Hot in front

• Moulin de l'Imaginaire

Fabienne Eymard has left the pollution and hectic pace of the capital to return close to home (she is a native of Brive) in the Périgord region, in a beautiful house overlooking the Vézère river. The former distinguished chef at Benoit's in Paris, after a stint at Taillevent, is no stranger to traditional bourgeois tunes, which she plays with ease and even virtuosity. School-style pâté en croûte, magnificent sweetbreads with early vegetables, strawberry vacherin with strawberry-vanilla ice cream - these are the first very good notes that herald the return of an auberge to this village of gourmet tradition. We're already enjoying the promises of the menu: navarin of lamb, Grenoble skate wing, asparagus with orange mousseline sauce... Service already well organized, a cellar of classics (Brun, Mouthes Le Bihan...) and new winemakers.

1, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle, 24120 Terrasson-Lavilledieu

• Itsasoa

Erwann Le Pogam seems to have inherited the art of mise en scène from his previous life as a stagehand on movie sets, deployed with constant attention to detail. From the dining room to the kitchen, nothing is left to chance. Yet never does the feeling of control take over; on the contrary, one of fluidity predominates, as if everything were self-evident. A wall of ivy greets the customer and a Basque name means "sea". It's all very logical for this Breton, who has known Biarritz for a while and its shores all his life. The plates are limpidly presented, garnished with color, wild flowers and carefully chosen products, which ideally express the seasons and Brittany, with technique, modernity and research. The oyster is braised on the side with early apples and turnips, while a small ceviche with peas rinses the mouth, before a final sea tour on the oyster and yuzu ice cream, a good compromise between acid and iodine. The famous cochon breton is tender and generous after 40 hours of cooking, with a sunny artichoke barigoule, wonderfully fresh market garden peas, and a beautiful land-sea exchange on the meat jus and sea urchin. The vanilla-rhubarb tart and rhubarb ice cream prove the chef's talents in sweet dishes too, with this delicate tart and powerful fruit. The committed cellar boasts some forty organic, biodynamic and natural wines, mainly from the Loire Valley, but also from Burgundy and Beaujolais.bubbles are well represented thanks to a fine selection of champagnes and equivalents (Bruno Paillard, Vincent Couche) and craft beers from the region, La Trinité-sur-Mer and Saint-Malo. Menus from €25 to €59.

1, rue de Ker-Anna, 56340 Carnac

• Le Bourdon

Energetic, smiling service, generous, home-cooked dishes, a young, highly motivated team - Pauline (front of house), Arsène (pastry chef) and Than (cook) - all pooling their skills.The result is a brand-new restaurant on the city's liveliest street. Good humor, generosity and authenticity are the hallmarks of the restaurant's high-quality homemade pâté en croûte (we could do without the lemony cream), wing and pork pie.e), skate wing with lime sauce and spelt risotto or 3-hour confit poultry, oyster mushroom and fresh thyme with seasonal peas and broad beans. Good millefeuille with Bourbon vanilla and raspberry, pleasant and varied setting in the three rooms, one of which has vaulted ceilings, exposed stonework and a large counter. Pauline's smooth, controlled welcome.

35, rue Saint-Guilhem, 34000 Montpellier.

• Picking

The transfer of ownership promises to be an auspicious one. The Olliviers' Sarment de Vigne, a veritable institution in the Rennes region for over two decades, has changed owners and name. It has also undergone a highly successful renovation. The veranda room, which opens onto the road, is still the brightest, but the "blind" room benefits from excellent lighting. The sober decor and light celadon-green tones provide real visual comfort. In fine weather, the terrace beside the small garden is a much-appreciated refuge. Fanny, who has sommelier experience in a number of fine establishments, ensures an exemplary welcome and friendly, efficient service. As for Armand, a seasoned chef (who has worked for Rostang, among others), he relies heavily on local resources in his short menu, in which the dishes rival each other in lightness and sapidity. Delicious Liffré snails, for example, are paired with spinach and a well-balanced garlic cream, with a touch of galangal providing the gustatory sparkle. A variation on young carrots (roasted, puréed...) accompanies a fine slab of pollack, enhanced by a rose geranium sauce. And let's not forget the strawberries married with coarse milk and enlivened with combava. The wine list has yet to be fully developed, but the selection is already full of fine wines, particularly organic and biodynamic. For example, in Alsace, the cuvées of a group of friends called "Les Funambules", or in the Rhône region, Domaine Richaud or La Ferme des 7 Lunes. In the South-West, we find the excellent Laurent Cazottes, as well as Elian Da Ros. Some gourmet ciders too.

54, route de Fougères, 35510 Cesson-Sévigné