Mid Priced Eats in France

Au Rendez-Vous des Pêcheurs

This friendly restaurant in an old grocery near the Loire has simple decor but offers excellent value for its creative cooking. Chef Christophe Cosme studied under Burgundy's late Bernard Loiseau and brings inventiveness to his fish and seafood specialties (try the crayfish and parsley flan) and desserts.

Auberge du XIIe Siècle

You half expect Balzac himself to come strolling in the door of this half-timber, delightfully historic auberge, so little has it changed since the 19th century. Still sporting a time-stained painted sign and its original exterior staircase, and nearly opposite the great author's country retreat, this inn retains its centuries-old dining room, now warmed by a fireplace,
bouquets, and rich wood tables.