Eating at the Château d'Amboise

What is on site

A shop, and in season a small refreshment point. That is it. There is no brasserie in the courtyard, no terrace restaurant with the view, and picnicking on the lawns is not allowed — the gardens are described on their own page. For a site where the average visit runs about an hour, as set out on this page, that is a reasonable arrangement rather than a gap.

Where I send people

Down the ramp and straight into the old town. The rue Victor-Hugo, which runs under the château rock towards the Clos Lucé, has small places with terraces against the cliff. The rue Nationale, the pedestrian spine where I kept my bookshop, has the bulk of the restaurants and the bakeries. Down by the river there are wider terraces with the bridge and the Île d’Or in view.

On Sunday morning the market along the quays is one of the best in the region, and the right answer to lunch is to buy it there and eat it by the river. The town is on its own page.

Timing it around the visit

French kitchens stop serving around two, which is the single thing that catches visitors out. If you arrive at the château at eleven, you will come out at noon into a town that is ready for you. If you arrive at one, eat first. And if you are doing the Clos Lucé in the afternoon — the plan on this page — eat between the two, on the rue Victor-Hugo, which is literally on the route.

What there is to book

Not the entrance ticket — that is bought at the château’s own desk when you arrive. What is bookable is the guiding, and the day trips that include entry to Amboise along with the other Loire châteaux.

Frequently asked questions