The best bistros and brasseries Vendée

With its priory and salons, the Domaine du Brandois is a popular venue for receptions, but its restaurant, La Cantine, is well worth a visit. In the heart of the park, the château walls serve as the setting for this bistronomic restaurant. Attractive parquet floors, moldings, upholstered banquettes, chandeliers, painted woodwork and modern drapes: it's chic, friendly and warm. As for the cuisine, the menu changes weekly, with, on the day we visited, fish from the fish market with green curry and coconut milk sauce and caramelized apple and rhubarb mille-feuille

The brainchild of David and Florian, La Folie is a multi-faceted place, facing the sea. It's a lounge bar for cocktails on the poolside terrace, a restaurant with a menu that includes seafood, grilled whole fish, mussels in summer, and burgers. It's also a guinguette with bar service and food-truck. Book the Brasero evening on Friday evenings. On Sunday mornings, the guinguette serves oysters and white wine. Bonus: children's play area and pickleball courts are also available.

Enjoy the view of the ocean from the terrace of this crêperie, which doubles as a bar, with a nice modern decor. In addition to the galettes and crêpes, the menu offers brasserie-style dishes: mixed salads, grilled meats, mussels, burgers with bread from the local baker, including the Vendéen made with Vendée ham and Reblochon cheese, with chips and salad. Galettes to compose yourself or specials with among the customer's favourites the one with andouille from Vire or the one with salmon and leek fondue. For a sweet note, a caramel and salted butter pancake.

Anchored at Place Saint-Louis, come aboard the Winch whose terrace faces the port. Good quality cuisine, varied menu, good value for money. Dedicated to the sea, the decor, racy, original and warm, is worth the detour: parquet floor, leather armchairs, navigation objects. Upstairs, another room, another atmosphere, sober and cosy, used for groups. In winter, the menu offers elaborate dishes, in summer it is oriented towards brasserie dishes: burger, fish & chips, filet of sole, St Pierre, mussels in season. For dessert: brioche perdue.