On the left bank of the Loire on the road to Bourges, the breeze comes as much from the river as from the stringently selected fresh ingredients! The kitchen is supplied by a local market gardener who grows over 300 varieties of fruit, veg and herbs. A native of Maubeuge, chef Arnaud Billard, who has a soft spot for fish, signs tasty market cuisine, oozing with subtle combinations of ingredients. Examples include flawlessly cooked John Dory, paired with a silky vanilla-flavoured sauce on a bed of slowly cooked leeks.