This restaurant is worth seeking out. The small dining room, dressed in white tablecloths, potted plants, and a Grecian statue, has a classic simplicity that allows you to focus on the food. MC, V. Closed Mon. and 1st ½ half July. No dinner Sun.

Au Plaisir Gourmand
2 rue Parmentier, Chinon, France
Phone: 02-47-93-20-48
EUR38 to EUR76
Chinon
French

Jean-Claude Rigollet's tufa-stone restaurant by the Vienne River is the finest in Chinon. Specialties served in the Renaissance-style dining room include snails in garlic, jellied rabbit, sandre (perch) with butter sauce, and braised oxtail in red wine. Reservations essential. AE, MC, V. Closed Mon. and mid-Feb.-mid-Mar. No dinner Sun.

Au Rendez-Vous des Pêcheurs
27 rue de Foix, Blois, France
Phone: 02-54-74-67-48
EUR19 to EUR38
Blois
Seafood

This modest restaurant near the Loire has simple decor but offers excellent value for its creative cooking. Chef Eric Reithler studied under Guy Savoy in Paris and has brought inventiveness to his fish and seafood specialties. Reservations advised. MC, V. Closed Sun. and Aug. No lunch Mon.

Bon Laboureur & Château
6 rue du Dr-Bretonneau, Chenonceaux 37150, France
Phone: 02-47-23-90-02
Fax: 02-47-23-82-01
EUR19 to EUR76
Chenonceaux
French

In 1882 this ivy-covered inn won Henry James's praise as a simple, rustic place. A large garden supplies vegetables and herbs for the kitchen. The food is commendable - try the excellent turbot with hollandaise or the braised rabbit with dried fruits. Make your dinner reservations early for a table in the original dining room rather than in the annex. 22 rooms, 5 suites. Restaurant, pool, bicycles. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed mid-Nov.-mid-Dec.

Château de la Verrerie
Oizon 18700, France
Phone: 02-48-81-51-60 for château; 02-48-58-24-27 for restaurant
Fax: 02-48-58-21-25
Over EUR38
Sancerre
French

If you dream of la vie de château, this is your place. A half-timber 17th-century cottage on the grounds of this château turned hotel has been transformed into La Maison d'Helene restaurant, an excellent spot for light lunches and sumptuous dinners. 12 rooms. Restaurant. MC, V. Closed mid-Dec.-mid-Jan.

Château de Marçay
37500 Marçay, Chinon, France
Phone: 02-47-93-03-47
Fax: 02-47-93-45-33
Over EUR38
Chinon
French

Chef Pascal Bodin serves excellent carpaccio de canard (thin slices of marinated cold duck), tournedos of salmon in a Chinon wine sauce, and an extensive cheese board (sample the Ste-Marie chèvre) in this restaurant in a picturesque hotel. There is also a big wine list. There's no dinner Sunday in winter. 30 rooms, 4 suites. Restaurant, tennis court, pool. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Feb.-mid-Mar.

Cheval Rouge
9 rue de la Mairie, Villandry 37510, France
Phone: 02-47-50-02-07
Fax: 02-47-50-08-77
Under EUR38
Villandry
French

This hotel restaurant (closed Monday) is popular with locals, who come for the classical food - surprisingly good considering its touristy location next to the château - and wine. Best bets are the terrine of foie gras, the calf sweetbreads, and the wood-fired-grill fare. 18 rooms. Restaurant. MC, V. Closed Feb.-mid-Mar.

Choiseul
36 quai Charles-Guinot, Amboise 37400, France
Phone: 02-47-30-45-45
Fax: 02-47-30-46-10
EUR38 to EUR76
Amboise
French

.At this formal pink-and-gold restaurant on the bank of the Loire, the highly rated young chef, Pascal Bouvier, cooks up such specialties as lobster in pastry and beef with truffles. Prix-fixe menus start at EUR29 at lunch and EUR44 at dinner. 29 rooms, 3 suites. Restaurant, pool. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Dec.-mid-Jan.

