atmosphere and service. We were a group of 4 and had great starters, main courses and…read morewine. It's all in a beautiful setting in Fontevraud. Looking forward to visiting in the late spring to enjoy dining in the courtyard.

We had a wonderful dinner here--we both chose vegetarian meals--a coquette of vegetables in a…read morecheese sauce and the veggie burger. We had the pan perdu for dessert--magnifique! Service was great--our server spoke French to my husband and English to me. May come back for the steaks--they looked great!

From the owner: Restaurant traditionnel, spécialités du terroir : sandre à la poire tapée, coq au vin de chinon,…read moresalades gourmandes de rillons maison et de chevre de ste maure aoc ; ambiance cosy

Wow WOW WOW WOW! is all i could think and say as we pulled into this amazing Chateau after our 3…read morehour drive from Paris to this beautiful "little town, in a quiet village." The near by town of Chinon is out of a movie set. I would never have imagined this could be real. Beware: our navigation took us to the wrong location and we were very confused and lost. However, we asked people on the street which way to go and they were all very knowledgeable and about Chateau Maracy and had great things to say about it. As we pulled in, we were al in shock! the first glimpse of this Chateau is magical and awesome! We were taken care of very nicely and professionally. The hotel staff is gracious and friendly and kind. They break every "french stereo type." We were able to check in right away and we had a 2 story cute room with stone walls. The master bedroom was on the top and 2 pull out beds were on the 1st floor. The towels and linens were clean, white, fluffy and much more plush than I expected. The views from our room was magnificent. You could see the beautiful french countryside and French sky for miles. I'm convinced that the sky looks different in France. I need to look this up because I understand it odd it sounds, but really, it looks different than our American sky. it seems lower set and wider. The Chateau had e-mailed us earlier about reservations at their restaurant and I wish I had booked it. They were completely booked at the restaurant and I now understood why. This remote Chateau had a michilin rated restaurant!!! Although they were booked, they agreed to provide my kids with a 3 course meal in the Parlour room! The meal was licked clean by my extremely picky and anorexic kids. We were served by 2-3 waiters in tuxedos in the parlor room of an 11th century Chateau! 1st course was cantaloupe (melon) slices. I swear, it was not your typical melon (lol, as Max Amini says, "I am not your typical Persian girl"). It was the most delicious cantaloupe and I am usually not a fan of the orange melon. Next course was Sea bream with Ratatouille and pasta with the most delicious white light sauce. Yes, my kids were thrilled to have ratatouille and they ate up veggies for the 1st time and LOVED IT! All 3 plates were licked clean and the kids sat in anticipation of dessert. Vanilla ice cream. How could vanilla ice cream be any different than all the vanilla ice cream you've ever had? Thats what I thought too! trust me, this WAS different. so freakin good! all the portions were relatively small for American Standards but to was enough. we left very satisfied and not stuffed/gross. They had turn down service with little chocolates on our pillows. We woke up to roosters and the beautiful silence of the country. They were able to squeeze my kids in and take them horse back riding. They had a beautiful pool and some outdoor toys and balls you could borrow. My kids loved walking around and petting the horses. My sister bought back pizza from Chinon for my kids and the hotel restaurant held it for us and then served it to us outside, warm on a beautiful tray! I will never forgot the kindness and grace of the staff and the breathtaking beauty of the Chateau. Our room lacked hot water so they refunded part of our stay.

I am just back from vacation in France. I wanted to make sure I wrote a favorable review for the…read morechâteau de marçay. We stayed there for a night and had dinner. We actually arrived after the noon meal, but before dinner was available. The staff told us they could provide us with some cheese to get us through until dinner. I came to find out that they are well known for their cheese monger because they brought us the most incredible cheese platter I have ever seen. There were like 20 some different kinds of cheeses. They also brought some wonderful bread and we had the house red that they produce which was actually quite good. Near by Chinon is not as famous for their wine as other regions of France, but as we were traveling through Loire, we drank a lot of it, and were not displeased. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that even the average wines are quite good. That night we had dinner. I think it was the best meal we had in France. I got a set menu that had well paired elements starting with foie gras, followed by a fish dish, then duck, a for dessert a soufflé. Clearly a traditional french menu, but all the preparations were inspired and subtle. Also, the house served small dishes in between courses that were equally unique and inspired. The staff is quite young, but very professional. The service was excellent. We got what we needed just as we were about to ask for it. It is such a pleasure being served this way. Just when you think you need more water, you look down and someone has filled your glass. The owner came and spoke with us prior to dessert. She was wonderful and inviting. After meeting her it was clear to me how they maintained there strong level of service. It is clear that the château is very important to her and she delights in its maintenance, improvement, and stewardship. I have nothing but good things to say.

Ok. Close to or rental. Don't get the steak. Tough and grisly…read more The service was friendly and prompt.. It was nice eating on a quiet street. Our meals were ok but definitely not great. Walk 100 more meters and you will be in the plaza with more options. I had the lamb leg and also salmon appetizer. Good but not memorable.

Wonderful food cooked and served by a friendly family. I can't wait to go back! All the dishes were…read morelovingly prepared and the ingredients were locally sourced. The heirloom tomato salad my wife had was truly memorable.

From the owner: En plein cœur du Val de Loire Le château de Marçay est un établissement 4 étoiles, Châteaux et…read moreHôtels Collection. En plein cœur du Val de Loire, le Château de Marçay est une magnifique bâtisse du XVème siècle bâti sur les ruines d'une forteresse du XIème siècle. Un cadre d'exception dans un îlot de verdure : sa piscine extérieure, son potager, son verger, ses vignes et ses truffières,... autant de trésors à découvrir dans son parc arboré de 15 hectares. Le Château et ses dépendances vous proposent 33 chambres, toutes décorées de façon traditionnelle ainsi qu'un restaurant gastronomique. Les chambres du château et de son aile sont décorées et meublées haute époque. Elles sont toutes différentes, certaines ont vue sur le parc, d'autres sur la cour d'honneur. Les chambres du " Pavillon des Vignes " occupent le rez-de-chaussée et le premier étage d'une dépendance du château. Elles sont situées face au vignoble, leur cadre indépendant et tranquille en fait un endroit très prisé des