Like any French town qui se respecte, La Rochelle has so many restaurants that you could eat lunch and dinner in a different one every day for six months and never come back to the same place twice. Half the restaurants in town seemed to be owned by one or other of the Coutanceau brothers, or their famous father Richard. Gregory owns not one but three restaurants, two of them in the Rue St Jean! Les Flots, right under the Tour de la Chaine, is his flagship restaurant. Le Comptoir des Voyages showcases dishes from all over the world, and L'Entr'acte is his bistro. His brother Christopher is content to run the beach restaurant (two Michelin stars and membership of the prestigious Relais et Chateaux group) named after himself and his father, at the Plage de la Concurrence. And apparently there's a kid sister called Jennyfer who's just qualified as a chef, so expect to see the Coutanceau marque expand even further.
La Rochelle is famous for its molluscs, which is unfortunate for me, as I can't eat them. Mouclade is a casserole of mussels cooked in white wine. The oysters are fresh from Fouras, opposite the Ile d'Oléron. But there are plenty of creperies owned by Bretons who've slipped down the coast.
La Part des Anges
Tucked into a corner of the rue de la Chaine just off the Vieux Port, the Angels' Portion offers a menu within the 22-28 euros range.
Le Rozell
46 rue St Nicolas
Agreeable little creperie in the bobo Quartier St Nicolas, where you can have a filled crepe and a bowl of cider for under 10 euros.
Les 4 Sergents on Rue St Jean du Pérot was fully booked on the Friday night I tried to get a table, but I've earmarked it for my next visit. So instead I ended up in 
La Rochelle is famous for its molluscs, which is unfortunate for me, as I can't eat them. Mouclade is a casserole of mussels cooked in white wine. The oysters are fresh from Fouras, opposite the Ile d'Oléron. But there are plenty of creperies owned by Bretons who've slipped down the coast.
La Part des Anges
Tucked into a corner of the rue de la Chaine just off the Vieux Port, the Angels' Portion offers a menu within the 22-28 euros range.
Le Rozell
46 rue St Nicolas
Agreeable little creperie in the bobo Quartier St Nicolas, where you can have a filled crepe and a bowl of cider for under 10 euros.
Le Terroir 45 rue St Jean du Pérot. The menu was around 29 euros, but it was my last night so I pushed the boat out. It was a sailing town, after all.
Apart from La Rochelle, Nanteuil-en-Vallée in the Charente deserves a mention. It's one of the Michelin Green Guide's Villages Pittoresques de France, and has two decent restaurants:
L'Auberge de l'Argentor, where I had a slap-up four-course Sunday lunch with wine for under 40 euros. The menu costs 29 euros and includes a mise-en-bouche, starter, main course, cheese and dessert. The chef is a real proper chef, and every dish is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. The service is excellent, and the place is very popular with the English. Don't let that put you off. The Argentor, if you were wondering, is the name of the little river that runs through the village, and along which you could take a stroll after lunch. It will lead you to an arboretum with a water garden and some excellent landscaping.
L'Auberge de l'ArgentorThe Auberge de St Jean was not tried, but looks good too with a 24 euro lunch menu and tables set out in the shadow of the church.
Les Flots
1 rue de la Chaine
17000 La Rochelle
Tél. 05 46 41 32 51
Richard et Christopher Coutanceau
Plage de la Concurrence
17000 La Rochelle
Tél. 05 46 41 48 19
Les 4 Sergents
49 rue St Jean du Pérot
17000 La Rochelle
Tel: 05 46 41 35 80
17, rue Guillaume Le Noble
16700 Nanteuil-en-vallée
Tél: 05 45 31 85 20
Auberge de St Jean 5 rue Fontaine St Jean
16700 Nanteuil-en-vallée Tel : 05.45.89.11.79