Espérance
189 quai Ulysse-Besnard, Blois, France
Phone: 02-54-78-09-01
EUR19 to EUR76
Blois
Seafood

In a bucolic setting overlooking the Loire, chef Raphaël Guillot serves up inventive cuisine, like fried mangoes with lavender and five different kinds of scallop dishes. AE, MC, V.

Gargantua
73 rue Voltaire, Chinon 37500, France
Phone: 02-47-93-04-71
Fax: 02-47-93-08-02
EUR19 to EUR38
Chinon
French

Sample such delicious local specialties as fillet of barbue (brill) with a marmalade, thyme, and lemon sauce. On Friday and Saturday evenings the staff dresses up in medieval costume; in summer you can dine outside and admire the castle. 8 rooms, 4 with bath. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Wed. and Feb.

Jean Bardet
Château de Belmont, 57 rue Groison, Loches 37100, France
Phone: 02-47-41-41-11
Fax: 02-47-51-68-72
Over EUR76
Loches
French

Bardet, one of France's top 20 chefs, showcases produce from his own rare herb and exotic vegetable garden in the eight-course menu dégustation (tasting menu) and in the à la carte menu, which might include baby eel in red wine or oysters poached in Muscadet on a puree of watercress. Reservations are essential, and the restaurant doesn't serve lunch Monday or, November through March, dinner Sunday and Monday. 16 rooms, 5 suites. Restaurant, pool. AE, DC, MC, V.

La Boucherie
27 bd. du Maréchal-Foch, Angers, France
Phone: 02-41-25-39-25
Under EUR19
Angers
French

If you have an appetite for steak and good value, this place is for you. The various menus feature different cuts of beef, but for EUR8.50 you can get a sirloin, a small salad, bread, and a ¼-liter carafe of wine. If there is a wait for a table, don't despair: The turnover is fast. Tables are close together, and lively conversation adds to the robust atmosphere. Reservations not accepted. MC, V.

La Salamandre
1 bd. du Maréchal-Foch, Angers, France
Phone: 02-41-88-99-55
EUR19 to EUR76
Angers
French

Carefully prepared classical cuisine is served here. Lamb, duck with cranberries, and calamari with crab sauce are just a few of the dishes served amid the Renaissance-style decor and stained-glass windows. Opt for one of the reasonably priced prix-fixe menus. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun.

La Treille
12 rue Montault, Angers, France
Phone: 02-41-88-45-51
Under EUR19
Angers
French

For traditional, simple fare at affordable prices, try this small, two-story mom-and-pop restaurant, off place Ste-Croix and across from Maison d'Adam, Angers's finest timber house. The prix-fixe menu may start with a salade au chèvre chaud (warm goat-cheese salad), followed by confit of duck and an apple tart. The upstairs dining room draws a lively crowd; downstairs is quieter. MC, V. Closed Sun.

Le Relais
1 av. de Chambord, Bracieux, France
Phone: 02-54-46-41-22
Fax: 02-54-46-03-69
EUR38 to EUR76
Cheverny
French

Chef Bernard Robin produces fine nouvelle cuisine in his gleaming kitchens, but connoisseurs savor his simpler dishes: carp, game in season, and salmon with beef marrow. The attentive staff brings delicious tidbits to keep you busy between courses. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Jan. and Wed., Sept.-June. No dinner Tues.

Les Antiquaires
2 rue au Lin, Orléans, France
Phone: 02-38-53-52-35
EUR38 to EUR76
Orléans
Seafood

The understated elegance of this cozy, wood-beamed restaurant close to the river, with its red walls, cane-backed chairs, and brass chandeliers, is a telling contrast to Philippe Bardau's penchant for colorfully presented dishes with a Mediterranean flavor: mullet with eggplant, for instance, or sea bass with artichokes and fennel. AE, MC, V. Closed early Jan. No dinner Sun.

Les Ménestrels
11 rue Raspail, Saumur, France
Phone: 02-41-67-71-10
EUR19 to EUR76
Saumur
French

Chef Lucien Von cooks fine fare in a restored 18th-century white-stone mansion up against the castle cliff. Specialties include pheasant casserole, fried mushrooms, perch with spring-onion fondue, and beef in local red-wine sauce. AE, DC, MC, V. No dinner Sun. (except July-Aug.).

