Balzac was a regular guest at the Château de Saché, located right next door to this inn housed in a half-timbered, ivy-clad building, dripping in authentic period charm. The spotlight is on local Loire produce: poultry from Ingrandes-de-Touraine, trout from a fish farm in Langeais, saffron from Cheillé, cheese from Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. The cuisine of chef Kevin Gardien is modern, without being faddish, and his legible, appealing score comes with succulent sauces such as the delicious shellfish and samphire stock that flanks line-caught bluefin tuna, cucumber and blackcurrant. The chef’s partner, Stéphanie Marques, seamlessly and graciously supervises the slick front-of-house operations.