Nestled in the Loire Valley, the city of Tours can count on its exceptional terroir to delight epicureans. From small authentic addresses to exotic restaurants and cosy tearooms, the city has a wide range of delights in store for us.
In this article, you'll find our list of the best restaurants to eat at in Tours. Find out more about our experiences and our advice in pictures.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Best restaurants in Tours: our 3 favourites
In this article, you'll find our detailed reviews of each selected table. But without further ado, here are our top 3 favorite restaurants in Tours:
- Bar Tutu: for delicious tapas divinely accompanied by Loire wines.
- Restaurant Casse-Cailloux: for its sincere, inventive cuisine.
- Crêperie Espace Hades: for its light and addictive galettes!
DISCOVER Tours
- Things to do in Tours
- Where to sleep in Tours: best hotels
- Where to eat in Tours: best restaurants - coming soon
- Rent a car in Tours
- Best castles around Tours
- Visit the Tours Museum of Fine Arts - coming soon
- Visit the Basilica of Saint Martin in Tours - coming soon
- Visit the Botanical Garden of Tours - coming soon
- Visit Saint-Gatien Cathedral
- Visit the Companionship Museum - coming soon
Best bistronomic restaurants in Tours
1. Restaurant Casse-Cailloux (market cuisine)
If you're in the mood for something sweet, head for the Casse-Cailloux restaurant.
The à la carte menu features fresh market produce, cooked with creativity. When we came, we opted for a delicious lamb's lettuce soup with truffle cream as a starter, followed by cod with Touraine saffron and fennel sauerkraut. Original, isn't it? We finished this 100% French meal with an exquisite pavlova with Adour kiwi fruit.
Beyond its sincere and original cuisine, this restaurant won us over with its warm atmosphere that almost made us feel at home. Adorned with vermilion leather banquettes, it boasts an eclectic decor combining vinyl records, floral arrangements and a variety of clichés.
Practical information:
- Neighborhood: 4min from Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé
- Type of restaurant: bistronomic
- Capacity: less than 25 covers
- Terrace: yes to sunny days
- Price range: menus from €32 to €44 per person (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from Centre-Val de Loire: yes
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Reservations strongly advised on +32 02 47 61 60 64
2. Restaurant La Deuvalière (modern cuisine)
An ideal address for a gastronomic interlude in the heart of Tours. On the day we came, we enjoyed melting scallops with a peanut apple and carrot cabbage purée. Enhanced with a bacon emulsion! This originality pleasantly surprised us, as did the perfectly chosen wine pairing. Finally, we were wise enough to choose just one dessert: a dome-shaped lemon-yuzu tart, both elegant and exquisite.
You're sure to love this restaurant's delicious, lively cuisine. As for the setting, it only confirms that you've come to the right place for a wonderful evening! We loved the authentic feel of the old house, with its beams, terracotta floor tiles and majestic fireplace, mixed with more modern touches.
Practical information:
- Neighborhood: 2-minute walk from the legendary Place Plummereau
- Type of restaurant: gastronomic
- Capacity: more than 25 place settings
- Terrace: no
- Price range: between €22 and €51 (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from Centre-Val de Loire: yes
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Reservations can be made by telephone on +32 02 47 64 01 57
OUR TIPS FOR RENTING A CAR IN Loire
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars - one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a fairly compact car (many villages have narrowed the road).
- Think aboutfull insurance (parking in big cities is really tight).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
3. Restaurant Les Bartavelles (elegant setting)
An ideal address for a romantic dinner! Recognized by the Michelin Guide and Gault&Millau, you'll first be seduced by the elegance of the dining room, decked out in shimmering colors and golden touches. This hushed ambience adds to the pleasure of tasting the cuisine of chef Ghislain Damaye, full of inventiveness and the sublimation of fresh local produce.
Practical information:
- Neighborhood: 3min walk from Abbaye Saint-Julien
- Type of restaurant: bistronomic
- Capacity: less than 25 covers
- Terrace: no
- Price range: between €50 and €80 per person (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from Centre-Val de Loire: yes
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Reservations recommended on the restaurant website here
4. Restaurant L'accalmie (modern cuisine)
You'll come to this restaurant first and foremost for its intimate atmosphere and meticulous decor, combining exposed stonework and wood panelling. But l'Accalmie's real trump card is its serene cuisine based on simple, fresh ingredients.
