Le Deuvaliere.
Creative cooking with all the regional touches.
Just back from Montbazon, a few miles south of Tours, with two suggestions:
We have stayed many times over the years. There are 11 rooms in the château itself and I believe 21 in the outbuildings, which we prefer, because you can sit outside on a terrace or balcony. The rooms are well-appointed and comfortable.
The pool is large and heated, although not ideal for young children since the shallow end is very small with nothing to separate it from the quite steep slope towards the deep end - which is very deep at 2m40. There is a small spa which we have never tried, and a very large park, ideal for evening strolls to âwork offâ the large meals!
Indoor public areas are quite small but cosy and comfortable.
Food-wise; breakfasts are copious and good. Dinners are good but not excellent, but the view of the Indre valley is magnificent, both from the terrace if the weather is good, or the restaurant if itâs rainy. The wine list is functional but nothing special. Personally thatâs not a problem, as my wife is not drinking at the moment, so I order by the glass (and they had a perfectly respectable Vouvray, Montlouis and Chinon).
The château is not really authentic, itâs a nineteenth century neo-Gothic âpileâ which reminds me of Pichon-Baron, albeit rather smaller, but it feels very welcoming and not particularly pretentious. The staff have changed a lot over the years, but we always get excellent service.
I would definitely recommend La Tortinière, for a couple of nights, with one spent eating in, and the other spent eating here:
https://www.chateauartigny.com/en/
This is about ten minutes away from La Tortinière on the other side of the valley. You can see one from the other. When you see the place from the outside (just watch the video on their homepage, youâll see what I mean), it looks incredible. I had no idea of the history, so I assumed it was 18th century: itâs not. When we walked in last night, we both realised straightaway that there was something odd about it: in fact, the château is an early 20th century copy of an 18th century château situated close to Chantilly. The ceilings on the ground floor are very high and thereâs a rather empty feeling - a bit like being in a railway station without the crowds.
We didnât stay there, but we visited some rooms after our meal last night: good, but not better than La Tortinière, and perhaps in need of a renovation.
The really strong point is the incredible view across the valley, especially from the first floor Rotonde, a remarkable creation with an extraordinary painted ceiling of La Belle Epoque. But again, it felt like being on a Gatsby film set.
The restaurant has amazing views and is definitely worth trying. The food is very good, better than La Tortinière, as is the wine list, very extensive and not excessively expensive.
Personally, I would go there for a meal, not to stay.
Both these château-hôtels are in easy reach of all the main Loire châteaux and not far from Vouvray, Montlouis, etc for wine tours.
Chai Max is a wine bar with a very good wine selection plus an interesting selection of terrific food.
Also, less than 30 minutes west is Le XII de Luynes (in the town of the same name). The chef, who Iâve become friendly with and share drinks with after service) is way more talented than youâd expect in such a nondescript small village. Tell him I sent you.
Thanks to everyone for the recommendationsâLoire really is a special place.
La Deuvalière turned out to be a wonderful spot. Cozy atmosphere and good food.
Le XII de Luynes booked solid all weekend but Chai Max made for a great alternativeâexcellent food with a modern touch and a nice wine list especially BTG.
Auberge de lâĂle in Chinon. Easily the standoutâgreat cooking with a well thought out wine list. The 2015 Foreau Vouvray Sec paired beautifully with a dish of lamb sweetbread fricassĂŠe, rabbit kidneys, calfâs liver, served with shiitake mushrooms and mustard seeds.
The only real letdown was the bistro at Les Hautes Roches in Rochecorbon. Beautiful property, and the bar is worth a visit, but the food didnât quite land. Was told they have a new chef.
One unexpected gem: Popote & Pompette in Val-du-Layonâjust down the road from Domaine Belargus and Ogereau. Itâs a laid-back local favorite but solid cooking and a robust European wine cellar. The owner, Olivier, shared that the restaurant is a popular spot for winemakers looking to enjoy wines from outside their own region.I was surprised to see a 2011 Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet on the list at a surprisingly fair price.
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Does anyone have suggestions for a wine geek restaurant in Angers?
Two places I can recommend in Savennieres are Le Chenin and Lulu, but it would be great to have a reference in Angers as well. Thanks!
Bistrot des Ducs was one very pleasant eating experience when we stopped at Angers during our drive back from Nantes to Tours in 2023. The wine list was long and appeared substantial, but wife and I were taking turns with the driving and I only ordered for myself a glass each of the house white and red. But we were impressed with the (different) prix fixe of the day that we each had. They were very good across the board.
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