La Charbonnette — Restaurant in Blois

Located on the market square next to the church, this restaurant came highly recommended by our host, and the positive reviews convinced us to give it a try. In short: excellent service and high-quality food. The restaurant offers two three-course menus, each with two choices per course. We selected from the “cheaper” menu the salmon with courgette, which was a generous and the catch of the day that was perfectly cooked and accompanied by an excellent lobster sauce. From the other menu, we tried the foie gras and the lamb; both were well-prepared, though we found the overall quality and price–value ratio of the first menu to be more favorable. One point to note: the bottles of wines felt somewhat overpriced. While I expect a typical restaurant markup of three to four times retail, here it seemed closer to five or six. That said, this is a very enjoyable place, with particularly impressive food and attentive service. Well...

Off-the-beaten-track gem in the heart of the Loire. Fabulous, unpretentious ménu (28 euros for the ménu tradition) featuring high quality fresh, local ingredients. Everything on the menu is "classical with a twist": standard French fare gets innovative touches such as polenta with lardons, tarragon and crème,;white asparagus with iberian sauce; scallops with vanilla pods. Wine list is 100% Mesland-Touraine -- that is to say, excellent. Desserts are unspeakably delicious. (Don't miss the mi-cuit au chocolat avec coulis de caramel salé.) Service is excellent given the fact that there's only one waitress for the entire room. (She hustles!) Modestly priced but high value: one of those "ultra local" farm-to-table Loire meals you will always taste in your memory. If you are going anywhere near Onzain, reserve a spot at this lovely hamlet in the...

Great find if you're near Blois or are planning to visit the Beauval zoo.

I was looking for a nice restaurant to end our day trip to the zoo and I could only find pizza places, average road side eateries or high end gastronomic restaurant. But then I found La Charbonnette. The menu was very appealing and reasonably priced, so we decided to give it a try. And we had a great time. The food was just as good as what you'd imagine reading the menu and even more. Delicate flavors and rich combinations of aromas. We all enjoyed our dishes. The waiters were also very friendly and attended our needs. The decor and ambience were charming. I highly recommend...