Le Temps des Mets, La Roche-sur-Yon

Le Temps des Mets is a contemporary French restaurant on the Rue Gambetta in La Roche-sur-Yon, the prefecture of the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire. The city, laid out on a grid plan by Napoleon, has a modest culinary reputation relative to Nantes and Angers, but Le Temps des Mets represents an ambitious and locally celebrated exception. The kitchen draws on the distinctive agricultural produce of the Vendée: mogette de Vendée, the small white haricot bean that has been cultivated in the region for centuries and carries a protected geographical indication, features in both starters and as an accompaniment to main courses. Paleron de veau vendéen braisé — braised veal cheek from Vendée-raised cattle — is the kitchen's most consistent and acclaimed main course, slow-cooked to yielding tenderness with vegetables and a reduction of Fiefs Vendéens wine, the local appellation produced in small quantities from vineyards in the Vendée hills. Griottines de Vendée, preserved sour cherries, appear in both savoury and sweet preparations. The dining room is warmly appointed in a contemporary style. Menus begin from €35 per person. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.