As you know, I really love the city of Rennes, which I have already mentioned in a previous article with my recommendations for visiting Rennes, where you will find plenty of information about the city, as well as ideas for sightseeing and things to do in the city and its surroundings. In this article, as a complement, I share my selection of great food spots in Rennes and the surrounding area that we had the opportunity to try during our trip to the city with my favorite photographer in April 2024.
These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and some regional specialties to taste if you are coming to Brittany, such as the galette saucisse or cider, not forgetting to drink a bit of Plancoët, the Breton mineral water. In truth, my favorite photographer and I were truly impressed by the quality of the gourmet addresses in Rennes, which we can easily call a gastronomic city!
Table of Contents
Where to go for gourmet shopping in Rennes?
Visit the Marché des Lices
On Saturday mornings, you absolutely must take a tour of the Marché des Lices. It has been held in the Place des Lices for 4 centuries already. You will find about 250 producers, artisans, and merchants there. And in fact, it is the 2nd largest food market in France!
The stands I recommend:
- La Ferme du Luguen: a farm located in Ille-et-Vilaine that offers duck-based specialties (duck breast, foie gras, duck breast roll smoked with foie gras, terrines and potted meats…).
- La Fabrique artisanal biscuit factory: to buy cakes and especially their famous Kouign Amann (€15)!
Marché des Lices
Place des Lices, Rennes
Every Saturday from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM
My selection of restaurants in Rennes
Below, I offer a selection of restaurants that we had the chance to test during our getaway to Rennes in 2024. I think there will be something for everyone, and for every budget too!
_
Where to eat Asian food in Rennes? Miss Bao
This address, located just opposite the Rennes train station, offers cozy and colorful decor. It offers Asian cuisine known as panasian food, i.e., fusion cuisine that incorporates dishes, ingredients, and flavors from several Asian countries (here mainly Japanese, Korean, and Chinese).
We had: homemade pork and shiitake gyozas (€6); seabass chirashi (€17); tempura shrimp bao (€12); for dessert, I highly recommend you try the roasted pineapple on the Japanese robata, which we really loved (€7); for drinks, we tested the Tokai Ji Cooler mocktail (€9.50) and sake (between €11 and €13 per glass) also as an alcoholic drink for enthusiasts.
Miss Bao
7 Place de la Gare, 35000 Rennes
Price: cocktails and mocktails between €9.50 and €13 / plates between €5 and €23
The pro tip: lunch menu at €23 with bibimbap or ramen
_
A tapas bar in Rennes? Território
This cocktail and tapas bar is located not far from the Rennes train station. It offers cuisine that takes your taste buds on a journey with dishes and plates to share in a very friendly atmosphere. We were particularly conquered by the cocktails, which are very affordable and truly high quality, without failing to be original.
We tasted: forest flamm (€12.50); tuna sesame samosas (€5); fried hake accras (€5); patatas bravas and aioli (€5); tiramisu for dessert (€7).
Território
55 Avenue Jean Janvier, 35000 Rennes
Price: hot dishes between €14 and €24 / cold dishes between €16 and €24 / tapas between €5 and €15 / flamm between €12.50 and €15 / cocktails €9 and mocktails €6
_
Where to eat in Rennes train station? Le Paris-Brest by Christian Le Squer
Opened since 2019, as part of the renewal of the Rennes train station, this restaurant considers itself a contemporary train station buffet, which gives pride of place to revisited and refined local cuisine. The setting is truly very original, since you eat in the heart of the station, in a restaurant with designer decor by architect Patrick Jouin and with glass facades that allow you to see the hustle and bustle of travelers busy or waiting around us. It constitutes a haven of tranquility and a culinary stopover in this busy place.
The menu is signed by the 3-star Chef Christian Le Squer and the restaurant works in particular with Breton producers. It offers revisited Breton gastronomy. For dessert, do not miss the famous Paris-Brest, the identity of the address which gives it its name. And for drinks, the restaurant has a very lovely list of wines and spirits, and you can trust the sommelier to suggest beautiful discoveries. Indeed, this menu was developed by Eric Beaumard, vice best sommelier in the world in 1998.
