The best bars and cafés Rennes

In the heart of the historic centre, it is a warm and lively pub, surrounded by old stones, facing the Saint Yves chapel. In a paved and pedestrian area, you can enjoy a vast sheltered terrace where you can pile up in numbers! The interior is reminiscent of an old tavern where you feel like you're finally coming back, even if it's your first time in. A warm decoration playing on a wooden bar, barrels around which to sit, bric-a-brac, the "emptying" space reflecting well the potash atmosphere of the place which consequently was elected for certain evenings of the collective "les Gérards". The walls are also occupied by copper pipes and old street name plates, baroque tapestries or decorated with old boxing engravings, and jars of home-made rum piled up on the shelves, which paints a picture. It is one of the meetings of the pop rock scene with many concerts and an active participation in the festivals of the city, which brings an eclectic clientele of students or executives bobo. A rich menu of mainly local beers (Ombre bleue, Sainte Colombe or the organic Skumenn), a pleasant selection of wines, and a Japanese whisky list! Very copious aperitif boards are proposed and you can also have lunch on weekends with delicious dishes prepared by local restaurant owners.

Les Clandestines is the place to bring your best friend, grandmother or toddler. Why should you? Because, at once off-center and lively, deeply authentic, this 70's coffee shop does things right. Manuela and Gaëlle serve small dishes, bagels, soups, cookies, muffins and cheesecakes. Trained in one of the best bakeries in Rennes, they are determined to serve good local produce, often organic, at low prices. The menu changes weekly, with winter offerings including veggie fajitas with roasted vegetables and pumpkin velouté. A boutique offers Skumenn beers, tea from Tea & Ty and products by local designers.

Fancy a real coffee? At Café 1802 (the year the first coffee machine was created), it's a barista (Fred) who serves you! He knows coffee inside out, and knows how to prepare it, decorate it (the latte art is amazing!) and serve it at just the right temperature. Espresso routinely dethrones all other tastings, but here we learn that you can enjoy your coffee as mild as an infusion, making it aromatic and bitter-free (the secret of the Chemex), or strong and cold (thanks to the cold drip extraction method lasting 7 to 8 hours). A dozen coffees have been selected from small producers from Guatemala to Ethiopia, via Burundi and Colombia, and Renaud roasts them on site every week! At lunchtime, you can enjoy a cookie, a hazelnut banana bread or a slice of toast. The place, a touch retro, is calm and perfect for work or a break with friends.

At the Fox, tradition meets modernity: as in its homeland, this international pub takes on different faces depending on the time of day you enter. On Saturday mornings, after the market, you can enjoy an English breakfast with live music, watch a match (soccer or rugby) over a beer from the Green Isle in the late afternoon, or party properly in the evening! The entertainment is always in full swing. A must on the Rennes nightlife scene, it has the added advantage of offering food and drink (the homemade burgers are delicious!) until 10:30 p.m., which is always good to know in case your afterwork extends into dinner.

This trendy bar is no longer present, which is an indispensable place for rennes youth. There are friends for students of all kinds. At the beginning of the evening, the large terrace welcomes a crowd of clients, after the office or at the exit of the school, as the largest of the clientele is young enough, like music and the garden, in the air of time. A DJ animates the evenings Wednesday to Saturday: guaranteed atmosphere. Please note that the bar has a smoking area for about people, in the cold winter evenings. Inside, trendy furniture, pretty original. We recommend one of the home-made specialities, the Margarita Frozen, archi, attention to abuse! Prices are increased 22 hours and once again spent midnight. So we need a budget to spend the evening, but we appreciate the welcome and excellent service of all staff.

The Café des Champs Libres is a place where students, local grandmothers and people who work nearby mingle. The place has been fitted out with second-hand objects and furniture, the bar has been built from pallets and the beer that flows here is above all Gallia, a beer committed to the climate. The eco-responsible and inclusive café promotes diversity in its cultural programming, with emerging hip-hop, electro and conservatory groups, as well as stand-up and café philo. In the kitchen, you can enjoy simple vegetarian dishes and Breton coffees. The 150-seat terrace is an excellent summer spot.

