A Decent Meal!

[Chrisgr31]

Every year whilst at Le Mans we try and eat out and have a decent meal. Usually this has been lunch at a restaurant near the station as one of our party has come off a train at 1.

However this year their train doesn't get in until 2.30 which is too late for a french lunch.

We suspect restaurants in the centre of Le Mans are heaving in the evening with the parade and may have "special" menus which really is not what we are looking for.

So are wondering what the restaurants in the "village" at the circuit are like. Anyone tried them? They any good? Or got any ideas?

[996tom]

Chrisgr31 said:

Every year whilst at Le Mans we try and eat out and have a decent meal. Usually this has been lunch at a restaurant near the station as one of our party has come off a train at 1.

However this year their train doesn't get in until 2.30 which is too late for a french lunch.

We suspect restaurants in the centre of Le Mans are heaving in the evening with the parade and may have "special" menus which really is not what we are looking for.

So are wondering what the restaurants in the "village" at the circuit are like. Anyone tried them? They any good? Or got any ideas?

I assume you are looking for lunch on the Friday. If you have access to a car there is a small shopping village just off the Mulsanne straight(you will pick up signs). There you will find various restaurants and i can recommend the buffet restaurant where all tastes are catered for. If i remember rightly the price was pretty good to.
Alternatively in the centre square of lemans there are some lovely restaurants behind the cathedral. Go up the stairs on the left as your are looking at it. Then take another left through some very pleasant cobbled streets. Along these streets there are various restaurants .
Have a good feed
Tom

[DS240]

Hahahahahahahahahahah..... Decent meal at the circuit. Unless someone knows a secret, I don't think there is any.

[Garlick]

Home made pie at the PH meet?

[john yates]

Dare i say Tartiflette is as good as it gets at the circuit? A.K.A cheesy potatoes with ham cooked in Giant Pan. See you on Friday for some of this home made Pie Garlick

Does this help?
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g187195-L...

Edited by john yates on Wednesday 1st June 22:10

[The Leaper]

There's a number of good restauramts in the centre of Le Mans, especially in the old town area. If you book ahead you will be OK for the post parade on Friday night. Also good for Sunday evening but as the next day is a public holiday this year it may be that many do not open the Sunday this year.

R.

[Chris71]

The Hotel Arbor is good, if somewhat pricey. You can get to it via a back road while the circuit is in use (it's right next to the Mulsanne Straight just after the second chicane). I'd imagine it's one to book ahead, though.

[zippyprorider]

There is a pizza place bella something just off the first Mulsanne cicane that is good (it's in a very small retail park)

[Rutlandracing]

Hi

The best food we've found is in the Porsche Club GB compound, a company called Relish did the catering last year, they're back again this year. Great food, friendly staff and really reasonable prices about £12 for a really good roast dinner...not very French though!

[t1grm]

I assume the one by the station the OP mentioned is the Chemin de Table.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?hl=en&bav=...

That's excellent and is also open Friday night. I walked in last year without a reservation. Other than that, as has been said, there are plenty of good restaurants in the old town behind the cathedral. You can usually get into one of them on the Friday night without a reservation if you are prepared to eat later - say around 9 pm.

[Dr Houx]

We had Sunday lunch in the ACO restaurant overlooking the end of the pit lane last year. It's not particularly cheap but I vaguely recall that they have a fixed price 2 or 3 course menu.

If you get a window table you can see and feel the cars passing it's not a bad way to spend an hour or two while you prepare for the end of the race. We booked a table on the Thursday before the race in person and though we did have our doubts, by Sunday we'd had nearly 5 days of barbequed meat, tartiflette and kebabs and the restaurant was a most welcome change.

I appreciate that an air conditioned, almost peaceful environment is hardly in keeping with the spirit of the weekend, but as the years pass, 2 hours of comfort during 6 days in a field is something we'll repeat this year.

I'm sure there are better and cheaper places in the town and surrounding villages but if you're after a low effort meal at the circuit that isn't tartiflette, burgers or kebabs, I'd suggest giving it a go.

[Matt80M]

We stay in a village called Malicorne Sur Sarthe about 20km odd from the circuit, and always have a good meal on the Friday night - this restaurant is absolutely superb, and the drive over from the track is a good little run on empty sweeping french B roads... worth a little journey.

http://www.petite-auberge-malicorne.fr/

[blueg33]

Friday night for us is always dinner at the Hotel du France in La Chartre. Average food, but fantastic atmosphere, great cars in the square outside (usually) and heaps of Le Mans history. I have sat at the same table that Stirling Moss and Carrol Shelby have sat at and parked my car where Aston DB2r's have lined up before heading to the circuit

Saturday night we leave the circuit and go to a nice restaurant in a village near Arnage (I forget the name), then we head back to Arnage corner for midnight.

Evening meal within the circuit is not a particularly tantalising idea IMO and I dread to think how much fat and calories reside in the tartiflette (yep I am getting old and my waistline is a challenge what a ghey girl I am)

[DS240]

Couple of nice restaurants in village called guecelard, not far from arnage.

[burriana]

blueg33 said:

Friday night for us is always dinner at the Hotel du France in La Chartre. Average food, but fantastic atmosphere, great cars in the square outside (usually) and heaps of Le Mans history. I have sat at the same table that Stirling Moss and Carrol Shelby have sat at and parked my car where Aston DB2r's have lined up before heading to the circuit

Nick - when do you need to book for that restaurant or is it just pure pot luck? I have meant to go for the last four years!

[blueg33]

burriana said:

Nick - when do you need to book for that restaurant or is it just pure pot luck? I have meant to go for the last four years!

I dont book it, its done by another of our group, but I think we only booked last week (table for 8). You definately can't just turn up and get a table. Give em a call, the worst they can do is say "non"

Its worth it for the atmosphere and Corvette Man who has been there every year for the last 10 or 12 years. He flies in from the state and wears Hawaiian style shirts with corvettes all over them. Good guy.

Our cars parked in the square there last year attarcted heaps of attention, particularly the Stratos (a real one) and for some reason my G33 . The locals come down to look at the cars, sometimes we take the kis for a spin or at least let them sit in them.