Le Paris-Brest by Christian Le Squer
Level 1, Departures Hall / Rennes Train Station
Price: seasonal menu with starter + main + dessert at €42 / discovery menu with starter + fish + meat + cheese + dessert at €75 (€110 with food and wine pairing) / children’s menu at €18 / wines by the glass between €5 and €17
_
A bistronomic address in Rennes? Pierre “restaurant de copains”
This bistronomic restaurant that opened its doors in 2019 offers extremely well-executed seasonal cuisine. In his “restaurant de copains” (friends’ restaurant), Pierre wanted to create a bistro where you want to eat and drink well, while enjoying a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere, and it is a real success. We really loved this address, which I highly recommend.
We tasted: perfect egg with sardinillas and asparagus emulsion (€12); sea bream ceviche with lime, chives, avocado, and orange oil (€15); Balinese monkfish with prawns, vegetables, and sticky rice (€27); 7-hour crispy lamb shoulder with green asparagus, artichokes, barigoules, garlic puree, and Espelette pepper jus (€29); for dessert, strawberry burrata with a poppy seed, basil, and mint crumble (€13).
Pierre “restaurant de copains”
33 Rue Nantaise, 35000 Rennes
Price: a la carte starters between €12 and €15 / main dishes between €22 and €29 / desserts between €12 and €13 / wines by the glass between €4.50 and €8
The pro tip: lunch menu at €25 with starter + main + dessert
_
Where to eat Quebecois food in Rennes? Poutine Bros
This brand already has 4 restaurants in Rennes, Angers, Brest, and Tours. We obviously tested the one in Rennes during our visit to the Breton city. It was the first poutinerie (a Quebec specialty, and don’t hesitate to check out my articles about Quebec if the destination interests you) in France, created in 2014. In 2024, it received the title of best poutine in the world, International category, for the third time during the 2024 Poutine Week, thanks to its original recipe named Jacques Cartier.
Poutines come in 3 sizes: classic (which was more than enough for us); in “heart attack” and “Mont Royal” versions. Otherwise, if you don’t feel like eating a poutine, the address also offers burgers. As for drinks, the house makes its own beer, which goes perfectly with the meal. For dessert, we tested the Boston, a cream-filled doughnut.
Poutine Bros Rennes
17-19 Rue de Penhoët, 35000 Rennes
Price: classic poutine version between €8.40 and €13.90 / student poutine menu €8.90 / burger between €9.90 and €11.40
_
A good bistro in Rennes? Les Petits Papiers
This little address overlooking the Place Saint-Germain is a bar-bistro that has been around for over 20 years. You settle in a cozy, authentic, and warm setting with beams and bistro chairs. As for the food, Yannick, the chef, offers homemade chalkboard dishes that are renewed daily.
Les Petits Papiers
2 Place Saint-Germain, 35000 Rennes
_
Where to have a drink and a snack on a terrace in Rennes? Le Saint-Germain
Located on the Place Saint-Germain in Rennes, the Saint-Germain bar-restaurant has a lovely terrace overlooking the square, ideal for sunny days. The food is also very good and it’s a good choice for a quick and simple lunch.
Bar le Saint Germain
9 Place Saint-Germain, 35000 Rennes
My selection of Michelin-starred restaurants in Rennes
The city of Rennes is also a nice hotbed for Michelin-starred restaurants with 5 one-star restaurants, 1 two-star restaurant, 2 restaurants with a green star, and several Bib Gourmand. As I was working during the week during our stay in Rennes, the favorite photographer took the opportunity to scour the starred restaurants of the city and to test their lunch menus, and I was sometimes able to join him. We also treated ourselves to the pleasure of testing the 2-star restaurant, located on the outskirts of the city.
_
Imayoko / Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide
This restaurant is the annex to the starred Japanese-style table of chef Julien Lemarié (IMA). In a relaxed Izakaya atmosphere (a sort of Japanese wine bar), you can enjoy donburi at lunch, a dish based on steamed rice with a topping of fish, vegetables, or meat, which varies according to the season or inspiration.
Imayoko
20 bis Bd de la Tour d’Auvergne, 35000 Rennes
The pro tip: €24 menu (starter, donburi, dessert) or €30 (starter, okonomiyaki, donburi, dessert) on weekday lunch
_
Holen / 1 star + 1 green star in the Michelin Guide
This table (which I was able to test by joining the favorite photographer one lunchtime) is that of chef Tugdual Debéthune, who offers refined dishes with Nordic inspiration, to the rhythm of the seasons. He sources from Breton producers who are committed to an eco-responsible approach. We feasted, and I particularly appreciated the starter with green and white asparagus. The dessert was also very original and successful.
