Top 10 culinary specialities in Nantes

Over the years, Nantes and the Loire-Atlantique region have developed an amazing gastronomy. Not every city in France boasts such a wide range of local produce, from cheeses and wines to market garden produce and fish… The City of the Dukes has much to be proud of! While seafood is often at the centre of the plate, other delicious contenders vie vigorously for the rest of the table.

The Nantes recipes that stem from this rich terroir have everything it takes to enliven the taste buds of everyone, children and adults alike. Whether sweet or savoury, some of Nantes’ specialities even enjoy national popularity: petit beurre nantais, beurre blanc sauce (made with half-salt butter) and berlingot, to name but a few.

Other dishes, however, are less well known. You’re sure to enjoy tasting them one by one, between two digestive walks to get rid of them all! One thing’s for sure, if you don’t know a thing about the Nantes region, our selection is the icing on the cake.

What to eat in Nantes Our selection of 10 Nantes specialities

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’re in for a treat! Yes, sweet treats will be everywhere during your stay in Nantes. Berlingot, gâteau nantais, rigolettes, petit beurre… all have their place. The locals love them, and so do the tourists. Note that many of these sweets can be eaten on the go or nibbled on, as an invitation to take them with you wherever you go.

1 Le Curé Nantais

As a starter or an aperitif, this mouth-watering cheese, made from cow’s milk and with a supple, creamy, pierced paste, is just the thing! Moulded for the first time in the 19th century, Curé nantais is an ecclesiastical tribute born of the meeting between a Nantes farmer and a visiting priest. You can try it in 3 flavours: plain, with flowers or matured in Muscadet wine. Saint Julien-de-Concelles cheese is one of Nantes’ must-taste specialities.

2. Lamb’s lettuce salad

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Cultivated in Loire-Atlantique since the early 19th century, the Nantes region is now Europe’s leading producer of lamb’s lettuce. Nantes lamb’s lettuce is protected by a Protected Geographical Indication (IGP). This small-leaf salad is best served with hazelnut oil. A light, delicious treat that will whet your appetite!

3. Lard Nantais

Also known as “Sunday bacon”, this traditional recipe has gradually escaped from the working-class tables of Nantes where it originated. Lard Nantais consists of a rack of pork ribs braised in the oven with herbs. The meat is accompanied by giblets, rind and the much-loved Muscadet! This is a 100% Nantes dish – perhaps the only one – which can be enjoyed cold or reheated with a Nantes salad.

4. Duck from Challans

This fine, delicate duck is best served with a Muscadet sauce and apples browned in salted butter. The product of cross-breeding, this Nantes duck has been reared in the open air in Loire-Atlantique and Vendée since the 18th century.

5. Langouille

This childish name refers to a Nantes speciality imported from Brittany: andouille de langue. Many people will move on after this unrefined introduction, but the cold langouille is a star at the start of any Nantes meal. Building on its success shortly after the arrival of a Breton pork butcher in Nantes, Michel xx, the langouille brand was registered in 2003. A story you wouldn’t believe, would you?

6. Le Gâteau Nantais

In the 17th century, the city of Nantes grew rich through triangular trade. Many products were imported from the Americas, such as rum and almond powder, which were later used in the recipe for Nantes cake, along with lemon. Among the culinary nuggets, this flavoured pound cake with its gourmet icing is the perfect way to end a meal!

7. Le Petit beurre

So unique, so simple and so delicious that the most famous of Nantes’ specialities needs no introduction! Petit beurre nantais is a cross-generational snack that’s popular all over France. We’ve all fallen for its crunchiness and deliciousness (a biscuit rich in butter), but do you know all its secrets? It’s all hidden in its carefully thought-out shape. The tasty Lefèvre-Utile (LU) butter biscuit has 4 corners to represent the 4 seasons, 52 teeth to represent the 52 weeks of the year and 24 dotted lines to represent the 24 hours of the day.

8. The berlingot

Even if it’s not on your menu, the berlingot from Nantes should be included on the list of “culinary musts”. The history of these sweets reflects the effect they have. At the beginning of the 19th century, an Empire canteen maid named Mme Couët obtained the recipe for a little-known Italian sweet. The soldiers of the Empire were the first to taste these sweets, which had such a positive effect on them that Mme Couët was awarded a medal for her contribution to troop morale! In the shop, you’ll recognise the artisanal berlingots by their pyramid shape, their pretty, vitamin-packed colours and their transparent stripes. In the mouth, their fruity flavour and the crunch of the baked sugar will instantly take you back to childhood.

9. Le Tourton

Let’s clarify the situation straight away: in the Loire region, tourton from Nantes is not a gâche from Vendée. They are often confused because of their similar soft texture, halfway between bread and brioche. However, unlike gâche, tourton nantais dough does not contain eggs. The recipe dates back to the Middle Ages, when leftover bread was not thrown away but soaked in milk and butter, then baked again. This final, childishly simple preparation gives the tourton its distinctive tenderness and deliciousness. A gourmet’s delight.

10. Muscadet

Classified as an AOC since 1937, Muscadet is a dry white wine produced south of Nantes from a grape variety called Melon de Bourgogne. It is a very slightly effervescent beverage that goes wonderfully well with a seafood platter.