Les Tuffeaux
19 rue Lavoisier, Loches, France
Phone: 02-47-47-19-89
EUR19 to EUR38
Loches
French

This restaurant, between the cathedral and the Loire, is the city's best value for the money. Chef Gildas Marsollier wins customers with delicious fennel-perfumed salmon, oysters in an egg sauce seasoned with Roquefort, and remarkable desserts. Gentle lighting and a wood-beamed, stone-walled decor provide a soothing background. MC, V. Closed Sun. No lunch Mon.

Manoir St-Thomas
1 mail St-Thomas, Amboise, France
Phone: 02-47-57-22-52
EUR38 to EUR76
Amboise
French

Between the château and the Clos Lucé, this restaurant occupies a fine Renaissance building with a statue-lined garden. Chef François Le Coz serves elegant, regional dishes such as eels in wine and suprême de pintade farci (stuffed guinea-fowl breast). The list of Touraine wines is enticing. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Mon. and mid-Jan.-mid-Mar. No lunch Tues., no dinner Sun. out of season.

Médicis
2 allée François-Ier, Blois 41000, France
Phone: 02-54-43-94-04
Fax: 02-54-42-04-05
EUR19 to EUR38
Blois
French

The restaurant at this smart little hotel is quite worthwhile. Chef-owner Christian Garanger turns his innovative classical dishes into a presentation - coquilles St-Jacques (scallops) with a pear fondue and thin slices of roast hare with a black-currant sauce. The staff is cheerful (the restaurant doesn't serve dinner Sunday off-season). 12 rooms. Restaurant. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Jan.

Rivage
1 quai de Nice, Gien 45500, France
Phone: 02-38-37-79-00
Fax: 02-38-38-10-21
EUR19 to EUR38
Gien
French

Fish and herbs are likely to figure in your meal at this hotel restaurant (no lunch Monday, and from November through March, no dinner Sunday), unless you opt for the snails or veal kidneys with fresh pasta. Menus start at EUR22, and there is an extensive wine cellar. The piano bar, with its terrace overlooking the Loire, is the ideal spot to relax before or after a dinner. 16 rooms, 3 suites. Restaurant. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed most of Feb., 2 wks in June.

Rivage
635 rue de la Reine-Blanche, Olivet 45160, France
Phone: 02-38-66-02-93
Fax: 02-38-56-31-11
EUR19 to EUR38
Orléans
French

The dining room (no lunch Saturday; no dinner Sunday November through March) of this small, white-walled hotel opens onto a terrace facing the river. The menu changes with the season - if you're lucky, chef François Tassain's memorable crayfish, lamb marinated in paprika, and glazed green-apple soufflé with apple marmalade will be on it. 17 rooms, 11 with shower, 6 with bath. Restaurant, tennis court. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed late Dec.-mid-Jan.

St-Jacques
60 rue du Général-de-Gaulle, Meung-sur-Loire 45130, France
Phone: 02-38-44-30-39
Fax: 02-38-45-17-02
Under EUR38
Meung-sur-Loire
French

At this family-run restaurant-inn, excellent fresh food is served without fuss at deliciously low prices. The prix-fixe menus might include oysters, fillet of duck in a raspberry vinaigrette, lamb or fish, cheese, and dessert. The restaurant is closed on Monday. 12 rooms. Restaurant. AE, MC, V. Closed last 2 wks in Jan.

Toussaint
7 pl. du Président-Kennedy, Angers, France
Phone: 02-41-87-46-20
EUR19 to EUR38
Angers
French

Chef Michel Bignon serves nouvelle versions of traditional regional dishes, plus fine wines and tasty desserts. Local river fish with beurre blanc is a particular specialty. The ground-floor dining room is less formal; upstairs, it's more neoclassical, with a better view of the castle. Reserve your table accordingly. Reservations essential. Jacket required. AE, MC, V. Closed Mon. and 1st ½ of Sept; no dinner Sun.