Let us guide you through a 5 or 7-step tasting menu and discover innovative and delicious combinations. Vegetarian friends, you'll be delighted to know that there are some great organic options waiting for you!
Practical information:
- Area: 2min walk from Place des Halles
- Restaurant type: bistronomic with vegetarian options
- Capacity: more than 25 place settings
- Terrace: no
- Price range: menus at 55€, 75€ and 95€ (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from Centre-Val de Loire: yes
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Reservations recommended on the restaurant website here
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Best fusion restaurants in Tours
5. Restaurant Makeda (Ethiopian)
Here's an original address that delighted our taste buds and enriched our spirits! From the outset, the warm ambience and colorful decor set the tone for our adventure to the far reaches of Ethiopia. We opted for an assortment of dishes to discover as many flavors as possible, and to respect the notion of sharing that is so dear to Ethiopian cuisine. You don't need a fork to eat here, you eat with 'injera, a cake made from teff, a gluten-free cereal.
On the plate, we were blown away by the interplay of flavors and textures. We particularly liked the doro wute (spicy chicken stew with egg) or the oujouré (mix of zucchinis, shallots, garlic and ginger). A special mention for the owner's minute-roasted mocha, which will undoubtedly go down as one of the best coffees we've ever tasted.
Practical information:
- District: 4min from Cathédrale Saint-Gatien
- Restaurant type: exotic and great vegetarian options!
- Capacity: less than 25 covers
- Terrace: yes
- Price range: between €15 and €25 (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from Centre-Val de Loire: no
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Bookings can be made by telephone on +33 02 47 47 12 97
6. Restaurant Les gens heureux (fusion)
We were immediately seduced by the short (4 starters/mains/desserts) yet highly creative menu of this address. We were seduced by the explosive mix of flavors and the care given to each plate.
For our part, we enjoyed an original mille-feuille with a low-temperature baked chicken, a grape/saffron filling and a sweet potato puck. The feast ended on a high note with a platter of mature cheeses AND a highly original dessert of diced parsnips and spiced caramel.
Beyond the pleasure of the taste, we were seduced by the spirit of the place, with its resolutely relaxed atmosphere. There's no doubt that you'll leave happier after your meal at Restaurant Les gens heureux. The address doesn't steal its reputation thanks to warm, smiling service.
Practical information:
- Neighborhood: 3min walk from CCC OD
- Restaurant type: bistronomic and vegetarian options
- Capacity: more than 25 place settings
- Terrace: no
- Price range: between €32 and €45 (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from Centre-Val de Loire: no
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Reservations recommended on the restaurant website here
7. Nobuki Restaurant (Japanese)
Looking for a change of scenery? Come to Nobuki and let the Zen atmosphere transport you to a modern ryokan. The sobriety of the decor is also reflected in the refined, fair cuisine. On the menu, you'll find classic Japanese dishes (exquisitely fresh sashimi, tempura with seasonal vegetables) and daily specials, innovative according to the chef's mood. A unique address in Tours not to be missed, just like its original green tea tiramisu, flavored with yuzu.
Practical information:
- District: 3min walk from Centre National Dramatique de Tours
- Restaurant type: Japanese bistro
- Capacity: less than 25 covers
- Terrace: no
- Price range: between €24.50 and €45 (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from Centre-Val de Loire: no
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Reservations recommended by telephone: +33 02 47 05 79 79
HAVE FUN WITH THESE activities
Best restaurants for light meals in Tours
8. Espace Hades restaurant (crêperie)
We've fallen in love with this crêperie. Push open the doors of its electric blue storefront and you'll immediately be won over by the smell of butter.
The choice was difficult, as the menu was so tempting, but we finally opted for the leek, carrot and onion galette of the day, and it turned out to be simply divine - crisp to perfection, generously garnished and yet very light. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the chef's recipe!
For dessert, we succumbed to the equally delicious 70% chocolate crepe. In short, this crêperie is top-notch, and its excellent value for money and friendly service should win you over.
