Eating by the fire… The idea is tempting, especially when winter comes. And that’s good, we’re right in the middle of it. There is something reassuring and regressive about hearing the fire crackling as you sit down to eat. It’s an experience that, for some, brings back memories of childhood. For others, there is an undeniable romantic side.
In our regions, it is especially in the countryside that we are most likely to find an establishment offering a fireplace. Indeed, apart from the restaurant La Deuvalière, located in the Plumereau district of Tours, all the other addresses are in rural areas. Aux Gueules Noires, a restaurant run for fourteen years by Catherine and David, rue de la Vallée-Coquette in Villandry, the owners were immediately seduced by this beautiful fireplace which sits in their troglodyte restaurant in the heart of the vineyards.
Reservations accordingly
Lighting the fire and tending it is even part of the very pleasant rituals. “In winter, luckily it’s there, the customers love it and so do I”Catherine concedes. Without this fireplace, they probably wouldn't have fallen for the place. On this day of reporting, two couples met there to enjoy, to the sound of crackling logs, an original and delicious lunch: pike quenelle with citrus fruits, confit lamb or sea bass, with all the generosity of a warm environment.
“I always light the fireplace in autumn and winter, and even sometimes in spring on particularly rainy daysindicates Catherine. Some customers love it so much that they always reserve the table closest to the fireplace. » And her cook husband clarified that “some years, we even make Easter lamb in the fireplace”. All this to say that if you want to enjoy a good meal by the fire, there are still a few places in Touraine where this is possible. Here are a few.
Some ideas for a meal by the fire
> Inn of 12e Century. At 1, rue du Château in Saché (one Michelin star).
> La Boulaye. At a place called La Boulaye, in Athée-sur-Cher (reopening on March 15, 2025).
> The Bubble Bistrot. Allée de la Touche (D938) in Charentilly. Already in 2012, the NR praised the terrace in summer and the fireplace in winter.
> La Deuvalière. At 18, rue de la Monnaie in Tours. “If you come in winter, remember to ask for a table by the fire, it adds to the pleasure of the meal! »advises the Rendez-vous dans les vignes website.
> At the Ford of Louis XI. At 1, rue de la Petite-Perraudière in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire. The fireplace is not only decorative, since certain meats are also cooked there.
-> Gueuleton. At 69, quai Albert-Bayet in Montlouis-sur-Loire. There are two fires: one where you cook and the other in a fireplace in the room.
> The Black Faces. At 66, rue de la Vallée-Coquette in Vouvray.
> The Gourmet Grocery Store. At 6, rue de la Mairie in Villandry. The beef ribs are prepared in the fireplace.
> O Flavors of Lysa – La Forge. At 2 bis, rue du Maréchal-Ferrant in Saint-Nicolas-des-Motets. “In the restaurant room, there is a very beautiful fireplace which works in winter”reports an Internet user.
> The Because. At 9, rue Alfred-de-Vigny in Ciran. This community bar welcomes both a coffee and a snack by the fire (insert).
> Restaurant L’Image. At 13, place des Halles in Preuilly-sur-Claise. The establishment has two rooms, in Belle Époque style, one of which has a fireplace.
> Le Tourne Bride. At 1, rue des Barons in Villeperdue. This restaurant also offers a fireplace, very pleasant during this period of negative temperatures.
A fire, even an artificial one, warms the atmosphere
“I often go to Feuillette in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire”Martin tells us. To have a coffee, a pastry, a sandwich. “There is a fireplace, but electric,” he specifies. Our correspondent nevertheless appreciates the club chairs in the large room: “After school, parents bring their children there. In the afternoon, people come there to play a board game or to knit with friends. »
