Restaurant la Marine - Nevers

The steaks were so tough they were completely inedible. I tried to tell the waiter then the owner that it was in their interests to get better meat but they simply argued back. Basically 40 euro for chips and salad. Worst meal I have had in France over 20 years.

This restaurant is always busy for lunch and dinner, so reserve before arriving. If you are visiting France for the first time be aware that restaurants do not “turn over” tables 2.5 times as they do in North America. The table is yours for the evening so people take their time and enjoy their meal. This means you often wait for service. Add to that a shortage of employees across the country so you’d better get used to conversing with your lunch or dinner partner. Service was friendly and though the specialty is seafood and fish, I ordered the “faux Charolais filet”. In France steak is cooked less than what you order they refuse to cook it medium well or well done. It’s the way it is. The steak was grilled and tasted properly aged which means it was more tender than the average and the “sauce bleu” was excellent as were the fries. My partner ordered Sandre fish (Zander) also quite tasty in a sauce that was rich and delicious. The appetizer (called entree in France) was the Bavarian goat cheese salad which is a house specialty delicious. My partner had the salmon in lime juice which he enjoyed. Dessert was sorbet from the fabulous Les Glaces Artisanale best available in this country.

Had a reservation which we made in person the night before and they refused to honor. They refused to make it right.

If you are reading this, you are most likely arriving in Nevers by boat. And you are likely to think, or be told, that it is the only nearby choice. If what you see, eating outdoors with plastic chairs marina side, appeals to you, do it. The food is acceptable and the servers work as fast as they reasonably can. But seriously, the walk into charming Nevers with myriad good restaurants is really only a 15-20 pleasant walk. The San Sebastián restaurant there is the quintessential French restaurant with wonderful reasonably priced food. Many other options.

We were a group of 8, and we walked over from the marina. Everyone here was very friendly, and helped out with translation of the menu. The food was quite good, and the service exemplary. After dinner, one couple was going to call a cab to get back, but the owner volunteered to drive them back himself. A very nice experience, and I would definitely recommend this restaurant.