On today’s menu: white asparagus, La Torche, with mustard cream and garden salad; pigeon and potato mousse; sorrel sorbet, almond rock, and yogurt emulsion.
Holen
2 rue des Carmes, 35000 Rennes
The pro tip: the lunch menu with starter + main OR main + dessert at €28 or starter + main + dessert at €38
_
Racines / 1 star in the Michelin Guide
This restaurant, which has one star in the Michelin Guide, also has 3 toques in the Gault et Millau and is run by Rennes chef Virginie Giboire. The decor of the restaurant is elegant and modern, and on the plates, it’s an explosion of flavors and colors. For starters, it was white asparagus and colonnata bacon, then a perfectly prepared beef onglet, accompanied by celeriac and mustard seeds (the dish was powerful and textured while being very subtle). Finally, to finish, it was a meringue with lemon, seaweed, and sorrel, of great freshness.
Restaurant Racines
4 Passage Antoinette Caillot, 35000 Rennes
The pro tip: lunch menu with starter + main + dessert at €45 (served only for lunch from Tuesday to Friday)
_
Maison Kervarrec / 2 stars in the Michelin guide
This beautiful address is located in Saint-Grégoire, just above Rennes (about 10 minutes by car). This establishment is that of the couple Ronan and Els Kervarrec, who have built a family history around Breton gastronomy. Chef Ronan Kervarrec offers in his restaurant Le Saison, iodized cuisine, inspired by his childhood memories in Brittany and Provence. The establishment also offers guest rooms on-site and a fine grocery boutique.
We were truly delighted with the favorite photographer by our culinary experience at the Maison Kervarrec. Even the lunch meal is an odyssey, both culinary but also in the heart of the restaurant, since we started this lunch on the terrace before going to greet the chef and his team in the kitchen. We then continued our meal inside and had coffee and treats on the terrace again.
My recommendation: if you are not motorized and the weather is nice, I advise you, as we did, to go to the restaurant by bike, by taking the greenway that runs along the Canal de l’Ille-et-Rance (about 30 minutes by bike).
Maison Kervarrec
1 Impasse du Vieux Bourg 35760 Saint-Grégoire
Price: bill at €114 each that day / lunch menu in 3 stopovers €72 (food & wine pairing, 2 glasses at €33)
My selection of creperies in Rennes
Obviously, we are in Brittany, so I had to test and offer you some addresses of creperies in Rennes.
_
Breizh Café Rennes
This brand, which offers “crepes differently” and which we have already tested several times in Paris, opened an address in Rennes at the beginning of 2024. As in all the brand’s addresses, highlighting quality products is at the heart of the restaurant’s concept. You will find an association of Breton gastronomy with Japanese gastronomy, the country of adoption of the founder, around a common ingredient: buckwheat. Do not miss also tasting the ciders of the address, because the brand offers a really very interesting variety.
We tasted: oysters from Cancale (€14.50 for 6 hollow N°3 oysters); the galette of the moment, smoked salmon and white asparagus galette with green peas, organic egg, comté cheese, and fresh cream (€22); smoked duck breast specialty galette with a mushroom pan-fry (€16.80); for dessert, we also tested the galette of the moment, lemon and yuzu cream, finger lime, pomelo, candied kumquat, and borage (€12.50).
Breizh Café Rennes
1 Place de la Trinité 35000 Rennes
Price: salty galettes between €9.50 and €22 / sweet galettes between €4.90 and €12.50 / cider by the glass between €4.90 and €7
_
Crêperie Bretone
This creperie is installed in a historic residence in Rennes: the former maison Odorico, a French mosaic artist from a dynasty of Italian artisans established in Rennes at the end of the 19th century. In the building, all the mosaics have been preserved and are visible if you go eat there. This address is truly unique and worth a meal on-site. The crepes are also quite correct.
Crêperie Bretone
7 Rue Joseph Sauveur, 35000 Rennes
_
Crêperie La Saint Georges
This address is known in Rennes because it offers gourmet and original crepes. The decor is quite nice and atypical with numerous rooms, as if installed in a residential building, which is quite singular. The address is indeed located in a beautiful and iconic timber-framed house in Rennes. All the crepes bear names of celebrities (we had the Lemmen and the Prisset) and they are made with fresh products, favoring, when possible, small producers.
