Le Relais du Chateau Chalais 15 Rue du Chateau, 16210…read moreChalais, France If you seek a quintessential experience of the best of France - the finest haute cuisine impeccably served in an elegant, historic setting -- you must visit Le Relais du Chateau Chalais, located near the village of Chalais. I had the pleasure of dining in this distinguished restaurant gastronomique a few weeks ago, when the relais had just hired its new executive chef. Assisted by just a few sous chefs, this artisan produces exquisite, artfully presented cuisine that rewards the palate with a depth of flavor I've rarely experienced. I chose the duck; my friend, the halibut. Both dishes were supremely delicious, perfectly prepared. Service was impeccable. Desert, a multilayered cream chocolate biscuit confection, out of this world. And the chateau itself is pure storybook France: constructed in the 14th century as a fortress, the renovated, updated residence retains the crenellated buttresses and the remains of a moat and drawbridge of its medieval heritage. I cannot recommend this dining destination highly enough. If you have the chance, reward yourself with an unforgettable and remarkably affordable meal at Le Relais du Chateau Chalais, located at 15 Rue du Chateau, 16210 Chalais, Charante, France.

Wow, just beautiful in every way, wonderful food, a fab cellar and the dining room is lovely…read more The Château stands at the top of the hill overlooking Chalais and is entered over a drawbridge.

This restaurant sits across the road from a lake around which sand has been spread, it's a lovely…read moretranquil spot. The menu is limited and the mussels appear to only be on at the weekend. Its child friendly and relaxed. Lost of the locals come here for celebration.

What a disappointment. Despite the nice setting the service matched the very poor food. Brochettes…read morede boeuf as tough as boots, chips as soggy as lettuce and moules without flavour. I had blue cheese dressing on my burger. Or rather I didn't. No evidence of blue cheese at all. And on my way back from the loo the proprietor hissed at me to come to the counter to pay the bill. All in all I'm not surprised it was virtually empty on a gorgeous sunny day.

Traditional French country fare in a beautiful restaurant in the Charante. Charming host and chef…read more Food is outstanding.

We first had a tester meal at the quaint little restaurant Chef Joss owns, the venue is rustic with…read morea warm greeting. You know exactly where you are in this perfectly French restaurant. The service was excellent, any questions we had wer perfectly answered and they catered to any requirements that we had. There was no problem in communicating in English with either the staff or Joss (who is much better than he lets on!!) The food..... Wow, the starter was by far the best we have ever had!! A great mixture and so much!! Nothing was left though. We had a selection of three mains and although they were all food we could only select two. I went for the beef, which I asked to be cooked medium (beware the French like meats very rare!!) it was very tasty but my wife went for the duck, and I instantly had food envy!! Both were served with perfectly cooked seasonal vegetables that complimented the meats perfectly. We left not only full but confident we had made the best choice for our wedding day. On the day Joss also did the canapés, they were out of this world, oysters, prawns and meats all cooked fresh on the bbq in the garden of our chosen venue. Even months after the wedding, guests are still commenting on how good they were... I only wished I had time to eat more, luckily Joss personally made sure we aleast tried a bit of each. The wedding meal was for 90 people and was executed perfectly with no complaints from our guests, we even managed to cater for vegans without any additional fuss. I'm not a deswrt person, but the selection we had was also very good and left everyone sharing to make sure they got to try everything. I cannot recommend enough Joss and his teams food and I'm sure after you have experienced it you will feel the same.

From the owner: L'hacienda loca c'est avant tout un lieu de vie où l'on peut boire un verre manger danser se…read morebaigner et profiter pleinement des produits locaux du terroir

Delicious Burgers are their specialty but they have other classic French fair available as well…read more Very friendly staff, English menu available. Murphy's Irish Stout on tap!

This joint is run by a very hard-working woman named Lisa. She is constantly making improvements…read moreand taking suggestions. It's cozy, casual, and dog-friendly! Every Friday she hosts multi-lingual coffee-mornings where everyone practices their communication skills in a language other than their own. She hosts quizzes, and disco nights, but you can often also find a quiet nook to read or sue the web on her free wifi. The food is AMAZING!!! She knows if it's not good people won't come back, so she really goes all out. Her burgers come in two sizes, but a small is plenty, and she serves those curved chips with Himalayan salt ground over them and they are yummy. Her pizzas are also good, but I've been sticking to the burgers lately because I struggle to find anywhere else that makes such a good one. I highly recommend the Upcycling Cafe.

Every Sunday they do a full English breakfast. Sausage bacon beans eggs and toast. For a breakfast…read morelover like me it was pure heaven. Thank you to Lisa for a wonderful meal. See you next Sunday!