The city of Nantes, located south of the Armorican Massif, stretches along the banks of the Loire River, 50 km from the Atlantic Ocean in the Loire-Atlantique department in the Pays de la Loire region. I have often told you about Nantes on the blog, mostly from a cultural perspective to discover new exhibitions at the city’s Museum of Fine Arts or the FRAC. Nantes is a city that is both close to and far from Paris; far because we don’t think about going there for a weekend often enough, and close because in reality, it is particularly accessible for Parisians (in just 2 hours by TGV).
In this article, I therefore offer you, as usual, things to see/do in Nantes, as well as my selection of great addresses for accommodation and dining, along with some tips for exploring the city. It is the result of several escapades in the city, some a bit old, others more recent (the last one dates from 2025).
Table of Contents
Practical Information and Tips
- Getting there by train: to get to Nantes from Paris, just take the TGV from Gare Montparnasse and the journey takes only 2 hours and 20 minutes for direct trains. It is therefore one of the cities that is easy to reach from the capital, like Bordeaux or Dijon.
- If you also want to find ideas for getaways around Nantes, do not hesitate to check out my article on Clisson, a small “Italian-style” town on the banks of the Sèvre.
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The Nantes Pass
This pass provides free access to the city’s must-see sites, tours, public transport, cruises, leisure activities, tastings (at least 50 services with free access)… It is available in 1, 2, 3, or even 7-day versions. In the article, I have indicated (in red) for each activity tested whether it was accessible for free using the Nantes Pass.
Nantes Pass Rates: 24h €29 full price and €18 reduced / 48h €39 full price and €25 reduced / 72h €47 full price and €30 reduced / 7 days €75 full price and €45 reduced / “family” packages are also available.
Le Voyage à Nantes
9 rue des Etats 44 000 Nantes (opposite the Château)
What to see, what to do in Nantes?
It is very pleasant (and simple) to walk around Nantes, and it is a city that exudes a certain sweetness of life. Below, I offer you some ideas for visits and places to see during your time in the city of Nantes.
My tips:
- If you are visiting Nantes, don’t hesitate to grab the small free cultural magazine Haut Parleur (monthly), where you will find plenty of nice ideas for outings.
- Public transport is free for everyone on weekends!
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Visiting the Dobrée Museum
The museum (managed by the Loire-Atlantique department) reopened its doors in 2024 after major construction and more than 10 years of closure. Today, one can discover a remarkable heritage complex that revolves around 3 buildings: the Dobrée house, a 15th-century manor, and two modern extensions (from the 20th and 21st centuries). The museum hosts varied collections covering 500,000 years of history and 5 continents, spread over 4 floors. Centered around the theme of the collector, the permanent collections present approximately 2400 objects, including the museum’s masterpiece, the Funeral Casket for the Heart of Anne of Brittany.
At the origin of the museum and which gave it its name, Thomas Dobrée, son of a wealthy shipowner and passionate about the arts. He acquired a significant collection throughout his life, and in 1861, he had the idea of building a neo-Romanesque palace to house his collection. Finally, in his will of 1894, he bequeathed his works of art as well as his property to the Loire-Atlantique department. The site thus became a museum, which opened its doors for the first time in 1899.
Visited in 2025
Dobrée Museum
1 Place Jean-V, 44 000 Nantes
Rates: €7 full price / €4 reduced
Free with the Nantes Pass
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Visiting the Château des Ducs de Bretagne
This castle, built by Francis II and his daughter Anne of Brittany (who was Duchess of Brittany and twice Queen of France) in the 15th century, now houses the Nantes History Museum in the heart of the medieval district. This museum paints a portrait of the city from its origins to the current metropolis it has become, exhibiting over 1150 objects spread across 32 rooms. The history of the castle is also told there. It is a fortress whose 500 meters of wall walks are punctuated by 7 towers connected by curtain walls. The courtyard also houses a 15th-century ducal residence in the flamboyant Gothic style made of tuffeau stone.
