The best bars and cafés Ille-Et-Vilaine

The kind of tea room you'd dream of after a ride in a blizzard, British to the bone! An atmosphere somewhere between kitsch and cocooning, underpinned by gold-flowered merry-go-round teapots, velvet armchairs, antique prints, a telephone booth and English pastries to die for! We recommend the Queen Victoria sponge cake and homemade lemonade combo, or the British pie like in the old English pubs. Sunday brunch is just as delicious.

The PDA is the kind of place that gives all its soul to the nightlife (and daytime) of Rennes. Named after the expression of connoisseurs, which refers to the volume of alcohol that evaporates when it is left to age in casks, it is the troquet in which one systematically feels good. In his offbeat, arty but not consensual universe, his character so typical that one never gets tired of it. The music is always in good taste, never too loud, between jazz and rock, depending on the time of day. We know him through a plural vision because he makes tea room, bistro at lunchtime, and wine bar at night. Everything is of great quality, and there are even biodynamic and natural wines! The owner of the house, Orane, is not the type to deal with low-level products, and knows at her fingertips what she serves and often has anecdotes to tell about it. The welcome is apple-packed and that's what we love about it: this strong character, this comical humour that tends towards the potache, this love of art and literature, this unequalled vision of the world and this unequalled openness of mind that allows us to have endless discussions about everything at any time and to learn more at the counter than in a library... Because the place is punctuated by ancient and artistic books, sown in the corners, between the opera red velvet armchairs and the old cinema seats of the same colour. There is no denying a Belle époque influence, with contemporary design touches that match perfectly. A feminist den that gives pride of place to the LGBTQ community, it is typically the place where taboos do not go out the door! The library and exhibitions of works on the walls set the tone, unequivocally! It is a kaleidoscopic place with many faces whose coherence flows under the meaning once you are seated there. Essential and simply magical!

With Cavoua, healthy cuisine and relaxation are at your fingertips. This charming place designed by Vincent and Mathieu offers delicious coffees, teas and detox juices as well as sweets for all meals of the day. Here, the decoration, a subtle mix of industrial and Scandinavian style, leads to quietness. The brunches are irresistible but so are the home-made dishes. The service is impeccable, the welcome warm and the products in season. The mascot Oréo, a boston terrier, is adorable and symbolizes the sweetness of life.

Le Cancalais is an institution in the Solidor district that has been around for over 30 years. The terrace, facing southwest, offers a superb view and it is pleasant to savor the moment. In front of you, the Solidor cove and at high tide, the sea spreads out at your feet and makes the experience marine and solar. A real place of meeting and conviviality, the tables get bigger as the evening goes by: the atmosphere is joyful and the place is well filled. Cheeses, charcuterie, homemade salmon rillettes as an aperitif or a main course are also offered.

Located just above the Bon-Secours beach and its mythical swimming pool, its large terrace allows you to enjoy the spectacle of the sea with a view of the Vauban fortifications, the Grand Bé and Dinard. The warm and dynamic team welcomes you from breakfast until sunset, depending on the weather. The bar also serves as a snack bar with mussels and chips, salads and sandwiches à la carte. Concerts are regularly organized as well as yoga classes. L'Embraque is a must for a successful holiday in Saint-Malo! Refreshing!

Full of eyes, full of gullets: this is the motto of the place! Warm and nicely decorated, it offers a boat as a counter and many other decorative surprises that we let you discover. We love it! Everything is particularly successful in this bistro located in the heart of the port of La Houle. The warm and smiling welcome of the owners will make you stay and come back. The house organizes concert evenings and you can also taste good oysters or plates of cold cuts. For a coffee or an aperitif, the place is unmissable.

"Frivolous brasserie and intoxicating cocktails" set the tone for this new Rennes venue, which revives the Mabilay, the emblematic cigarette-shaped tower. Both a bar and a restaurant, we discovered it when it opened in September, one foot on the terrace, the other inside to soak up the 70's ambience. The work on lighting is superb, with a deliciously subdued atmosphere in the evening. The cocktail menu allows you to discover the art of mixology. We pounced on the Crazy Andy, tasted the tapas with our fingertips - arancini, beef gyosas and Lebanese hummus - and let ourselves be captivated by the DJ's eclectic music. It's a place that's sure to get the Rennes parties going!

In the Plaine de Baud district, head for Désordre (a nod to Joy Division's "Disorder" album, by the way) to enjoy the bar or restaurant. Depending on the time of day or day of the week, this lively venue offers a variety of facets. Stand-up, comedy club, karaoke, drag nights, DJ sets: there's no shortage of events. Lunch is a time for toasting and tasting: onion soup, veal polpette, chocolate mi-cuit and more. The place has a real personality, with a wall signed by Rennes graffiti artist Tom Nelson. Darts, vintage table soccer, natural wines, local beers and homemade punches are the latest arguments for joining in the merry mess created by Donovan and Cécilia.

A fixture on the Rennes scene since 2015, the Skumenn organic brewery also has a brewpub overlooking the production workshop. A venue for various concerts, pub quizzes and comedy clubs, the bar also boasts a pleasant terrace in summer. Inside, wood and stainless steel, large tables and old living-room furniture combine to create a very convivial atmosphere. 12 pressurized spouts allow you to savor the brand's classics and try out new creations. On the store side, between goodies and beers fresh from the brewery, you can take away bottles served on draught, as well as rent growlers: 5 L mini kegs to take away, ready to serve!

