La Tonnelle

An institution. Its deep red façade is impossible to miss as you walk along the southern bank of the Loire. Once a year, this wine bar and its large river-facing terrace on a cobblestone plaza – just steps away from the city’s nineteenth-century Neoclassical theatre – becomes the epicentre of the natural wine world.

Host of the unofficial after-party for Saumur’s low-intervention wine fairs, La Tonnelle turns into a meeting point for visitors and winemakers alike. As the compact, festive crowd spills into the neighbouring streets, hundreds upon hundreds of bottles of organic and biodynamic wine get popped here over the course of a few days. The merry crowd’s favourite challenge becomes simply finding its way to the bar, while empty bottles of rare, hard-to-find cuvées from legendary producers in the Loire, Jura, and Burgundy pile up the city’s public recycling bin.

The rest of the year, the excellent wine selection, regular tastings, food events and a reliable menu of sharing boards and plates keep locals and visitors entertained. The adjacent wine shop acts as the bar’s main supplier, backed by more than 20 years of relationships with some of the most sought-after domaines in the country.