Château des Ducs de Bretagne
4, place Marc-Elder 44 000 NantesRates: €9 full price / €5 reduced
The tip: the inner courtyard, the moats, and the ramparts of the building are always accessible for freeFree with the Nantes Pass
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Visiting the Nantes Arts Museum
This museum, located between the Cathedral and the Jardin des Plantes (which I will talk about a little further down) and housed in a palace designed at the end of the 19th century, was completely renovated in 2017. It presents no less than 900 works from the 13th to the 21st century in its permanent collections. It has constantly enriched its collections, which now count more than 14,000 works, since its creation in 1801 with paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, installations… Today the museum is housed in a setting blending the architecture of yesterday and today. The museum also offers 3 major temporary exhibitions throughout the year.
Visited in 2023
Nantes Arts Museum
10 Rue Georges Clemenceau, 44000 Nantes
Rates: €9 / reduced €4 / free for under 18s, job seekers, beneficiaries of minimum social benefits
The tip: free for everyone on Thursdays from 7 PM to 9 PM and the 1st Sunday of the month (excluding July-August)
Free with the Nantes Pass
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Hyper Sensible Exhibition
In 2023, the museum is hosting a temporary exhibition on hyperrealistic sculpture. Indeed, the museum is the only French public collection to preserve a sculpture by the American artist Duane Hanson. This exhibition explores the sensitive and human character of this movement born in the United States in the 60s and questions us about the disturbance that overcomes us in the face of these works that represent reality.
Hyper Sensible Exhibition
Nantes Arts Museum
From April 7 to September 3, 2023
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Visiting the Natural History Museum
This museum, which is still a bit “old-fashioned,” will apparently close in November 2025 (almost 150 years after its creation) for renovation work and a reopening scheduled for 2029. It consists of an important scientific heritage, and its collections cover all fields of natural history and are spread across 4 permanent exhibition spaces: vivarium; general zoology gallery; Earth sciences gallery; wood collection.
Visited in 2025
Nantes Natural History Museum
12 rue Voltaire 44 000 Nantes (entrance through the museum garden)
Rates: €5 full price / €2 reduced / free for under 18s, job seekers, and RSA beneficiaries, and for everyone on the 1st Sunday of the month between September and June
Free with the Nantes Pass
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Visiting the Frac in Nantes
On the outskirts of the city of Nantes, the doors of the Frac (Regional Contemporary Art Fund) offer a discovery of contemporary art and its paradoxes. You have to move away from Nantes, and take the paths of its surrounding countryside, to arrive at the Frac des Pays de la Loire, in Carquefou. A building that is at first glance austere, graphic, almost architecturally at odds with its environment. And yet, it intrigues, and what it houses unravels the mystery.
An initiative of the State in the 80s, the Frac (Regional Contemporary Art Funds) were created as part of the cultural decentralization policy in the regions. Today, their mission is to build international collections and distribute them with the goal of raising public awareness and knowledge of contemporary art. The Frac space offers a vast collection in constant exploration. An invitation to encounter contemporary creation through works that are always surprising and have defined the strength of the venue.
Frac des Pays de la Loire
Exhibitions open Wednesday to Sunday from 2 PM to 6 PM
Free admissionGuided tours on Sundays at 4 PM
24 bis Boulevard Ampère, La Fleuriaye
44470 Carquefou
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Visit the Saint-Nicolas Basilica in Nantes
This basilica, located in the city center, is in the neo-Gothic style and dates back to the 19th century. Because of its neo-Gothic furniture, it has been listed as a historical monument since 1985.
Saint-Nicolas Basilica
Place Félix Fournier, 44000 Nantes
Open and free visit
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Take a river cruise on the Ouch boat
It is the Bateaux Nantais company that offers this cruise on the Erdre river, at aperitif time, on a boat refurbished by the Fichtre collective. On the program on board, a chill and friendly atmosphere, with a selection of local drinks (wines, beers, soft drinks…) for sale in addition to the cruise price, accompanied by some snacks. During this cruise, there are no explanations during the ride; the idea is more about enjoying the scenery and having an aperitif on the boat during the “golden hour,” and it is really very pleasant.
