Freia

The story

Freia, Nantes | Seasonal Vegetarian Dining in a Rooftop Greenhouse

The kitchen and its origins

Freia presents seasonal vegetarian cuisine at the top of a parking structure in Nantes, where chef Sarah Mainguy turns her rooftop garden into a focused culinary program. Mainguy relocated here after passing control of her previous kitchen at Vacarme to sous-chef Naila Bellanger. She collaborates with partner Damien Crémois to cultivate an urban plot containing oats, buckwheat, elderflower, and hyssop. Alice Ménard from the sister restaurant Vacarme maintains the soil, allowing the ingredients to dictate the daily menu.

The greenhouse space

The dining room occupies a greenhouse fitted with second-hand oak tables and a granite-topped bar. Visitors ascend six levels to reach the space, which frames views of Nantes and the vegetation surrounding the building. The environment seeks to occupy the grey area between wild nature and the city's brutal architecture. One large table seats up to ten guests for exclusive gatherings.

Dishes and zero-waste drinks

Menus highlight techniques such as brushing asparagus with a vegetarianized XO sauce made from smoked seaweed, accompanied by fermented apple compote. Other plates include buckwheat blini topped with smoked buttermilk butter and samphire, plus beetroot pearls dressed in a ravigote sauce with sunflower seeds. Desserts feature flame-charred strawberries served with a pumpkin seed flapjack and tangy homemade kombucha. Non-alcoholic beverages are blended from garden herbs and seasonal produce to ensure no waste remains.