Practical information:
- District: 4min walk from Château de Tours
- Restaurant type: traditional crêperie (including vegetarian options)
- Capacity: less than 25 covers
- Terrace: no, but a few tables on the terrace
- Price range: between €8 and €14 per galette (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from the Centre-Val de Loire: some products sourced
- Particularly suitable for children: yes
- Reservations recommended by telephone: +33 02 47 64 11 43
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9. Restaurant Tutu (tapas)
Here's an address for a change in Tours! This bar stands out for its festive atmosphere and tapas menu. You can opt for boards of local produce (charcuterie, Tours rillettes) or choose refined tapas, changing with the seasons. For our part, we enjoyed a croque-monsieur revisited with scarmozza (an addictive Italian smoked cheese) and bites made with truffled ewe's milk tomme and Rivarennes tapered pear paste. A delight!
Last but not least, the table deserves its subtitle "À Loire et à manger", because among the 250 references, you'll find (almost) only Loire wines! The bar invites you to travel up the Loire from Nantes' Muscadet to Auvergne's Saint Chinian. Immerse yourself in this beautiful wine region. You can come here in the evening for a vertical in the Loire, or at lunchtime on Sundays, when you return from the market next door.
Practical information:
- Area: 3min walk from Les Halles de Tours
- Restaurant type: bar/dining room
- Capacity: less than 25 covers
- Terrace: yes
- Price range: between €7 and €15 for a portion of tapas (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from the Centre-Val de Loire: yes for wines
- Particularly suitable for children: no
- Reservations recommended by telephone: +33 02 47 27 56 70
10. L'instant tea room (100% plant-based)
Here's an ideal tea room to recharge your batteries before or after a visit to the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tours. We were drawn in by the coquettish storefront and immediately enticed by the refined pastries.
The chef offers plant-based pastries and a few gluten-free options.
A first for Tours! For our part, we tasted our pear and verbena tartlet and were won over by its harmony of flavors and textures.
In addition to the divine pastries, which you can accompany with an original selection of flavored teas or locally sourced organic drinks, we also love the tasteful decor and cozy atmosphere of this tea room. You can also enjoy the board games and exhibitions on offer, and we invite you to take a look at the many workshops and events on offer. Find the program here.
Practical information:
- Area: 3min walk from Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours
- Restaurant type: tea room
- Capacity: less than 25 covers
- Terrace: no, but a few tables on the street
- Price range: between €5 and €10 per person (excluding drinks)
- Specialities from the Centre-Val de Loire: yes for drinks
- Particularly suitable for children: yes
- Reservations required for brunches on certain Sundays by telephone on +33 02 47 32 00 41
Other restaurants in Tours
La Guinguette de Tours
Since the 18th century, guinguettes have been popular cafés where you can eat and dance. Yet this old-fashioned term is very much in vogue in Touraine, where in fine weather you'll find a host of ephemeral places to soak up the sun along the Loire. The city of Tours boasts one of the region's most festive guinguettes. Come and dance and taste local produce at the Guinguette de Tours, at the foot of Pont Wilson. Find out more on their website here.
Other addresses in Tours
The city of Tours has more than one trick up its sleeve when it comes to cooking! Here's a short list of establishments we've heard great things about and would like to try out on our next visit:
- Restaurant Case, for a top-flight meal in a trendy setting.
- Restaurant O&A, for Olivier Arlot's timeless, unforgettable cuisine.
- Restaurant Chez Gaster, for its quirky market cuisine!
- Restaurant Dahlia, for a taste of bold Mediterranean flavors.
- Restaurant Le Chien fou, an authentic bistro serving tasty dishes.
WHERE TO STAY IN Tours
In the city center
Enjoy the city, its restaurants and beautiful architecture.
- Hotel Ferdinand - check prices, pictures and availability
- Hôtel du Cygne - check prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel L'Adresse - check prices, pictures and availability
Near the station and around the city center
An early train? Or just a little more peace and quiet? Here are our recommendations:
- Hotel Les Trésorières - 5 stars - check prices, pictures and availability
- Aparthotel Central Parc Tours - check prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Oceania L'Univers Tours - check prices, pictures and availability
In the countryside around
Looking for a bit of peace and quiet, without straying too far from the city of Tours? Here's our suggestion:
- Hotel Domaine de la Tortinière - 20 min away - check prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Troglododo - unusual 25min away - check prices, pictures and availability
HE MADE THE TRIP Manu