Ouch Boat Cruise
Bateaux Nantais ferry terminal / Quai de la Motte-Rouge 44 000 Nantes
From May to September (by reservation)
Duration: 2h / Departure 7:15 PM
Free with the Pass Nantes
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Take a walk in the Passage Pommeraye
This very famous passage in the city is one of the most beautiful covered passages in Europe, a true architectural masterpiece of the 19th century with its three levels. It was inaugurated in 1843, under the reign of the last king Louis-Philippe, and it connects the cultural Graslin district and the Commerce district. It owes its name to a young notary, Louis Pommeraye, who dreamed of transforming an insalubrious and ill-famed neighborhood into a passage of luxury shops worthy of his very fashionable Parisian models. It still houses a beautiful shopping arcade with prestigious brand names today.
Passage Pommeraye
20 Passage Pommeraye, 44000 Nantes
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Stroll through the Jardin des Plantes
This haven of greenery in the city is located just opposite the Nantes train station, so you can relax there before or after your train. With 50,000 flowers planted each season, more than 10,000 living species, and 7 hectares of surface area, this botanical park that has existed for 150 years is as much scientific as it is for leisure.
Jardin des Plantes
Rue Stanislas Baudry, 44000 Nantes
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Visit the Maillé Brézé
This naval museum on the water is housed in a ship classified as a historical monument since 1991. The latter is the escort ship Maillé Brézé, a former flagship of the French Navy that was part of a series of 18 Surcouf-type squadron escorts, built in the 50s, 3 of which were launched from the Nantes shipyards site. It is also the only surface ship of the French Navy transformed into a floating museum and preserved in its original state. If this interests you, know also that in Cherbourg in the Cotentin (and I talk about it in my article on this destination), you can also visit a submarine, the Redoutable.
The boat is maintained by an association, Nantes Marine Tradition, composed of 300 passionate members. They are also the ones who provide the entertainment with the organization of guided tours on board, like the one we were able to take. The visits (only guided) last about 1 hour 30 minutes, and you discover the outside of the boat, but also the inside with the machines and the living spaces of the crew. Be careful, during the visit you go up and down a lot of narrow and steep stairs, so it is not recommended for everyone. Same if you are claustrophobic, some rooms (especially the engine rooms) are very cramped. In any case, it is a truly unusual visit to make if you pass through Nantes.
Visited in 2025
Maillé Brézé Boat
Quai de la Fosse 44 000 Nantes
Rates: €14 adult / €12 student / €10 child (4 – 11 years old)
Free with the Pass Nantes
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The Machines of the Isle in Nantes
This incredible artistic and technical project was born from the imagination of François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice, on the border between the world of Jules Verne and the mechanical universe created by Leonardo da Vinci. Furthermore, this project has been taking place for 10 years on the site of the city’s former shipyards, as if to recall its industrial history.
You must visit the Machine Gallery to discover these monumental urban sculptures, see the exit of the Great Elephant (12 meters high!) even if you don’t ride inside it, and take a ride on the Marine Worlds Carousel (on 3 levels, 25 meters high), which also offers a beautiful panoramic view of Nantes.
Les Machines de l’île
Parc des Chantiers, Boulevard Léon Bureau, 44200 NantesPrice (2016): from €8.50 to €5.50 for the Elephant trip or the Gallery
from €8.50 to €3 for the carousel (+ 1 carousel ride)The good deal: the 2nd ride is free every day from 10 AM to 2 PM until August 31st and on Wednesdays excluding school holidays from 2 PM to 5 PM
Access free to the Gallery and the Carousel with the Pass Nantes
Le Voyage à Nantes
Every year, the Nantes summer cultural program is extremely rich. Indeed, during the summer, contemporary art invades the city’s public space. A route through the city proposes that tourists and locals travel through the artists’ vision across several sites in Nantes. This route of about forty stages is reactivated every summer.
