Amboise: Hotel & Restaurant Recommendations

Amboise is one of those charming small towns that comes alive during the day. After our chateaux tours, we were dropped off at our hotel. It was the perfect city to escape the hustle and bustle of Paris for a few days in the middle of our trip.

Hotel Au Charme Rabelaisien

Hotel Au Charme Rabelaisien is a sort of boutique hotel with only a few rooms. It’s located just a few blocks from everything. Our room was huge, with a sitting area and large bathroom. No complains about the great views of Château d’Amboise.

When we booked the hotel we didn’t think we’d use the pool. But, man were we thankful for it! As I mentioned, France was experiencing a tremendous heat wave while we were there.

After spending almost all day outside we gladly slipped into our swimming suits and headed down to the pool. Nolan asked the receptionist who checked us in if there was a place to purchase refreshments. He just asked what we wanted and told us he’d bring it out. Then, he brought it out on a tray with all sorts of snacks, a chiller, and white cloth. He had to be dying wearing a 3-piece suit, opening a bottle of wine in 100+ degree weather! It was such a relaxing afternoon until…

A bee stung me! I’m pretty sure I screamed and swatted the thing away so I didn’t get a good look at him. I can’t remember the last time I was stung by a bee; those things hurt! Little did I know that I’m semi-allergic to bee stings, or maybe it’s just French bees…

Dinner at L’Epicerie

Our tour guide recommended L’Epicerie as an inexpensive French restaurant in Amboise. We walked there and luckily got seated inside and near a fan.

It was so French that they didn’t have a menu in English. The 30€ immediately caught our attention. I ordered the escargots, salmon, cheese, and chocolate dessert. Nolan ordered the foie gras (since we loved it so much on our food tour), the steak, cheese, and creme brûlée. (I told you it became his staple dessert in France.)

The food was fantastic! There was one escargot that was too stubborn to come out of his shell. Nolan laughed at how concentrated I was at getting him out. 🙂 I eventually gave up and soaked up the garlic butter with the bread. As long as your a tad bid adventurous, I’d highly recommend having dinner at L’Epicerie.