Rennes Entertainment

Although not a large city, Rennes has some good entertainment options. As with much of France there is some excellent food to be sampled in the city’s restaurants and a lively music and theatre scene. Golf fans are likely to be impressed by the facilities and golf course at Cice Blossac Golf Resort.

Eating out

France is of course famous for its cuisine and there are plenty of good eateries to be found in Rennes. The best idea in Rennes is to head to the medieval quarter where you will find plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants. It’s a nice place to stroll around and find a place that suits your tastes and budgets. La Gavotte on Rue Saint George is considered a restaurant well worth visiting, and on a nice sunny day or pleasant evening it’s a great place to sit outside and watch the city go by.

For a romantic setting try L'Auberge St-Sauveur in rue St-Sauveur. The restaurant is located in a medieval house close to the cathedral and the food is excellent. They have a good range of dishes and fixed price menus.

Rue St Michel is another good place to head with a range of restaurants, offering some different dishes to the usual French options.

Local cuisine

There is some excellent seafood to be found in Rennes and the surrounding area, with the fish and shellfish something you should try. Especially recommended are spiny lobsters and scallops as well as stuffed clams. For a quick snack try crab pasties or small pieces of battered, fried fish.

The local Breton leg of mutton is considered a great French dish as this area is especially famous for its sheep farming. A typical Breton meat dish would be served with the vegetables that are famous to the region, potatoes, cauliflower, or green beans. At the right time of year the strawberries are also full of flavour.

You’ll find a lot of small creperies in Rennes, serving delicious freshly cooked crepes served either with a sweet jam or chocolate filling or something savoury like cheese and ham. For those with a sweet tooth you’ll find some great sweets and chocolates, and in particular you should try the pralines.

Theatre and music

Rennes is a relatively small city so you won’t find the range of theatre and music that you would find in a city like Paris. However, there are still a number of good options here. The Theatre National de Bretagne has a good range of productions and it is well worth finding out what is on during your visit. Jazz fans should head to the Déjazey Jazz Club where you will find live performances a couple of times a week. For something a bit more alternative, The Barantic is a popular hang out for students and locals alike, and has some good live performances.

In the heart of Rennes at the Place de la Mairie is the stunning 19th century opera house where you will find a good range of traditional and contemporary performances.

From a music and theatre perspective the best time to visit Rennes is during the first ten days of July, when you will find the city taken over by the Festival des Tombées. You’ll find a great range of theatre, music, poetry and other performances celebrating Breton culture.

Shopping

Rennes is not the most obvious shopping destinations but there is enough to satisfy shopaholics on a visit. There is the ubiquitous shopping mall at Place du Colombier, where you will find a large range of shops. Take the metro to Charles de Gaulle to visit here. There are also some other malls in the city centre. There are big supermarkets located on the outskirts of the town. In the city centre itself you will find plenty of smaller gift shops and boutiques around the Place de la Mairie