The good deal: To visit the city along the Voyage à Nantes, just follow the green line drawn on the ground that meanders throughout the city. It’s simple, just let yourself be guided.
Le Voyage à Nantes
The good deal: most sites are free and accessible 7 days a week, from 10 AM to 7 PM
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2023 Edition
The 2023 edition took place from July 1st to September 3rd, 2023. And this year, Le Voyage à Nantes organized the awakening of the statues with 80 stages, 21 new Voyage à Nantes features, 14 cultural partners, and 7 locations invested for the first time.
Le Voyage à Nantes 2023
from July 1st to September 3rd, 2023
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2016 Edition
The 2016 edition took place from July 1st to August 28th, 2016, with a route of about forty stages. For the record, I had already talked about Le Voyage à Nantes in 2014 on the blog.
Melle Bon Plan’s small selection in 2016:
- The Nuit du Van, the opening night of the event which offers a special trail starting at 7 PM with a great nocturnal program.
- The Art of Signs, which allows you to admire the work of artists all over the city who have reinterpreted the signs of merchants who were happy to play along.
- Take a tour of the Château des Ducs de Bretagne (the last castle on the banks of the Loire before the ocean and residence of Anne of Brittany) with its buildings from the 15th to the 18th century, to discover the Nantes History Museum, as well as temporary exhibitions linked to Le Voyage à Nantes.
- The Nomadic museum at the Passage Sainte-Croix with an off-site exhibition from the Nantes Fine Arts Museum, as the latter is currently closed to the public.
- The “Temps étrangers” construction pendulum, by Julien Berthier at Place du Bouffay.
- The “Canadian” terrace of the restaurant Le 1, on the banks of the Loire.
- The Playground Ping-Pong Park by Laurent Perbos at Square Mabon and Quai François Mitterrand, which puts a fun twist on this popular playground.
- The Tape Measure by Lilian Bourgeat on Rue La-Noue-Bras-de-Fer.
- “Cours à travers” sculpture by Pierre-Alexandre Remy on the Cours Cambronne, a charming public promenade.
- The sound installation “La Syzygie” by James Webb at the Théâtre Graslin, which is also an opportunity to discover the magnificent architecture of this venue built in 1788 by Mathurin Crucy.
- Take a stroll in the Passage Pommeraye, a magnificent 3-level covered arcade from 1843 that was very recently restored and houses numerous shops. In any case, one of the most beautiful I’ve ever had the chance to see.
- “Évasion Urbaine” by Benedetto Bufalino, a 1980s telephone booth transformed into an aquarium.
- The rings by Daniel Buren on the Quai des Antilles opposite the Hangar à Bananes.
- Video montage exhibition at the Hab Galerie “La mer allée avec le soleil” by Ange Leccia, Hangar à Bananes.
Le Voyage à Nantes 2016
from July 1st to August 28th, 2016
My favorite addresses in Nantes
As usual, you will find below my selection of great addresses in Nantes (gourmet restaurant, street food, brasserie…) that we had the opportunity to test during our various stays in Nantes with my favorite photographer. These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and some specialties to taste if you are coming to Loire-Atlantique. And you will see that Nantes is a territory with many delicious local products, as well as a dynamic vineyard, particularly around the Muscadet grape variety. By the way, the tourism office Le Voyage à Nantes has published a free guide “Les Tables de Nantes” which offers a selection of restaurants chosen by a jury of passionate volunteers.
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Where to brunch in Nantes? At Handy Brunch
This little place belongs to Guillaume whom we met in Paris with my favorite photographer when he was working at the Roch Hôtel (which I have already mentioned several times on the blog). Here, the products are well-sourced and Guillaume pays special attention to them. Everything is made with love and there is a genuine desire to share good things in a super friendly atmosphere, because the whole team is truly adorable and welcoming. The portions are very generous and we struggled to finish our brunch (so you will leave with a full stomach).
