The best bars and cafés Poitiers

Housed in a large hangar on the Zone de la République, the Poitevin food court is on a roll, bringing together all ages and all publics: families, friends, colleagues. Under a garlanded sky, with its vintage decor, you can order a snack from one of the seven street food stands (burgers, tapas, wraps, crêpes... there's plenty to choose from!), pour yourself a beer from the giant 10-spout tapping machine, have fun, play games and dance. Every evening, a new event is proposed: sports, salsa classes, karaoke, dj sets... Republic Corner is the place to be!

Close to the Place Leclerc, it is a place not to be missed in the student life of Poitiers. Spread over different levels, this big Australian pub of 600 m² welcomes a young and festive clientele. It has a great atmosphere! While the friendly bartenders are busy preparing good cocktails, the dancers invade the big dance floor. Here, there is something for everyone: beer-pong tournaments, karaoke night on Tuesdays with 29,000 songs to choose from, soccer or rugby game broadcasts, billiards, or DJs to shine on the dancefloor!

The Biblio Café run by Louise, Aude and Hugues, former booksellers, is one of those endearing places where friendship and openness towards others have a special meaning. Our hosts wanted to combine relaxation and reading, and this is a successful bet! All the books are new or second-hand and you can "taste" them on the spot with a coffee or a tea or take them away by buying them. On the shelves, art, humor, ecology and even erotic books, but also comics, mangas, games... all in a retro and bright decor. But nothing is set in stone here: there are also readings, acoustic Irish music, sex or knitting cafés to discuss, and here is the magic that takes place.

Outside of meal times, this café bistro is the fashionable place to meet up with friends over one of the many drinks on the menu, such as mint tea (fresh mint!) or the Viennese chocolate that we are so fond of. La Serru' is the place to be for families, professionals and students. The setting of this bar is very composite. Stay on the first floor if you want to enjoy the incredible main room, its glass roof and its windows... It is one of the few places open in Poitiers on Monday afternoons where you can have a tea with a delicacy (tiramisu, custard...).

Just like the two nearby bars, Theatre Café is known for its location, right in the heart of downtown, on the main square of the city hall, commonly known as Weapons square. The place is magnificent, since the work that has been done in this place; it is huge and splendid, the sun is at the meeting, but the parasols protect you… The best is to come at the end of the day when the sunset falls on the town hall. Apart from that, the bar has nothing for him. The hotel was very close to the train station. So, certainly, the prices could point to the location, but if the bar does not create any event, people will only go. It is a pity…

A gourmet address that will melt more than one! It was during a trip to Quebec that Jaël came across a concept that made her fall in love: a dessert bar that combines crepes and chocolate. On the counter, milk, dark and white chocolate flows freely in the fountains. On the menu, pancakes of course, often unstructured or in the form of turnovers, associated with fruit, but also waffles, Brussels waffles or lollipops, and for all recipes, a good dose of chocolate. Addicts will go so far as to share a fountain and its sweets. At Signature, we also offer a savory break for lunch (pancakes, waffles) and gourmet drinks. Hard to resist.

It's a meeting place where people like to chat. In winter, with jazzy music playing in the background, you can enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or syrup. It's cosy. It's easy to chat with strangers. The bistro tables are tightly packed. In summer, the shop window is open. In front of it, regulars enjoy the hustle and bustle of the square, sometimes with a notebook or book in hand. On the other side of the street, at the foot of Notre-Dame church, on the shady terrace, you can enjoy a drink with your sandwich or after the market. A place that remains true to itself.

At Ilot Tison, on the banks of the River Clain, the Guinguette Pictave is the place to be. Under the great hall, at the bar or with your feet in the sand in summer, it's the ideal place to relax with a drink, or play games at the Ludoguette. From shuffleboard and darts to cornhole and Mario kart, there's no time for boredom! In the old sawmill, enjoy music or a match on the giant screen. And if you're feeling peckish, the Circus-style delicacies bar awaits you, not to mention the 7 foodtrucks serving world cuisine on site. Conviviality guaranteed!

L'Envers du Bocal claims to be a plural place. And it is! Noé, Aurélien and Hélène, musician, visual artist and social worker, have created a new kind of bar-cannery to offer a convivial space for exchanging and tasting local canned goods. The place is decorated with salvaged furniture and diverted objects for a unique and original rendering with an exhibition room upstairs for the works of local artists. Numerous evenings of concerts, debates, traditional jams, readings, slams or improvisation matches are on the program.

Pushing open the pretty white wrought-iron gate, you'll make your way to the terrace of this den of sweet pleasures, where you'll lose your breath at the selection of sweets to eat and drink. This is Sandrine Lebon's place, her voice as delicate as her welcome. Enjoy teas (iced in summer!), vintage coffees and hot fruit juices, all accompanied by delicious cakes. Saturday is scone day! And don't forget to admire the current exhibition on the walls. A lovely sweet break.

Much more than a simple bar, an institution! This traditional Irish pub, with its walls lined with concert posters, has a very friendly, even family atmosphere. In summer, its large terrace under the plane trees is overflowing with beer lovers. Mark, the Irish manager, and his team of beer geeks like to share and discover new nuggets. The Clu is even a brew pub with a microbrewery "Beoir" (beer in Gaelic) installed in the cellar! Here we taste and talk about beer... a lot and we listen to concerts... especially rock concerts!

The perfect place for beer lovers to enjoy a convivial afterwork. You'll be greeted by the friendly François, his famous mullet, and his cheerful team. On the terrace or in the dining room, you can sit around the reels and cans, or on the kegs: a recycled decor perfectly suited to the place. The focus is on local and craft brewers, with 500 beers on tap, many on draught, and a few nibbles (pizza, boards). Twice a month, La Cervoiserie organizes Tap Take-Over tastings with brewers from all over France. Broadcasting of matches and concerts. Sale of beers and spirits, and taps for hire.

Take a seat, it's soft, cocooning, tangy, enveloping... For a sweet break, you can enjoy Luce's homemade cakes, which she bakes according to her whims: cheesecake, chocolate moelleux, carrot cake, brownies, marble cake, apple-almond-spice cake... There's an embarrassment of riches to choose from! To accompany them, take a Compagnie coloniale tea (which you can buy on site), a local beer or a homemade drink: matcha latte, sweet coffee, milkshake... Here, everything is "made with love"! And at lunchtime, the savoury tarts are just as tasty.

This Poitiers bar is an institution. In the past, magistrates used to come here for a black coffee between hearings. Change of ownership in 2022. Le Gambetta has become a trendy place where people come at all hours of the day. Breakfasts in the velvet decor or on the terrace, quality croc/quiche/sandwich breaks, afterworks with gourmet bites and incredible cocktails. At the helm, Reda imagines original, perfectly balanced recipes. A delight to sip with friends. Very pleasant service.