Crêperie La Saint Georges
11 rue du Chapitre, 35000 Rennes
Price: buckwheat creation galettes between €13 and €22.40 / simpler galettes between €3 and €9 / Suzon dessert galette €9.80
My selection of coffee shops in Rennes
Café 1802
Café 1802 is a roaster (Renaud) and a barista (Fred) who joined forces to offer very good specialty coffees. The emphasis is on researching producers, developing roasting profiles, to make quality coffees from fair trade. The address also does not lack charm, and it is possible to sit down to drink a coffee but also to have a quick lunch on the premises.
Café 1802
34 Rue d’Antrain, 35700 Rennes
_
Oh my Biche
This brand has two addresses in the city of Rennes. The favorite photographer went to the Colombier address. This charming and friendly coffee shop is also a very good address for brunching but also for a gourmet and balanced lunch. And of course, the desserts are not left out; I especially recommend their delicious lemon tart.
Oh My Biche
Price: lunch menu with main + dessert at €16.50 / daily special €13.50
_
Bourbon d’Arsel
Bourbon d’Arsel is an artisanal coffee roasting company in Rennes that has existed since 2017. The shop pays particular attention to the provenance of its coffees and takes into account seasonality by selecting with the greatest care botanical varieties and, above all, the different producers.
Bourbon d’Arsel
8 Rue de la Monnaie, 35000 Rennes
_
101CAFFE’ Rennes
In this coffee shop, you will only find products from small Italian roasters. You can find coffee in beans, ground, or in capsules, available in a multitude of flavors and intensities. You also have a wide choice of accessories (coffee machine, cup, milk frother…) and gourmet treats (cantucci, chocolates…).
101CAFFE’ Rennes
17 Rue de la Monnaie, 35000 Rennes
Take a food tour in Rennes
Food mood tour Rennes
The Food Mood Tour team offers to discover Rennes in a gourmet way during a gastronomic walking tour that stops at 6 restaurants to let us taste their best specialties! The brand, which has existed since 2021, is also present in other cities in France such as Nantes, Lille, Limoges, but also in New York or even Seoul. During this extremely friendly and convivial food tour, we discovered some very good addresses, the list of which I offer below.
- La Crique (39 Rue Vasselot, 35000 Rennes): an oyster and seafood tapas bar that also offers good wines.
- Le Nabuchodonosor (12 Rue Hoche, 35000 Rennes): one of the oldest wine bars in Rennes (it has existed since 1984), associated with a very nice food menu.
- Oeuf La Crêperie (38 Rue Saint-Malo, 35000 Rennes): a bistronomic creperie that makes delicious galettes with products from local producers.
- Le Maquis (13 Rue Saint-Malo, 35000 Rennes): a very, very friendly African (specifically Senegalese) restaurant.
- Banco (13 Rue d’Antrain, 35000 Rennes): a small address that makes seasonal street-food (grilled cheese specialty) and very good cookies that we tasted that evening.
- Roof Origines (2 Rue de l’Hôtel Dieu, 35000 Rennes): a restaurant, bar, and microbrewery in Rennes, installed on the iconic site of the former Hôtel Dieu.
Food Mood Tour
Price per person: €64 for adults and €54 for young people between 4 and 11 years old
Duration: 3h
Meeting point: indicated by SMS 48h before departure
Gourmet events in Rennes
Le Marché à Manger
This food market is held every first Sunday of the month at La Criée (a central market, the gourmet heart of the city). It is a food market with a Breton twist that takes place in an extremely festive atmosphere and attracts gourmets, food lovers, and all lovers of good products, for a Sunday in Rennes. The Marché à Manger is a culinary journey with “budget-friendly” prices as the dishes are under €7.
Le Marché à Manger
La Criée – Central Market, Rennes
_
Thanks to Rennes Tourism for the discovery of some of these gourmet addresses and the food tour, and to the Pain Vin Company Agency for testing some addresses as well.
I hope that with all this, I will have made you want to visit Brittany and Rennes, and if you also have your own good food addresses for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments below!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Melle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free; the photographer's authorization is mandatory before any use