We came here on the weekend to discover the brunch set menus and there are several: the Handy (€22.50); the Benedicte (€22.50); the Avocado lovers (€22.50); the Pancakes lovers (€18.50). Each set menu includes an organic fruit juice + a hot drink of your choice + a sweet or savory plate which differs according to the menus.
Tested in 2025 - Invitation
Handy Brunch
7 Rue Voltaire, 44000 Nantes
Brunch menus on Saturday and Sunday
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Where to eat a burger in Nantes? Made Nantes
This address, opened at the beginning of 2025 in a pleasant pedestrian street in Nantes, offers premium quality burgers made with very good ingredients and prepared to order. It is a brand that was born in Angers a few years ago. An American bun is used for the burgers. Here, everything is homemade, even the different sauces which are truly delicious. We tasted the Crispy Chicken Burger menu (€19.90) and the Mushroom Burger menu (€20.40). For dessert, I treated myself and had a vanilla milkshake.
Good to know: there are several vegetarian recipes and all burgers can also be made in a vegetarian version.
Made Nantes
23 Rue des Carmes, 44000 Nantes
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Where to eat another burger in Nantes? Big Fernand
This fast food chain I’ve already mentioned on the blog has a restaurant in Nantes. It specializes in “hamburgés” (a French-style version of hamburgers), with very French-style re-visitations of burgers.
To taste: a local beer from the Brasserie du Bouffay (each Big Fernand restaurant has common products but they also have a certain freedom to offer local products); for dessert, you can find a specialty from La Baule that we discovered there, the Fondant Baulois.
Tested in 2021 - Invitation
Big Fernand Nantes
05-07 Rue des Halles, 44000 Nantes
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Where to eat in a brasserie downtown? Le Café des Expos
This family brasserie belongs to the Pérou family (I will tell you about the gourmet restaurant Le Manoir de la Régate just below). Located opposite the Cité des Congrès in Nantes, the restaurant offers a traditional menu but with a touch of modernity, as it is signed by the Michelin-starred chef Mathieu Pérou. It is a very good address for lunch in a chic, cozy but relaxed setting and you will find a very beautiful selection of quality products and regional wines. And on top of that, the service is particularly smiling and pleasant, which does not spoil anything.
We tasted: beetroot gazpacho, marinated carrots and fish dumplings (dish of the day); beetroot tartare and smoked eel rillettes dumpling (€11); beef kefta, spiced semolina and glazed vegetables (dish of the day); confit pollock, almonds, zucchini, tomato vierge sauce and olive oil sabayon (€20); revisited pina colada (dessert of the day).
Tested in 2023
Le café des Expos
14 Avenue Carnot 44 000 Nantes
Open continuously from Monday to Saturday
The good deal: weekly menus with starter + main course + dessert for €25 at lunch and €31 in the evening / starter + main or main + dessert for €20 at lunch
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Where to eat on the Quai des Antilles in Nantes? La Cantine du Voyage
This ephemeral venue which has returned for every Voyage à Nantes since 2013 is a popular spot for locals who come here to relax. The space offers a 300-seat restaurant, a large bar, pétanque courts, table football and lively evenings when night falls. We sit at large raw wooden tables to enjoy a unique menu composed of a seasonal salad and a dish of free-range chicken and potatoes. It’s simple, but it’s good and for the price, it’s a great value!
This place has its own vegetable garden of 900 m2 (located at the western tip of the Ile de Nantes) which reinvents Nantes market gardening, but in an urban setting. All the vegetables served at the restaurant obviously come from this vegetable garden, particularly for making the “Cantine’s little salad”, which therefore evolves with the seasons and harvests.
Tested in 2016
La Cantine du Voyage
Quai des Antilles, 44200 NantesFrom Monday to Friday services from 12 PM to 3 PM and from 7 PM to 11:30 PM
Continuously Saturday and Sunday from 12 PM to midnightLunch or dinner set menu: meal starting at €24.50 / person
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Where to have a Michelin-starred meal in Nantes? Le Manoir de la Régate
This beautiful address belongs to the Perou family. It was for 20 years that of Mathieu Perou‘s father. The young chef (only 33 years old) took over the kitchens of the family restaurant in 2017 and won a red star and a green star in the Michelin guide in 2021, and he also obtained a score of 16.5 in the Gault et Millau (a great achievement!). He was also joined by his sister Anne-Charlotte who for her part won the prize for hospitality and service in the dining room for the restaurant in 2022.
