Loire Valley & Central France - Discover France: Experience the Best of France - page 408

new contraptions: the house is jammed with scale models of many of his inventions.
The expansive, beautiful gardens wind through forest and stream and are dotted
with full-size replicas of his inventions including a protoautomobile, tank, bridges,
hydraulic turbine and even a primitive helicopter. He died here on 2 May 1519.

Sleeping

LE PAVILLON DES LYS €€
( 02 47 30 01 01; www.pavillondeslys.com ; 9 rue d'Orange; d €98-160; ) Take a
cappuccino-coloured 18th-century town house and fill it with designer lamps, just-so
furniture, roll-top baths, hi-fis and deep sofas, and you're halfway there; then chuck
in a locally renowned restaurant, an elegant patio garden and boutiquey treats.

Boutique Hotel

VILLA MARY €€
( 02 47 23 03 31; www.villa-mary.fr ; 14 rue de la Concorde; d incl breakfast
€90-120) Four tip-top rooms in an impeccably furnished 18th-century town house,
crammed with beeswaxed antiques, glittering chandeliers and antique rugs.

B&B

LE CLOS D'AMBOISE €€
( 02 47 30 10 20; www.leclosamboise.com ; 27 rue Rabelais; r €97-149; ) Another
posh pad finished with style and luxurious fabrics, from wood panelling to antique
beds and original fireplaces.

Historic Hotel

Eating & Drinking

CHEZ BRUNO €
( 02 47 57 73 49; place Michel Debré; menus from €12; lunch Tue-Sun, dinner
Tue-Sat) Uncork a local vintage in a coolly contemporary setting, accompanied by
honest, inexpensive regional cooking. If you're after Loire Valley wine tips, this is
the place.

Regional Cuisine

L'ÉPICERIE €€
( 02 47 57 08 94; 46 place Michel Debré; menus €22-34; Wed-Sun) A more
time-honoured atmosphere with rich wood and neo-Renaissance decor matched by
filling fare like cuisse de lapin (rabbit leg) and tournedos de canard (duck fillet).

Traditional French