Beurre Blanc at La Cigale Brasserie, Nantes
Beurre blanc — that silky, shallot-and-white-wine emulsion of cold butter — was invented in the Loire Valley and nowhere is it served with more ceremony than in Nantes. La Cigale, a jaw-dropping 1895 art nouveau brasserie on the Place Graslin, is the city's most iconic dining room and the perfect place to eat it properly for the first time.
The Room
La Cigale was classified a French Historic Monument in 1964, and one look at the hand-painted ceramic panels, gilded ceilings, and carved mahogany banquettes tells you why. It opened in 1895 and has barely changed — waiters in long aprons move between marble-topped tables with the quiet efficiency of people who have been doing this for generations.
The brasserie is named after the cicada (cigale) motif woven into its décor. Even if you only stop for a coffee at the zinc bar, the interior alone is worth the detour.
What to Order
Start with a dozen Bouchot mussels from the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, then order the sandre (pike-perch) or sole with classic beurre blanc. The sauce arrives in a small copper saucepan — pale, trembling and intensely flavoured with Muscadet and Breton shallots. It is one of the defining tastes of this region.
Pair it with a glass of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie from a producer like Domaine de l'Écu or Château de la Ragotière — the wine's flinty minerality cuts perfectly through the butter. Finish with a kouign-amann or a slice of gâteau nantais, the local rum-soaked almond cake.
Practical Notes
La Cigale is open seven days a week from breakfast through to late dinner, which is unusual for a restaurant of this quality in France. Reservations are strongly recommended for dinner and weekend lunches; the brasserie fills quickly with a mix of locals, theatre-goers from the adjacent Opéra de Nantes and visitors.
Budget around €35–50 per person for a full three-course meal with a glass of wine. The brasserie is at 4 Place Graslin, a 10-minute walk from the château.
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