The table is set in a relaxing and peaceful setting. A beautiful 19th-century bourgeois house, located a few kilometers north of Nantes city center, on the banks of the Erdre. We have been lucky enough to test the chef’s Michelin-starred table twice already, first in 2023 and a second time in 2025. The timeless evening begins on the establishment’s terrace with a small cocktail and the chef’s amuse-bouches, crafted like edible jewels. In 2023, we then continued the evening in the Régate lounge to watch the perfectly orchestrated ballet of the service (which takes place simultaneously for all guests at the table) bringing us a cascade of dishes as beautiful as they were delicious. In 2025, the weather was almost heatwave-like, so we enjoyed the coolness of the terrace all evening long. We had a wonderful evening every time, and it was a flawless experience from start to finish.
Mathieu Perou offers cuisine that is both aesthetic and poetic. Each bite is like a painting, a clever mix of colors, textures, and simplicity. His work with freshwater fish is remarkable (we will long remember his pike-perch cooked in a clay crust and prepared using the Japanese ikejime method in 2023, or his medallion of catfish confit in 2025) as is his commitment to local, seasonal produce. It is an essential gastronomic stop to discover if you are passing through Nantes.
Our dinner in 2023
We tasted: carp from the Erdre with oxtail broth; sand-grown carrots Tatin-style with tops vinaigrette; artichoke from La Chapelle-sur-Erdre and garden coriander; Nantes prawns, charcuterie, and scamjang; pike-perch from Lac de Grand-Lieu in fig leaf; pre-dessert like a strawberry rigolette; redcurrant and white mugwort dessert.
Our 10-course Erdre dinner in 2025
We tasted: garden vegetable broth; carp (it was the emblem of the place when it was a guinguette) from the Erdre with oxtail broth and wild flowers; sand-grown carrots and elderflower; artichoke and garden coriander in several textures; catfish medallion and eggplants with a spice crust; crayfish beignet; pike-perch with Nantes bacon and Noirmoutier potatoes; pre-dessert like a rhubarb rigolette.
Tested in 2023 and 2025 - Invitations
Le Manoir de la Régate
155 route de Gachet 44300 Nantes
Menu prices:
- Three-course Régate – 50€ (served only at lunch Tuesday to Friday)
- Six-course Chantrerie – 95€ (served lunch and dinner except Friday and Saturday nights)
- Eight-course Gachet – 135€
- Ten-course Erdre – 160€
Where to stay in Nantes?
As usual, below you will find my selection of good places to stay in Nantes that we had the opportunity to test during our stays with my favorite photographer.
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Where to stay near the Zenith of Nantes? Hôtel Akena Nantes Atlantis
This 3-star hotel is located near the Zenith of Nantes, about 30 minutes by tram from the center of Nantes, so it is easily accessible by public transport (which, I remind you, are free for everyone on weekends). Just a heads up, be careful with the Sunday schedules (because we got caught out), the trams run a little less frequently than during the week (every 30 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon). The advantage of this establishment: the rates are attractive compared to city center hotels, and you can get to the center of Nantes quite quickly and even return late at night without any trouble.
Our room was simple but functional, very quiet with good insulation (which is always very important to me) and also with air conditioning (which was very useful for us because it was a heatwave during our stay). There is also a courtesy tray in the room with a kettle, coffee, teas, and especially herbal teas (which is quite rare, so I’ll take the liberty of mentioning it). As for breakfast, it is also quite simple but there is a machine to make a real fresh-squeezed orange juice, which I personally always find very appreciable. Finally, the welcome is pleasant and smiling.