On the Place Saint-Germain, where it's so pleasant to lounge, the neighborhood is alive with emblematic bars and restaurants. The eponymous bar has almost doubled in size in the last year, but the atmosphere remains the same: a bar with an air of yesteryear, with a variety of mottled objects, bistro-style chairs, a large counter and a clientele that's a little bobo but terribly friendly. Beers, wines, nice dishes at lunchtime, prepared tapas (bun with pickled cabbage and pickles, smoked mackerel, hummus, cheese platters), shooters and good music in the evening are the recipes for this bar, which is always full. A little corner of paradise, perfect for a break on the terrace or for a bite to eat with friends.

In the heart of the city, Place Sainte-Anne, is the historic address of the Colombus family in Rennes (which has more than 3 shops in all in Ille-et-Vilaine). Fresh fruit juices, americanos, espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and flavoured coffees await you in addition to all the sweets usually served by the brand!

Mokka is located on Rennes' busiest pedestrian thoroughfare. So it's only natural to stop in for a good coffee to go. Theiced coffee or the tchaï tea latte sprinkled with cinnamon are among the editor's favorites. Savoury snacks (especially the Vietnamese and Andalusian sandwiches) and sweet snacks (cookies, muffins, cheesecakes, etc.) are also delicious. We did a little digging: everything is homemade and the products are carefully selected. You can also stock up on ground coffee or beans roasted by Cafés Breizhiliens. Take a look at the collection of bamboo takeaway mugs! Pretty and eco-friendly. A second address is located opposite Les Halles Centrales.

In a brand new boutique, the coffee-shop and artisan roaster welcomes us to discover exceptional coffees. Unlike traditional methods, Bourbon d'Arsel uses slow roasting to reveal subtle aromas. The team takes meticulous care over the provenance of its coffees, choosing producers with the utmost care. You can enjoy a specialty coffee for breakfast or afternoon tea, accompanied by pastries such as financier, moelleux au chocolat, tarte au citron meringuée... Bourbon d'Arsel has its own roasting workshop just outside the town center. And don't forget your takeaway coffee packs.

Once a neighborhood bar and nightclub with questionable attendance, Tiffany's has redeemed itself in recent years by passing into the hands of the local Anglo-Saxon community. If it has kept the anchorage in the world of billiards which made its identity, it has also adorned itself with an appearance similar to pubs, sprinkled with industrial and chic airs. A vast room is entirely dedicated to billiards, another to darts, and you can eat and drink all day long. Beers and wines on the terrace allow to spend a pleasant moment thanks to an exhaustive offer, embellished with pizzas, burger or boards to share. A classic and always efficient formula!

The old Saint-Etienne owes its name to the patron saint of the church it faces. The latter having been rehabilitated into a theatre now bears the same name as the bar. So be careful not to confuse your meeting place! A small old-fashioned estaminet in the belle époque style, there is little space inside despite a vast wooden counter and a few tables that occupy the space between the opera red walls and their gold mouldings. This very warm and artistic decor is perfect in winter, but the Vieux Saint-Etienne is above all known for its generous terrace, on the other side of the street, near the church park and allows those who can't stand still to enjoy their drink while playing shuffleboard or petanque right next door. It is also a place for artistic meetings. Pierre Billon is even the muse of the place. For those under 30, Pierre Billon is the one who produced several albums of Johnny: "He had his moment of glory in the years 1970-1980", recalls this regular who knew him at the Vieux Saint-Etienne when the rocker came there "to scratch the dry", in April 2011!

It's a good idea for you to stay in the middle of the old town. But in the Bon accord, the warm and festive atmosphere let you forget these slightly faded premises. Each month, different themed evenings are offered. Small dance trail, billiards. Steph and Alex welcome you and join the party!

While claiming its LGBT identity, as evidenced by the rainbow flag, the establishment welcomes a mixed clientele. Bosses are also engaged, especially in the selection of books sold at the bookstore. The Howling Howling also remains a bar and a meeting place among artists. It offers a philosophy coffee and meetings around literary events.

