Restaurant Les Jardiniers - Chef Martin Bolaers — Restaurant in Chinon

Les Jardiniers shows how zero-waste, garden-led cooking can be both approachable and impressive.

Our midday meal opened with house butter flecked with 3 fresh herbs, introduced through a playful “guess the herb” game before staff walked us to the garden patch for the reveal. Throughout lunch, seasonal produce harvested on-site took centre stage, deepened by gentle smoking, slow roasting and—most memorably—fermented vegetables that added remarkable savoury depth.

We chose to sit outside under a covered terrace, surrounded by beds of leafy greens and flowers. The standout dish—a cabbage-and-mushroom medley—proved how satisfying plant-based cooking can be, reminding me that technique, not meat, delivers the layered umami I sometimes miss. Service was friendly and relaxed—present when needed, invisible when not—and the garden setting reinforced the restaurant’s waste-nothing philosophy.

As we headed out, the team offered one final playful challenge: a delicate marshmallow infused with a secret garden flavour. “Guess the taste,” they smiled. I won’t spoil the answer.

In short: thoughtful cooking, engaging service, and an ethos worth supporting. I’m looking forward to returning with...

This restaurant is fantastic. We arrived 10 minutes late for lunch and with no issues (very unusual for a French restaurant). Our waiter was hilarious, and spoke fluent English. He was very accommodating to our young daughter, and let her pick out 3 flower bouquets to decorate our table with. Additionally, the chef made a simple meal for her that was completely off menu, which she devoured. He additionally brought her a blanket (totally unprompted) because he noticed she was cold. The food was delectable. Both the amuse bouche and petits fours were introduced with a game of “guess the flavor,” in which we had to guess which secret garden herb was involved in the dish. Most of it was fresh from the garden on site, and the plating was very satisfying to look at. Although the menu is very limited, and the first appetizer was not my favorite, (the rest of the group loved it), I would fully recommend a highlight lunch here...

De passage pendant une dizaine de jours en Touraine, j'ai décidé de me faire plaisir et de déjeuner dans un endroit d'exception. Une recherche rapide des meilleures tables de la région m'a vite conduite aux Jardiniers, dont l'engagement éco-responsable m'a immédiatement séduite. Il me semble en effet que de nos jours, la simple qualité gastronomique ne suffit pas ; je privilégie toujours les artisans qui adoptent une démarche raisonnée, et cet établissement est un merveilleux modèle du genre. Sur la carte, une sélection courte, de saison, et des options végétariennes. La cuisine est travaillée, la présentation soignée et élégante, les saveurs parfaitement harmonieuses. J'ai tout particulièrement apprécié l'incorporation, parfois surprenante, de plantes aromatiques qui viennent délicatement sublimer chacun des services. Ce fut superbement réussi dans le dessert du moment, où le shiso et la mélisse ont apporté une fraîcheur herbacée des plus enivrantes. À ce sujet, n'hésitez pas à opter pour l'accord mets/vins, les verres que l'on m'a versés ce jour étaient simplement sublimes, en plus d'être issus de vignobles en biodynamie. Et que dire des meringues au champignon, aux surprenantes notes chocolatées, servies au café...Enfin, le service fut plus qu'à la hauteur - discret, soigné, professionnel, jamais affrété (souvenez-vous-en lors de l'addition !) Une...