Tested in 2025 - Invitation
Hôtel Akena Nantes Atlantis
3 Rue Victor Schoelcher, 44800 Saint-Herblain
Rates: double room from 74 € / breakfast 13.90 €
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A bed and breakfast in Nantes? L’Escale Donatienne
This B&B offers 3 different rooms, installed in a beautiful architect-designed house. For our part, during our stay, we stayed in the “Espace Jules Verne” room. The room is quiet and quite small, but the space seems sufficient for a short stopover in Nantes. The place is also a little out of the city center, but that didn’t bother us (about 20 minutes on foot to go to the station or to reach the city center). The couple who run this B&B are very friendly and accommodating regarding times to drop off luggage in advance or to leave them during the day before taking the train again, for example.
Finally, one of the very good points of this address is its excellent breakfast, made with delicious local products (special mention for the very good freshly ground coffee). If you are a fan of this type of accommodation, I highly recommend it.
Tested in 2023
L’Escale Donatienne
5 avenue du lieutenant Chapus, 44 000 Nantes
Rates: Espace Jules Verne room at 95 € per night for 2 people (breakfast included)
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Where to stay in the heart of Nantes city center? Oceania Hôtel de France Nantes
This 4-star hotel in the Oceania group is ideally located right in the heart of Nantes city center, Place Graslin, and a stone’s throw from the majestic Passage Pommeraye (which I mentioned earlier in the article) and is housed in an 18th-century former private mansion.
Tested in 2021
Oceania Hôtel de France Nantes
24 Rue Crébillon, 44000 Nantes
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Where to stay near the Nantes train station? Hôtel Mercure Nantes Centre Gare
Completely updated in 2016 by the Argentine-born architect Marcelo Joulia, this hotel, directly linked to the Nantes TGV station, offers a very beautiful 4-star establishment, both designer, modern, full of charm and particularly practical for travelers, given its geographical location. Originally divided into 2 parts, the hotel has now expanded and offers 31 new rooms, all different (including the one I tested), plus extended common areas. The furniture with clean lines and the contemporary decor are to my taste quite effective. Breakfast is a hot/cold and savory/sweet buffet.
My room, 325
I loved the design of the bathroom area, which is separated from the rest of the room by a glass wall with iron and glass architecture that recalls the “workshop” spirit of this 19th-century neighborhood. The room is also very practical to use, since there are a large number of places to store your things, space to spread out your toiletries, and a place to open your suitcase flat (essential and too often forgotten in some establishments).
The little extra: The soundproofing is top notch. While my room overlooked the railway line and the noise nuisance was extremely loud with the window open, once it was closed, I heard no noise at all, even though I am genuinely very sensitive to this kind of nuisance.
Room rates (2016): between 85 and 280 €
The bar:
Don’t hesitate to take a little tour of the hotel bar, where the establishment offers a lovely selection of wines by the glass or local aperitifs. Take the opportunity to discover the Nantes vineyards, especially the Muscadet, a dry white wine that is a regional specialty.
The hotel restaurant:
The hotel’s Brasserie offers a very fine Nantes dining experience, led by James Alexander, the establishment’s British-born chef. You will find seasonal cuisine that highlights fresh regional produce, which we had the opportunity to discover during a dinner.
- As appetizers: a salmon tartare with Granny Smith apple and peach, a foie gras mousse with port and Pineau des Charentes, and a ratatouille tartlet with a hint of walnut.
- As a starter, the summer selection with a melon tube, cured ham and mozzarella, sardine lasagna, tomato gazpacho, and a tempura langoustine.
- For the fish course, a roasted zander with beurre blanc and potato scales.
- A duck breast with Timut pepper, served with a celery and apricot tatin.
- The extremely light dessert: a cherry vacherin with a hint of verbena.
Tested in 2016 - Invitation
Hôtel Mercure Nantes Centre Gare
50-51 quai Malakoff 44000 Nantes
Restaurant open every day from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
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I hope all this has made you want to discover or re-discover Nantes, and if you also have your own favorite spots for visiting this city, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan and Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization is mandatory before any use
