Le Dallaison

The story

Le Dallaison, Saintes – Modern Cuisine in a Charente-Maritime Country House

Le Dallaison

In Saintes, at the heart of Charente-Maritime, Le Dallaison occupies an 18th-century house set in its own park. The contrast is deliberate: outside, the old stone walls and green garden; inside, contemporary design, white walls, wine cabinets and original light fixtures. It is a setting that matches the cooking of chef Jérôme Dallet — rooted in the region yet modern in execution.

Dallet grew up nearby in Pont l’Abbé d’Arnoult. Before returning to open his own address, he worked alongside Emmanuel Renaut, Anne-Sophie Pic and Carlo Crisci. In the kitchen he brings instinct and experience together, drawing on local producers and the wild plants he gathers on morning forays. His partner Coralie, from the Cévennes, runs the front of house with warmth, and together they describe Le Dallaison as a gentle blend of two regions, spiced with memories of travel.

The Michelin guide has recognised the restaurant as Recommended, noting the way Dallet honours local ingredients — mogettes (white beans), cagouilles (snails), agneau de Confolens — in generous, refined compositions. The menu changes with the season. At lunch on Thursdays and Fridays, a simpler Tradition menu is offered. The full carte includes a choice of entrée, main and dessert, while the longer surprise menus — Promenade au Bois Taillis in five or six steps — unfold as a sequence of two entrées, fish, meat, cheese and a sweet finish. The kitchen takes dietary restrictions into account.

In warm weather, the terrace opens onto the leafy park. The private car park is accessible for those with reduced mobility. Modern cuisine here is personal, precise and anchored in the tastes of the Charente countryside.