17. where to soak up nantes` riverside vibe

THE
MANUAL
T R E AT
YO U R S E L F
STREET VIEW
W HERE T O
SOA K UP N A NTES’
RIV ERSIDE V IBE
17.
Hold your locks
in place with a
tin of hipster fave,
O-Brother-Where
Art-Thou?-worthy
Reuzel Pomade,
€7, from the barber
Th is small city on the Loire is ranked highly by the French for its quality of life.
Find out why with a visit to the tiny riverside enclave of Trentemoult...
CAFÉ DU PORT
1 FANTEUIL POUR 2
37 Quai Robert Surcouf
Laurence de Roincé and
her husband, Eric, took
over this café four months
ago, sourcing their pretty,
mid-century décor by trawling
antique stores. “We wanted
people to come in and say,
‘Oh, my grandmother had
one of those’,” says Laurence.
3 Quai Marcel Boissard
Since buying into this salon
last year, Julien Vialleix and his
old-fashioned, British-style
barbering have been in high
demand. “I get about 60
people a week,” says the
barber, who’s so passionate
he has a striped-pole tattoo
on his brow.
on.fb.me/1IMg14g
on.fb.me/1CrAquy
W O R D S S A R A H WA R W I C K P H O T O S T I M F O X
Across
the Loire
from the
main sprawl of
Nantes, the former
fishing village of
Trentemoult has
– thanks to the
speedy plying back and forth of the
Navibus – been transformed over the last
five years into a charming, arty suburb.
Amid the waving hollyhocks sit riverside
cottages, now cafés, shops and galleries,
many with suntrap terraces. No wonder
it’s our go-to Nantais spot…
040
EJ165_040_Cityscape lg.indd 040
13/08/2015 12:27
W HO ’S BEHIND
T HE C O U N T E R ?
L’ESPRIT DU TEMPS
20 Grand Rue
Tucked away in a tangle
of lanes, this café associatif
(cooperative coffee shop)
is less than a year old, but
it’s a hotspot for gâteaux,
thanks in part to volunteer
baker Laurent Corne’s
creations. “People come
for the cake – it’s our
speciality and it’s always,
always home-made.” He
recommends a slice of the
typical Gâteau Nantais
(flavoured – as far as we
could tell – with rum,
almonds, rum and more
rum). If that’s too boozy,
try one of the cheesecakes
made using a book of
New York legend Marc
Grossman’s recipes –
which Laurent refers to as
‘the Bible’.
CHARLOTTE MADÉZO
ET DANIEL LE SAUX
21 Quai Robert Surcouf
Sharing a studio (and life) here
for more than 20 years, couple
Charlotte Madézo and Daniel
Le Saux open their studio by
appointment to display their
seaside-inspired creations.
While the former’s paintings
reflect the calm maritime
ambiance, Le Saux focuses on
the wackier side; his boxed
tableaux are Pythonesque
creations that “tell surreal
stories about fish”.
daniellesaux.com
espritdutemps.info
T HE S HE L F IE
Charlotte Madézo’s studio-cumexhibition space is lined with
examples of her paintings
On the facing wall, seen
here in the mirror, are her
partner’s boxed scenes of
fishermen and fl ying fish
As well as mellow
beachscapes, she
specialises in literaryinspired scenes
041
EJ165_040_Cityscape lg.indd 041
13/08/2015 17:05
THE
MANUAL
L O C A L DISH
No dish shows off
the laid-back local
spirit as much as
a Gâteau Nantais,
which celebrates
the city’s former
links to the West
Indies with a liberal
soaking of rum.
CHEZ FRANÇOISE
23 Quai Marcel Boissard
It’s no wonder Françoise
Moinel's guesthouse fills up
way ahead. Visitors get to sit
out in her sunny courtyard and
be thoroughly spoiled with
fresh coffee, baguettes and
homemade apricot jam – a
petit dejeuner of champions.
chez-francoise-trentemoult.fr
D O N ’ T MI S S . . .
Le Grand Éléphant, the mechanical star
of Les Machines de l’île menagerie – is
swiftly becoming the new symbol of the
city. Head across the water to l’île de
Nantes for a ride. lesmachines-nantes.fr
L O C A L K NO W L ED GE
LA CIVELLE
MIKE GROUET
Member of artists’ collective
“I’ve been here more than 10 years.
Trentemoult is a green place with
a real artistic vibe. It used to be a
fishing village, but there are more
than 20 artists here now, from
ceramicists to painters. Lots of
people come here looking for
curiosities – they often find them.”
21 Quai Marcel Boissard
Aptly, considering its name
comes from the Loire’s rare
and highly prized glass eels,
La Civelle is the most high-end
of the riverside eateries. Those
heavy of wallet and empty of
belly should opt for La Poêlée
Royale: a platter of lobster,
shrimps and scallops (€35).
lacivelle.com
042
EJ165_040_Cityscape lg.indd 042
13/08/2015 12:27
IN S ID E O U T
As befits a fisherman’s
bar, La Guinguette even
has a boat inside it
The restaurant is the most
popular in Trentemoult,
welcoming hundreds of
visitors daily in summer
LONDON
Stills from the Catherine
Deneuve film The White
Queen, which was shot
locally, line the walls
The bar isn’t a real vessel,
sadly. It was built for
purpose when the place
was renovated
900XL by
LA GUINGUETTE
AU PANIER PERCHÉ
20 Quai Marcel Boissard
Formerly a giunguette
(dance-hall tavern), this place
has ditched the rousing
accordion music and can-can
in favour of a seafood menu –
sandre au beurre blanc (a local
fish in typical butter sauce) is
popular – served by manager
Guillaume Pelés and his team.
5 Rue Clouard
A cuisine maison (home
cooking) restaurant, Gwenola
Pierret serves simple Breton
meals, such as stew with kig
ha farz (buckwheat dumplings),
direct from a kitchen hatch.
Designed as takeaway for
working locals, they’d also do
brilliantly for a visitor’s picnic.
laguinguette.fr
aupanierperche.fr
Showrooms located at
Battersea I Chelsea I Clerkenwell
Knightsbridge I Mayfair I Notting Hill
Wandsworth I Kent I Surrey
+44 (0)333 011 3333
WORLDWIDE SHIPPING AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
043
EJ165_040_Cityscape lg.indd 043
13/08/2015 12:29