The Japanese style karaoke (understanding in private rooms) has now a name in Brittany: Musikam. Unique concept in the region, the place has 12 rooms from 6 to 50 singers. In a chic atmosphere and especially in rooms with excellent acoustics and customizable lights, you can spend 2 hours singing with friends. The icing on the cake? It is the service of drinks and cocktails in a few clicks on the connected tablet without having to leave the room. You try it once and you just want to come back! The bar opens on a hyper warm concert room where also improvise jams and "karaoke party"! Big blow of heart!

Bluebird Coffee takes us somewhere between California and Australia. The 4-metre high ceilings are filled with a myriad of rattan hanging baskets. With its small wooden table, side table and pastel banquette, this is a place to share good times at lunchtime, nibbling on grilled cheese, avocado toast or a bento. Stop in for a generous snack, including a delicious New York-style donut and a gingerbread latte. The many juices are made fresh with the finest ingredients. You can even come for breakfast: there's nothing like starting the day with a peanut butter bagel! The atmosphere is relaxed and cosmopolitan.

It's with a great deal of heart and dignity that you're served in this café unlike any other, since most of the staff are mentally or cognitively handicapped. The first solidarity café of its kind in Rennes, the place lives up to its name. The team welcomes us with a smile, and serves up some particularly tasty classics. With its bright yellow decor, reminiscent of a Brooklyn concept café, and its lively playlist, the place warms you up. You'll be given a plastic cube before you reach your table, so that your waiter can identify you in the room. We salute this deeply human initiative that makes you see life differently!

Push the superb 1930s door with its fish motifs and discover an enchanting place.

Housing the former aquarium of the museum, this place has now become a very cosy bar. With a particularly successful Art Deco interior, inspired by Jules Vernes, sublime mosaics and soft colors. It is also about enjoying one of the delicious house cocktails of the chief bartender Anthony Bertin or sharing the pastries of the pastry chef Annabelle Levêque. Very very good!

Lovers of very drunk parties, don't limit yourself to the primary meaning of this bar. You will have understood to which common expression we are referring, but before we stick one on, this is a place to admire the work of the pencil... in front of a pint or a glass of rum of course! Here Thomas and Sylvain have completed one of the pieces of the puzzle already in place in the Saint Hélier district: the world of comics. There were already a few stalls dedicated to the genre, but not of this type! Here the independent comics and the fanzine are enjoyed with a slice of sausage and a beer, because there are things that are more beautiful when you live them together! Enter the den and you will understand when the walls lined with comic book boards reveal themselves before you. Your visit will be punctuated by the discovery of a universe between art, literature and street art: a counter surmounted by a mechanical shooter straight out of the steampunk universe, toilets and an inner courtyard lined with frescoes and graffiti, a fanzinothèque and comic book library corner like a boudoir for the most absorbed, and works exhibited all around you. A program of autographs and artistic performances will brighten up your evenings. A concept to water body, heart and mind!

A former Peugeot garage is the setting for this brocante, with its strong whiff of sixties nostalgia. Retro furniture, tables and chairs, all for sale, are arranged in the four corners of the store, from floor to ceiling, and make up the astonishing configuration of the canteen, which opens every lunchtime and some evenings. On the menu: homemade dishes of the day, including a vegan one, delicious sandwiches, tarts, toasted bagels, cookies, cannelés and other sweet treats. The menu changes regularly. It's an opportunity to enjoy a good meal at a more than respectable price, in the midst of a cheerful bric-a-brac that contributes to the friendly atmosphere of the place. Antique enthusiasts will be delighted!

The Black Bear is, as its name suggests, a manly place where serious spirits are offered (because we don't treat good whisky lightly!). Sophie, a trained cellar master, and Clément will welcome you with warmth and guide you towards a spiritual elevation because it is sometimes quite an art to know how to taste and appreciate the fruit of an ancestral know-how. A hundred references of whiskies are facing you behind the bar, like mystical books to be deciphered and a wide range of rums, some quality vodkas and 16 draught beers from Belgium and Czech Republic are on the menu. This is not the place for a Bailey or a Ricard, a matter of honor and quality! Come for an initiation and an invitation to travel with a glass of Welsh or Japanese whisky (the Ryo Ma or the Penderyn) which will take you to peaty and iodized lands. And if what the bar offers is not enough, you should know that the place is also a cellar and offers for sale 250 references of high quality spirits that you will have difficulty in finding elsewhere. We recommend you the detour!

La Lichouille is a bar for chocolate lovers, to eat in or take away, which offers us a consumption experience around the chocolate bar... So when it comes to making a totally original creation, combining it with the cookie flavor, and crushing it inside a hot milk, the pleasure is intense. The meeting place for those who love four o'clock! La Lichouille also offers lunch formulas with sandwiches, salads, toasts or wraps as well as smoothies prepared on the spot in a wide choice of flavors that goes from orange to black radish, muffins or gourmet waffles... A nice and charming address.

Sitting in the heart of Rennes, on Sainte Anne Square, the artist's workshop is an unfailing meeting of everything that the city has to offer. At the crossroads of bohemian influences, punk, rock and jazz, this is the place where you come to philosophize, discuss art, recreate the world or taste the market discoveries on Saturday morning by sipping a glass of good wine in a relaxed and isolated atmosphere of the world. The place is a mini labyrinth made up of alcoves made of mixed furniture and stained with old books, posters and postcards, faux chimneys, or works by local artists in exhibition (do not hesitate to offer your own works!). And at the heart of this labyrinth: a covered patio that recalls a dropout greenhouse in which you forgot old objects, paintings, and set tables for an improvised party. Heated in winter and always sheltered from rain, this area is highly appreciated by smokers who find the best of both worlds. The map offers many wines that regularly change, many Britons beers at the pressure, and everything necessary to spend a pleasant time at any time of the day. And every visit comes out as we come back from a weekend at Cézanne's, it's crazy what it's all about!