La Paillote - Montbazon

I've eaten here many times over the years when stopping at the attached camp site on our way to family holidays in SpainIt's usually very lively and the setting next to the river is lovely. Just sitting watching the world float by while drinking wine is very relaxing. Food and service good. Some of the waitresses are quite hot.

It should have everything going for it. Idyllic site beside river next to a beautiful town in the Loire valley -BUT despite plenty of space the tables were so close that food to our next door table had to be passed over ours. The glasses and cutlery were dirty; the wrong drinks and the wrong food were brought. My wife's warm chèvre salad indeed had some chèvre on toast, accompanied by a lot of lettuce and one small tomato. it was described as a chèvre with melange of salad with nuts. I would have forgiven them most of the above if it were not that everything was so expensive. We recently had a meal in Italy that was so much better (one of the best we have ever eaten) for 2/3 rds the price served in impeccable surroundings. Come on France - you say your are the gourmet capital of the world, it is no time to pass off second best. Start earning your "title".

Sunday evening in Montbazon some of the restaurants in town are shut. We ended up at this place just across the river from the town centre. Most of the clients here seem to be from the adjacent campsite. We sat in the bar and had a beer to start with and as people began to move into the restaurant we decided it was our best option as there wasn't much open elsewhere. We were seated at a bar type table in armchairs - with hinsight we should have asked to be seated at one of the normal tables. The meals available are listed on blackboards, there are no menus just a la carte. My wife chose the grilled salmon with rice which was fine. I had the moules roquefort with chips which was spoiled to an extent by the large cold dollop of the roquefort 'sauce' dumped on top of the moules. Desserts were fine if instantly forgetable.

We were greeted by a friendly lady who gave us menus. We were then served by a young male waiter who seemed not to want to talk at all. We ordered the andouilette sausage and Magret du canard. They arrived quickly - too quickly to have been cooked - microwave reheat job. Sadly they hadn't microwaved it for long enough - both our meats were cold. The waiter never returned so hungry and tired after an 11 hour journey from Gascony we made the best of a bad job and ate it. We declined dessert, paid our bill and left - no one bothered to ask if the meal was ok. We won't be returning.

It's difficult to take seriously a review that claims that a place is "excellent" when most others claim the opposite. Even more difficult when that reviewer only has a single review on the Tripadvisor site! So the previous review should be considered with suspicion.We went to La Paillote for lunch yesterday. We were passing through and were attracted by the lovely setting on the banks of the Indre river. It is really lovely and is a setting full of promise for a wonderful dining experience.But this place isn't going to give you any pleasure except for sitting by the river. It's essentially a glorified camping ground dining area with an adjoining kids playground. The service is just acceptable, although not friendly or warm. The food was, putting it kindly, uninspiring. For example a Caesar salad with limp lettuce, sad tough tomatoes, drowned in anonymous liquid. Don't go here expecting anything but a nice view. Better to make yourself a nice picnic lunch and eat it on the banks of the river in the park.Un endroit plutôt magnifique avec beaucoup de possibilités. Tout gâté par les plats insipides et le service pas beaucoup mieux. Ne vaut pas de détour, sauf si vous voulez absolument manger a coté de l'Indre. Mieux vaut faire un pique-nique soi-même.