schiller-wine: 3-course Dinner (with a Tablet) at Restaurant L’Écluse (Michelin-listed) in Amboise

Thursday, November 27, 2025

3-course Dinner (with a Tablet) at Restaurant L’Écluse (Michelin-listed) in Amboise - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

The Loire Tour 2025 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, October 5 to Thursday, October 16, 2025. The tour started in Nantes and ended in Sancerre, with a bus transfer and lunch in Paris. There were 9 of us including Annette and myself.

Following:

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Bernard Baudry in Cravant-Les-Coteaux, Touraine - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Domaine Couly-Dutheil in Chinon - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Bar-Restaurant Le Bistrot du Marché of Hotel Le Lion d'Or in the Center of Chinon - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting in the Cellar at Cave M. Plouzeau in Chinon, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Marc Plouzeau - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

we arrived in Amboise, were we would stay the following 4 nights. On the first evening, we went for dinner to Restaurant L’Écluse, a Michelin-listed restaurant a step away from the royal castle of Amboise and the Clos Lucé. Interestingly, both the food menu and the wine list were available only digital form.

Loire 2025 by ombiasy WineTours led by Annette Schiller

Annette Schiller in her announcement: What comes to your mind when you hear ‘Loire Valley’? Of course images of glorious Châteaux pop up in your mind. Yes that is true and we will visit some iconic château and dig deep into France’s history. However, during this wine tour we also discover a magnificent, but often overlooked French wine region and one of the most exciting best kept secrets of excellent, high quality wines at very reasonable prices. The Loire Valley wine region is a vast area and consists of several distinct wine regions, each with its own characteristic grapes, appellations, and wine style. We take you on a journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Auvergne mountains to explore this unique region. We learn to appreciate “Sancerre”, "Pouilly-Fumé", “Vouvray", “Chinon”, as well as many other not so familiar appellations.

Restaurant L’Écluse – Michelin-listed

A step away from the royal castle of Amboise and the Clos Lucé, chef Mélanie Popineau can be relied upon for joyful bistronomique cuisine, rich in flavour, in the form of brief seasonal menus. Diners are warmly welcomed by her partner. In fine weather, the leafy terrace shaded by willows is heaven-sent.

An Amazing Gastronomic Treat in Amboise (Trip Advisor) Oct 2025

L’Ecluse was recommended to us by a local couple that do wine tours. They were spot on! We made a reservation for the following night using their easy-to-use website. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly and shown to our table. Allergies were discussed and taken into consideration for both our chosen dishes and the several amuse-bouche that were brought to us. They offer a couple of different menus, and several options to combine a starter, main and dessert, plus a final cheese plate, if we were still hungry. We were not! Starters included sweetbreads, figs, scallops. Mains were quail stuffed with foil gras, and sirloin steak with beef tartare. The desserts were amazing, with so many flavor combinations, including plums, crème brûlée, ice creams, various mousses, grapes - but not in any form we had ever seen before. We also shared a bottle of local sparking wine and a local Gamay. Overall, the service was attentive but not hovering. The dishes were served with reasonable speed and timing, including the various amuse-bouches. The totals bill for four dinners and wine was a little over 300 Euros, less than 80 euros per person, which was incredible considering the amount of wonderful food, the two wines and the quality of the dishes and the service.

Arriving