Auberge De Port-vallieres

L 'Auberge de Port Vallieres offers elegant yet casual fine dining and validated my guess that Fondettes was an affluent commuter suburb of Tours. (Rather than the historic Loire villages further down river. We ate here on both Saturday evenings of our holiday, and both times every table was filled with prosperous locals looking like they were relaxing after busy weeks in big offices. The building may once have been a farm house or barn; these days it 's two large, unpretentious rooms decorated with a pleasing array of modern art and sculpture. Between the atmosphere and the welcoming staff, it feels more like a dining club in someone 's house than a restaurant. It also holds an Assiette Michelin, a new rating the guide introduced last year to denote good food served simply . This description would seem to put that a level below the Bib Gourmand, which has been the certification just below star level ... but L 'Auberge 's flavours and presentation were far beyond simple. The food is resolutely classic: foie gras, delicate fish courses, rich meats, sauces as deep as a black hole, extensive cheese cart, artful pastries. We tried the chef 's menu on the first visit and were shocked to be served full-sized portions rather than the usual small plates of many-course meals. At the end of five, plus amuse bouche and typically moreish French breads, we were uncomfortably full. On the next visit we dropped to three courses with complete satisfaction. The Auberge also, happily, disproved an impression we 'd developed on past trips that the French didn 't really do matching wine flights, defaulting to house standards rather than thinking carefully about matches. The flight here carefully selected glasses to complement each course. No of the quirky, delightful surprises English sommeliers often slip in ... all French though many from beyond the Loire ... but each beautifully matched with the dish. The main course on our first visit proved the point of matching: the veal and its sauce was so excessively rich, with a slight mineral undertone, that is absolutely needed the sharp bite of the pinot noir to complete it. It was only after we got home, and back to WiFi, that I could look up the translation of ris de veau and realised I 'd just eaten sweetbreads. That 's the beauty of a tasting menu in a foreign language. Would never have ordered it on my own. Probably wouldn 't order it again. But on that night, with that wine, it was delicious.

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Auberge de Port-Vallieres is a small roadside restaurant on the way to Tours but well before reaching the outskirts. There is no parking but there is a large free car park just across the road. The welcome is very friendly and the food excellently cooked, prepared and served. The wine was merely ordinary but also rather expensive for ordinary. There seemed to be rather a large number of serving staff for an establishment of this size. We chose the 'formula ' for which there was no choice; fortunately this was quite satisfactory as my diet is a little restricted for medical reasons. A formula with no choice usually means very good value for money but this was not the case, the cost being at least 50% more than that offered at similar establishments. Perhaps to pay for all those serving staff members!

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This restaurant was recommended by diners at another restaurant so we decided to try it. I would rate this restaurant as good as it was neither average nor very good. The food was nice but was overpriced. We had the 41 euros menu (3 courses). However, because we chose the lobster salad we paid an extra 5 euros per person (just for some mixed leaves and pieces of lobster). The main course was the best. The sauce made of Chinon with the beef was excellent and so was the fish with girolles mushrooms. Their house aperitif was very good. We had the apricot dessert which was quite disappointing. The dining room was clean and nicely decorated but the view from the window was lacking. We love our food and we were expecting a more refined experience for this sort of price. I don't think we will go back.

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Probably a good place for a business lunch, since tables are well-spaced, and it is calm and quiet. Menus from 20€ to 60€. Good service, no view despite location on banks of the Loire. We took the week-day menu (no choice) with my colleague opting for an entrée of poached egg and cepes, followed by duck leg and pomme de terre dauphinoise; I the duck, and a dessert of poire belle Hélène. My colleague was dissatisfied by the main course, which I found merely adequate. the dessert was quite good. Total of 56€, including 1 glass of wine and 2 coffees, about right. Parking opposite, on a muddy road-side, probably not for winter weather, and a risky walk across a busy road, are down-sides. Upsides are calm location and good service.

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Lunch en route in to Tours. Not somewhere for a quick snack. The food here is serious, absolutely delicious and beautifully served. Very warm welcome and interesting menu. We did not want a full meal; no problem. Starter and pud from the a la carte. It was not cheap, over €100 for 2 adults and a child with one glass of wine. We will go back to have a proper meal

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