Choosing where to have lunch in Angouleme is never easy. You’re literally spoilt for choice when it comes to where to eat in Angouleme. It really depends on what you fancy as to where you go.
Angouleme is such a walkable city that you’re bound to work up an appetite.
Wandering around all those cobbled streets and taking in all the history is thirsty work.
When I’m in the mood for an Indian I don’t look any further than Jardin de Kashmir. It’s the best Indian restaurant in Angouleme and the surrounding areas.
If it’s pizza you’re after then Le Lion Rouge is the perfect choice. It’s a relatively new restaurant run by a photographer in an old iron mongers with gorgeous art deco features and an atrium filled with greenery.
I’m a sucker for an authentic style Trattoria and this one is fantastic.
If you’re vegan or gluten-free then a great option is Garden Angouleme.
My close friend Nicky is gluten intolerant, and my next door neighbour Simon is vegan, and we all know how hard it is to find vegan restaurants in France.
My favourite place for lunch in Angouleme is Saint André
Saint Andre has one of the best locations in Angouleme, in my opinion. As you walk down Rue de Saint André you’ll see Saint André church, one of the oldest churches in the area. The restaurant is next door to the church.
However, the church isn’t the only thing you’ll see. Angouleme is the cartoon capital and you’ll see evidence of this with all the wall murals and paintings throughout the city.
Saint Andre restaurant happens to be opposite one of my favourite murals, Memoires du XXeme Ciel (Memories of the 20th Heaven). It’s a full-length painting of a man and woman kissing, which is part of a story set in the French Revolution called “Sambre”.
In the summer the restaurant has tables and chairs set up on the terrace in front of the church. You get front row seats to the mural as you eat, it’s the perfect backdrop.
Mother’s Day Lunch in Angouleme
The last time I ate there was with my daughter in March for Mother’s Day. I suggested that lunch in Angouleme might be fun. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t so great, as you’d expect for that time of year, and it was raining.
So we sat inside instead and we were lucky enough to have a window seat looking out at the mural.
As always I ordered in French but ended up slipping back into English. The waiter spoke perfect English and seemed keen to practice and chat with us.
Although not strictly Mother’s Day as it was Saturday and not Sunday, the restaurant was full so I was glad we’d booked.
Apart from one other table of English, it was all French people and there was a lovely ambience as we listened to the quiet chatter all around us.
Summer, my daughter, had never been before and couldn’t take her eyes off the mural.
As neither of us was driving, hubby said he’d pick us up, we ordered a lovely bottle of Côtes de Provence.
It’s always been my favourite rose as it’s crisp and dry and the perfect wine for lunch.
Lunch in Angouleme - what was on the menu?
Being mother and daughter, surprise surprise, we ordered the same thing from the menu. We both love smoked salmon so the starter was a no-brainer.
Served with the traditional French crusty bread it came with small orange pieces and was topped with pomegranate seeds and peppery watercress.
It was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented.
For our main, we couldn’t resist the steak with house fries and pepper sauce. (Entrecôte de Boeuf Angus avec frite maison et sauce poivre).
Cooked to perfection, medium rare for both of us (À point), we both cleared our plates.
By the time it came to dessert, we were both full but determined to enjoy the full experience we decided to share. And just as well we did because the serving was huge.
We ordered the Cannelés du Saint Andre, commes des profiteroles, profiteroles filled with ice cream rather than cream. I love the fact that’s how they serve them here in France as I don’t like cream.
I know that’s weird but I just can’t stomach it.
How did I rate our meal at Saint André in Angouleme?
I have to say I can only give this restaurant a ten out of ten. Nothing was too much bother, the food was excellent, and the location just perfect.
We were actually the last to leave the restaurant as we hadn’t finished our wine. The waiter told us to take our time and enjoy our drink, they were in no rush.
He even said we could take the bottle home if we preferred.
As we were enjoying ourselves so much we finished it off allowing ourselves to enjoy the wonderful surroundings.
For me, Angouleme has everything from its history and architecture to the cobbled streets and overall feel.
Every little street has something different and new to show you, and as you’d expect, an abundance of great restaurants too.
One word of advice, if you decide to eat at Saint Andre remember to book in advance, especially in the summer.
They’re very popular and it’s hard to get a table when they’re busy so booking is essential.
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Life in Rural France