Things to do in Nantes

The places Nantes locals actually go: restaurants, bars, walks and nights out, tried and recommended by the people who live here.

  • 779recommended places
  • 170locals recommending

Nantes has kept two faces. There is the city of the Dukes of Brittany, with its castle and the medieval lanes of the Bouffay; and there is the city reinventing itself on the former shipyards of the Île de Nantes. The Loire and the Erdre run between the two, and it is usually by the water that people here arrange to meet.

No sponsored rankings on this page: every place is recommended by Spoooters, locals who genuinely go there. The more a place is recommended, the higher it climbs.

Where to eat in Nantes

Food halls, historic brasseries, neighbourhood bakeries and covered markets — the tables locals recommend most. 487 recommended places in Nantes

MIAM

in Nantes

50 addresses

qui régalent les Nantais

Du marché de Talensac aux tables qu'on recommande aux amis.

The locals' albumMIAM in NantesDu marché de Talensac aux tables qu'on recommande aux amis.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go for a walk in Nantes

Riverbanks, gardens and districts worth covering on foot, picked by the people who know them by heart. 58 recommended places in Nantes

QUAIS

in Nantes

50 addresses

pour vivre Nantes au fil de l'eau

Loire, Erdre, jardins et guinguettes pour s'échapper sans partir.

The locals' albumQUAIS in NantesLoire, Erdre, jardins et guinguettes pour s'échapper sans partir.50 spots · €2.99
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What to see in Nantes

Museums, art venues and monuments: the city’s culture as its own residents see it. 73 recommended places in Nantes

CULTE

in Nantes

50 addresses

qui font la légende de Nantes

Passage Pommeraye, Machines de l'Île et détours inoubliables.

The locals' albumCULTE in NantesPassage Pommeraye, Machines de l'Île et détours inoubliables.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go shopping in Nantes

Independent designers, concept stores, vintage shops and delicatessens spotted by locals. 94 recommended places in Nantes

LOCAL

in Nantes

50 addresses

que les Nantais se transmettent

De Bouffay à Chantenay, cafés, librairies et repaires aimés.

The locals' albumLOCAL in NantesDe Bouffay à Chantenay, cafés, librairies et repaires aimés.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go out and hear music in Nantes

Concert halls, music bars and alternative stages for a night out in Nantes. 49 recommended places in Nantes

FIESTA

in Nantes

46 addresses

pour faire vibrer les nuits nantaises

Concerts, bars décalés, tapas et nuits qui se prolongent.

The locals' albumFIESTA in NantesConcerts, bars décalés, tapas et nuits qui se prolongent.46 spots · €2.99
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Things to do in Nantes

Ideas for filling a day or an evening differently, tried by people who live here. 39 recommended places in Nantes

ARTY

in Nantes

50 addresses

où Nantes ose tout

Machines géantes, arts de rue et scènes indépendantes.

The locals' albumARTY in NantesMachines géantes, arts de rue et scènes indépendantes.50 spots · €2.99
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Local tips

  1. 01

    Follow the green line

    A green line painted on the pavement links the city’s main sights, from contemporary artworks to monuments. It is the thread of the Voyage à Nantes festival: no map needed, just follow it.

    Source: Le Voyage à Nantes
  2. 02

    Cross the Loire on the Navibus

    From the Gare Maritime, the Navibus ferry reaches Trentemoult in a few minutes on an ordinary tram ticket. The old fishing village with its brightly painted houses and waterside terraces is worth the trip at sunset.

    Source: Naolib
  3. 03

    Talensac market, and go in the morning

    The big covered market in the centre is a fixture of local life. Come early for the fullest stalls, then stay for a glass of wine or oysters at the counter.

  4. 04

    A day on the Île de Nantes

    The former shipyards hold much of the city’s life: the Machines de l’Île and their Great Elephant, the Magmaa food hall for lunch, then the Hangar à Bananes for an evening on the Loire.

  5. 05

    Climb the Tour LU

    The tower of the old biscuit factory is open to visitors. From the top, the view takes in the castle, the Loire and the Île de Nantes.

    Source: Le Voyage à Nantes
  6. 06

    In summer, keep your eyes open

    Through July and August, the Voyage à Nantes installs temporary artworks across the city. Some of them stay for good: Nantes changes a little every summer.

  7. 07

    Taste the local classics

    A Petit-Beurre, of course, but also the rum-soaked gâteau nantais, berlingot sweets, curé nantais cheese, and a glass of Muscadet from the vineyards just outside town.

Did you know?

The Petit-Beurre was born in Nantes

Louis Lefèvre-Utile created the LU Petit-Beurre in Nantes in 1886. Its 52 teeth are said to stand for the weeks of the year, its 4 corners for the seasons and its 24 holes for the hours of the day. A fine story, kept alive by the brand, though no document from the period confirms it.

Source: Nantes Patrimonia

The Île Feydeau is no longer an island

In the 18th century, wealthy shipowners built their mansions on this island in the Loire. The branches of the river around it were filled in during the 1920s and 1930s, joining it to the city. Built on sandy ground, its buildings have shifted over time — hence the leaning façades and balconies.

Source: Wikipedia — Île Feydeau

Jules Verne grew up facing the port

The author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas was born on 8 February 1828 at his grandmother’s house, 4 cours Olivier-de-Clisson, on the Île Feydeau. As a child he watched ships leave the port of Nantes — an image that fed his extraordinary voyages.

Source: Jules Verne Museum, Nantes

A national arts venue in a biscuit factory

Le Lieu Unique occupies the former LU factory. Converted by the architect Patrick Bouchain, it opened on 30 December 1999. The Tour LU, built in 1909 as an advertising landmark for the brand, was restored to its original design for the occasion.

Source: Le Lieu Unique

Neighborhoods to know

Le Bouffay
The medieval core: half-timbered houses, pedestrian lanes and the highest concentration of bars and small restaurants in the city.
Graslin and Commerce
19th-century Nantes, around the Graslin theatre and the Passage Pommeraye, for shopping and the grand brasseries.
Île de Nantes
The old shipyards turned creative quarter: the Machines de l’Île, food halls, bars and evenings on the quays.
Trentemoult
On the far bank, the former fishing village with its coloured houses — reached by Navibus, for a drink facing the Loire.
Chantenay
A more residential district by the Loire, with its craft breweries and the Jardin Extraordinaire.

Frequently asked questions about Nantes

Where do locals like to eat?

According to Spoooters' recommendations, Magmaa - Food Hall Nantes, Feeling Good Bakery and Graziella Pizzeria come first in Nantes.

What to do in Nantes in a weekend

Follow the Voyage à Nantes green line to link the castle, the Bouffay and the Passage Pommeraye. Spend half a day on the Île de Nantes (Machines de l’Île, lunch in a food hall), then take the Navibus across the Loire to Trentemoult for the evening.

What to do in Nantes when it rains

The Passage Pommeraye, the Musée d’Arts de Nantes, the castle of the Dukes of Brittany, Le Lieu Unique and the food halls of the Île de Nantes all keep you dry.

Where to go out at night in Nantes

The lanes of the Bouffay for bars, the Hangar à Bananes on the Île de Nantes for evenings by the water, and the bar at Le Lieu Unique for something more cultural.

How does Spooot pick its places?

Every place is recommended by Spoooters, locals who actually go there. Nothing is sponsored: a place climbs the ranking as more locals recommend it.

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