Le Sens 7367

It is a pleasure to catch up with chef Frédéric Loivel, with whom we are familiar from his Annecy days, now at home in the small village of Vaux-sur-Mer near Royan. This restaurant has almost the same name: the number 7367 still spells out "sens" on a telephone keypad. This creatively inclined chef conjures up modern dishes that enhance seasonal produce thanks to carefully thought-out marriages of flavours and a host of references to Japan (eg panko, yuzu, matcha, Kagoshima beef). The cosy contemporary space tastefully blends disparate decorative elements picked up here and there. There are also a few guestrooms.