A very nice gay bar that attracts a distinguished and distinguished clientele. The music is very axée and eighties but rather eclectic.

A very gay friendly bar that attracts a rather young clientele. Themed evenings, organised regularly, mixes of local DJS, are always characterized by a great festive atmosphere. On the third Thursday of the month, the resident DJ hosts a blind test, where a piece found makes you win a shot! A metre of shots is 10 €, which probably contributes to the rather warm atmosphere of the evenings! But always with moderation!

Looking for a place like no other? This secret bar, tucked away in a quiet street a stone's throw from the station, will take you back to the days of buccaneers and piracy. But to get in, you freshwater sailor, you'll first have to find the code... Once you've completed your quest, the reward comes in the form of a cocktail with a name as unusual as its composition, such as the Faiseur de Pluie (gin, Chouchen, chestnut syrup, seaweed salt, lemon juice) or the Gaulois Invaincu (absinthe, Suze, Picon bière, lime). Between the stone walls, tropical winks, portholes and wooden bar, you'll really feel like you're spending the evening in a privateer's tavern.

A canteen with simple, inspired cuisine at lunchtime, a meeting place all day and a lively bar in the evening, this bistro with its refined bohemian soul lives up to its name of "terre d'abondance" (land of plenty). You'll feel as if you're in a small southern village square. The terrace and welcome are convivial, and when night falls, the building lights up in pretty colors of green, red and yellow... which can produce a curious effect on passers-by who are a little tipsy (but not only!), as if the place were coming out of a dream. Don't miss the first floor, a jewel box of beauty, a cross between an antique dealer's salon, a cosy mountain retreat and the lair of a ^19th-century botanist.

Just below the Place des Lices, is this place with an industrial aesthetic, with grey walls, whose street side is entirely covered with a bay window, with a terrace composed of community tables. It is the ideal place for an after work, an evening with friends or simply to eat, the bar also acting as a restaurant in addition to proposing the traditional aperitif boards. We appreciate the style that doesn't try to do too much, the simple and efficient welcome as well as the Goldorak mural, which attracts a clientele from a generation that knew him well. A festive atmosphere but never in the excess, the ideal to spend a good evening!

Boasting a superb terrace on the eponymous square, highly photogenic with its half-timbered facades, Champ Jacquet is a long, stone-built café with exposed beams and a lovely exotic tapestry. The clientele is very varied, with different habits at different times of the day. They come for breakfast, lunch, snacks, aperitifs or to spend the evening. Here, the French aperitif is back in the limelight, led by Suze, Lillet and Byrrh, to be enjoyed with cheese and charcuterie boards. At lunchtime, you'll appreciate the efficient service and quick meals - fish & chips, burger, croque or salad.

Taking over the walls of the mythical Quincaillerie, Nakama has been able to impose its style and seduce the crowds from the start with its concept of a tapas bar and homemade Japanese street food (miso soup, takoyaki, tataki... - a treat!) supplemented by a good choice of bottled beers and natural wines to which is added a wide range of Japanese spirits. In a decoration that oscillates between industrial / arty atmosphere and deeply zen atmosphere, it's a warm and lively place that keeps the spirit of its predecessor's neighbourhood bar while giving it a welcome change of scenery through its young and fresh concept and its special evenings with a totally made in Japan spirit!

This relaxed, heterogeneous place offers a mix of concepts: bistro, guinguette, microbrewery in a purely authentic setting. This former hospital dating from 1858 has preserved its soul and authenticity. Origin'Ale beers are brewed in the former operating theatre. You can enjoy your beverage surrounded by lightboxes, facing the cloister under the tall trees. You'll also want to sample the friendly, cantine-bistro-style cuisine in a minimalist setting, where you can leaf through books by Gaudry or Big Mamma while you wait for your plate.

