Once a stronghold for French shipbuilding, Nantes was in dire need of a reinvention when its last shipyards closed in the late 1980s. Then-mayor Jean-Marc Ayrault and entrepreneur/artistic director Jean Blaise launched a revitalization project radical to transform the sleepy city into a hub for the arts, innovation and environmental practices. In the mid-2000s, the Île de Nantes in the city center became home to a fleet of mechanical wonders at the quirky Les Machines de l’Île theme park, including a 40-foot-long hybrid engine height. mechanical elephant, as well as other tributes to Jules Verne, the city’s most famous former resident. In 2012, the city began celebrating its rebirth with Voyage à Nantes, an annual cultural festival and surrealist art trail that runs through the city.
The effects of the experiment in urban regeneration continue to unfold around the park: new housing developments, restaurants, wine bars and specialty cafes, all of which help propel Nantes from tourist desert to destination. Under current environmentalist mayor Johanna Rolland, the city has cemented its reputation as a smart, forward-thinking metropolis, rapidly attracting new residents from across France, including many from Paris. The city lost much of its historic architecture during World War II (except for the old town dotted with Haussmannian and Art Nouveau buildings), but makes up for it with quirky modern architecture, green development, tons of green space, and a thriving community. creative.
The combination of stellar quality of life and business opportunity in Nantes has attracted entrepreneurs and food chefs from more established gastronomic cities such as Paris, Marseille and Lyon. Restaurants tend to focus on local and largely organic producers, and maintain a palpable commitment to sustainable food practices in keeping with Nantes’ green credentials. As you make your own Voyage à Nantes, here are 15 places, from bistros to bakeries, to stop along the way.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; may pose a risk to those vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission of COVID.
Prices per person, without alcohol:
$ = Less than 20 euros (Less than $22 USD)
$$ = 20 – 50 euros ($22 – $56 USD)
$$$ = 51 – 100 euros ($57 – $113 USD)
$$$$ = 101 euros and more ($114 USD and more)
lindsey tramuta is a Paris-based writer and author of the new paris Y The new Parisian: women and Ideas that shape Paris.
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Note: The restaurants on this map are listed geographically.