The streets around Place Plumereau, especially rue du Grand Marché, overrun with mostly overpriced cafés, bars and bistros, and if you're looking for pizza, pasta or steak frites, and don't mind paying a little extra for the bustling atmosphere and an outside table, this is the area to head for. On the cathedral side of rue Nationale, rue Colbert is lined with much less touristy bars and ethnic eateries, as well as a few good restaurants serving regional cuisine.Sugar and chocolate freaks should make a detour to pâtisseries like La Marotte, 3 rue du Change, and La Chocolatière, 6 rue de la Scellerie. The main market halls are to the west of St-Martin at the end of rue des Halles. Au Lapin qui Fume 90 rue Colbert tel 02.47.66.95.49. Relaxed but elegant miniature restaurant serving a good menu that's half Loire and half south of France and with scarcely a rabbit in sight. Menus €15–22.50. Le Franglais 27 rue Colbert. Relaxed bar-restaurant serving up large plates of meat with chips and salad for €7–9. Closed Sun & Mon evening. Jean Bardet 57 rue Groison tel 02.47.41.41.11, www.jeanbardet.com. Tours' top restaurant, on the north side of the Loire. Extremely sophisticated, healthy food with rare herbs and old varieties of vegetables straight from the hotel's renowned vegetable garden. Menus at €60 and €104, plus a wonderful all-vegetable menu at €69. Le Petit Patrimoine 58 rue Colbert tel 02.47.66.05.81. Romantic little place serving rich, lovingly prepared Loire dishes and good Loire wines. Menus €12.50–26. Le Picrocole 28–30 rue du Grand Marché. One of the better choices among the host of rather commercial restaurants behind place Plumereau, with simple Touraine dishes and outside tables. Steaks, salads and menus at €11 and 16.50. La Rôtisserie Tourangelle 23 rue du Commerce tel 02.47.05.71.21. Rather formal place serving classy dishes such as pigeon thighs infused in verbena, beef in Chinon sauce and guinea fowl. Good-value lunch menu at €15; evening menus at €29 and €39.45. Closed Sun evening & Mon. Le Singe Vert 5 rue Marceau tel 02.47.20.02.76. Busy Belle Époque brasserie-restaurant with traditional menus from €13. Closed Sun. Les Tuffeaux 19 rue Lavoisier tel 02.47.47.19.89. Attractive beams and bare-stone setting for delicious classic cuisine. Menus from €25. Closed Sun & Mon lunch.
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