A breeze from Asia blows across the rue Baudrairie, in the heart of Rennes. It's here that this Japanese café with an innovative concept has taken up residence: a matcha bar to discover or rediscover this green tea powder in all its forms. Known for its antioxidant virtues, matcha can sometimes be off-putting because of its bitterness. The variety selected here is one of the least bitter. But above all, the team redoubles its ingenuity to make people appreciate this Japanese specialty, served in drinks with fruit, in pastries... The chocolate fondant with matcha ganache is a delight. Lunchtime menus also include bentos and Japanese sandwiches.

Frédéric, from Quebec, and Julie, from Rennes, have foundedthis coffee shop featuring all the flavors of La Belle Province. Whether in the intimate wood-panelled room or on the terrace overlooking the passers-by on Rue Vasselot, you can enjoy a sparkling latte with maple syrup, a Saint-Laurent Oolong tea with walnuts and maple from their near-neighbors Tea & Cie , or a La Corsaire beer brewed in Levis, Quebec (Frédéric used to work there). In the kitchen, it's a team effort! Julie is in charge of pastries, concocting fluffy scones and ultra-tasty carrot cake. Frédéric is in charge of the savoury side, preparing three dishes every lunchtime with influences from here and abroad. On weekends, the restaurant serves brunch (we recommend the "assiette du bûcheron"!). And last but not least, Le Caribou offers Quebecois grocery products. Maple syrup, poutine sauce mix and ice cider are yours for the taking!

A breath of fresh air has been blowing through the Villejean district since the opening of this new, warm and intimate café-cantine. Come in the morning, with or without your computer, to enjoy a latte in the wide windows. At lunchtime, it's time to discover three seasonal dishes concocted by Lauranne and Margaux: savoury clafoutis, aubergine-mozzarella tart and mixed salad served with farmhouse bread. From the outset, the two friends - former work neighbors - chose to work with local producers such as Noel (Pacé), Café 1802 (Rennes) and Graine de Méliss for herbal teas (Hédé), as well as DurabL (bulk products) and En Boite le Plat. The gourmet desserts also change daily! A lovely address where you'll feel right at home.

Long gone are the days when people talked about Le Dejazey... Sébastien Gaudicheau and Axelle Hignard have truly reappropriated this legendary nightclub (right down to its name, with an amusing play on words). The counter of the Doujezu bar was built on the remains of the owner's Mercedes! The fluorescent fresco by artist Heol creates an electrifying atmosphere. At the bar, enjoy the excellent Doujezu home-brewed beer, brewed by Axelle herself. On the music front, rock and electro take pride of place with regular DJ sets and concerts, paying tribute to the venue's heritage as a veritable phoenix of Rennes nightlife!

When three long-time friends decide to launch a joint project in their own image, the result is Les trois marguerites, the new creative café on rue Saint-Melaine. And the least we can say is that they've put their personal touch to it! In a warm atmosphere, Nolwenn and Morgane are busy in the kitchen. They offer hot and cold drinks at all hours, accompanied by homemade pastries. Their specialty: the floral touch that makes all the difference. We tried the surprising flower tea and the tasty elderflower and poppy seed cake. Within the café, a boutique space showcases some fifteen eco-responsible designers. Jewelry, mugs, posters, lamps... and even origami made by Morgane.

The Wunder architecture agency helps professionals and private individuals design their spaces. It has been responsible for the design of many of Rennes' best-loved bars and restaurants. They have therefore masterfully imagined this new hybrid space on the agency's first floor: a co-working café. With its bright, cosy decor, the place lends itself to conviviality. You can have breakfast, lunch or even stay to work. A catering service is also available. At lunchtime, hot dishes, salads and soups await you. For dessert, we serve pastries such as our delicious lemon cake. All homemade and seasonal.

It's hard to get bored in this bar, which, in addition to its traditional hoppy drinks, also serves creative cocktails and mocktails, and an avalanche of board games (over 1,000!) to play with friends - or with strangers on lively evenings (various quizzes, discovery evenings...). You can also nibble, or even eat on the spot thanks to the in-house snack menu, or sip a cocktail or mocktail (without alcohol). In short, a friendly, convivial bar and a team of enthusiasts.

Open on Rue de la Parcheminerie, Gang combines exposed stone, rough concrete and pleasantly mismatched wooden furniture. Start the day with homemade granola or muffin bread served with fried egg, artisan ham and hollandaise sauce. At lunchtime, we go for the sabich, a typical Israeli street-food dish of grilled eggplant, white cabbage, soft-boiled egg, tzatziki and tahini sauce, all wrapped in pita bread. We like the fact that it's open all day, so you can sit down whenever you like to enjoy a specialty coffee and homemade pastry. It's also possible to order a cold brew, a lemonade or a take-away dish.

Perfect for a drink with friends, it is the bar of friends and openings in which one remakes the world and one speaks about art, by the means of the many exposures which it lodges. A warm welcome, good wines and a nice tapas menu for the aperitif, constantly renewed if not for its fish acras, speciality of the establishment. And because it is also a restaurant, you can eat good small dishes there midday and evening. Obvious place to drink its small kawa at the exit of the metro, it takes advantage of the recent reopening of the place Saint-Germain to develop again its terrace. A small quiet estaminet which breathes serenity and good mood.

La Berzingue's atmosphere is usually diluted in front of the entrance. Impossible to miss... Through the porte cochère, inside, the atmosphere is joyous. At the start of the evening, a few strollers show just how important the generational melting pot is here. High tables to sit at, large tables to toast at, and a counter with a front-row seat to preparations of haddock accras, beet hummus, fine charcuterie and sausage-purée. But don't forget the most important thing: this is a wine bar. Taste first, choose later. By the glass or by the bottle (Loire wines are very popular), depending on the evening.

Sybille and Grégoire honour the local producers in the form of plates to be shared, such as Thierry Lemarchand's organic farm butter to be tasted with homemade bread, or the rack of pigs from the Pradenn farm in Melesse. You can also try the delicious snack octopus. As for the vegetables, they come partly from the vegetable garden shared with the Rennes restaurant Bercail. As for the wine, the choice is vast, but the expert advice helps us to find the perfect match. An ethical and relaxed address where you can enjoy lingering in a friendly atmosphere.

La musette enjoys a remarkable location along the banks of the Vilaine. This barge-bar offers a relaxed, cheerful and friendly atmosphere. It's a great place to come on summer evenings with friends, afterwork parties or romantic rendezvous. Climb aboard our floating bar and enjoy a cold beer from Brasserie Sauvage, a rum arrangement from Captain JB, or a fruity organic wine from Anne-Laure Sicard... and don't forget our homemade pâté! The dips, like the zucchini/mint hummus or the carrot and coral lentil hummus, are a real treat. A wonderful slice of life in a place that feels just like home. We can't wait for the sun to shine again!

A new address has opened on rue de Montfort. In a cosy space, Victor, the manager of this café-restaurant, offers quality street-food inspired by American coffee-shops. After gaining experience in traditional restaurants, the young man opened this establishment with its uncluttered decor punctuated by pastel-blue hues. The café-canteen atmosphere at lunchtime offers gourmet sandwiches made with challah bread, a lightly sweetened brioche loaf, and seasonal produce selected from local markets. Specialty coffees are available at all hours, accompanied by pastries (cookies, carrot cake, cheesecake, granola...). Yummy!

Both a coffee shop and a concept store, Chérie Chéri is one of the trendiest places in Rennes. People come here to chat with friends, but also with their daughters or grandmothers. After all, it's a trans-generational place, and one that's much sought-after by women. Dressed in powder pink, 70's orange and spruce green, it boasts fifteen tables, comfortable banquettes and a short, healthy menu. Enjoy a chai latte, citrus cheesecake or homemade granola after your shopping spree. In the boutique, you'll find home decor, delicatessen products and jewelry... With a selection of mostly eco-responsible brands.

Already owners of the excellent Marquis de Sade, Seb and Alain have gone to great lengths to create the Overlook, a reference to the hotel bar of the same name in Stanley Kubrick's famous Shining. We applaud the superb reproduction of the bar and the sense of detail brought through the winks scattered in the establishment. However, it is in no way a museum or a theme bar: beyond its classy setting, the Overlook cultivates the atmosphere of a neighborhood bar as we like them, where we like to meet, sympathize at the counter and exchange around a drink. Concerts and DJ sets are organized and you can eat there some evenings via a shared kitchen concept.

Just to see the little train going around the room to distribute the shooters to the customers, it's already a good opportunity to go there. Ideally located just a step away from the Saint-Michel street, the Cactus is a bar regularly taken by storm around 1am by a clientele not really in a hurry to go to bed. It is also generally the meeting place for night owls who have been meeting there for many years for its vast basement room and its numerous theme nights, concerts and student parties. The bar was taken over in 2022 by the former owners of Mimo's who wanted to keep its spirit intact while increasing the opening hours.

In this pub located at the bottom of the Place de la Mairie, you will be immediately transported. The Beatles and the Anglo-Saxon culture are honored in this pub with a strong character and you can have a few beers in this vaulted cave, under the opera house, where you can find exposed stones, wooden tables, leather armchairs, padded sofas, a corner to dance, a smoking room and a crowd of people. The place proposes several local beers, among which those of the Rennes brewery Skumenn or you can be tempted by the traditional whiskies (not far from a hundred) or beers from across the Channel. A bit of London in Rennes and above all a big nod to the Cavern Club with its stone vault and its stage located at the back of the bar. Here we are in the mythical room of Liverpool in which the Beatles, in the 1960s made their debut. You can smoke like in the 1960s with the smoking room at the entrance, you can eat like in a good Irish pub with club sandwiches, cheeseburgers, chicken nems and boards. A perfect place to dance, listen to good music in the capital of Rennes rock and see, why not, emerge the future stars of tomorrow. To live and vibrate in Rennes in a cosmopolitan atmosphere!

La Bascule is defined as an "ubuntu" coffee, a concept from sub-Saharan Africa that encompasses the ideas of mutual aid, sharing, solidarity, equity, community spirit... La Bascule was born from a group of people who were militant and committed to these notions, and whose aim was to make them germinate through the establishment of a resource centre in the city of Rennes. Much more than an associative bar where you can drink local beers, natural wines, herbal teas from local herbalists or eat competitively priced dishes made with healthy ingredients, it is a place for intercultural exchange. There is a stage open to local amateur artists: concerts of all kinds, contemporary art exhibitions, café-debates, screenings, lectures... It is also a place where you can gather your association for meetings, discover skincare and clothing products created by local producers and designers, go and get your organic basket, do volunteer work behind the bar, take part in events about alternative lifestyles, or just party. It's a place that exudes authenticity and simplicity. It's like being in a country bar, far from the metropolis, in a jovial and relaxed atmosphere, with cultures coming from every corner of the world, so much so that you don't really know where you are anymore. If you are looking for a true atmosphere close to simple and civic values, without moral lessons and with a smile on your face, this is the perfect place to recharge your batteries!

La Piste, as its name suggests, is a place where you can see the signature of Jean-Louis Serre, the now famous creator of convivial spaces in Rennes. La Piste stretches out on the François-Mitterrand Mall, right in a ray of sunshine that lasts until the last light of the day, despite the fact that customers occupy one of the 130 seats on the terrace. Retro chic atmosphere, vintage atmosphere around the world of bikes, large wooden counter and subdued lights, these are its components. Here a very nice beer list (Dremmwell, Punk Ipa, Bellerose, BRLO, Deadguy Rogue, and for your pleasure: Guinness on draught), good wines, also chosen between local producers and famous vintages, and for the cold afternoons, a wide range of coffees, teas and hot chocolates. The terrace is shared with its twin establishment, the bar's food counterpart, dedicated to street food. And for even more conviviality: communal tables to mingle as in any quality neighbourhood bar, and Breton shuffleboard available at the bar. In addition, a petanque court is next to the terrace. We like it, and we want more!