On a bicycle a good stop comes down to three things: somewhere to sit down properly, leaving with water, and not having to search. Les Variétés welcome cycle travellers, clubs and groups at 33 boulevard du Maréchal Foch, in the centre of Angers, in a brasserie open since 1902.
What we do for bicycles
Refilling bottles, pumping tyres: ask, and it is done gladly and without fuss. For parking the bikes, tell us how many you are when you arrive — a loaded touring bike does not stow like a city bike, and the answer depends on the service and how full we are. We do not promise a locked room we do not have: better to know that before you have ridden eighty kilometres.
Angers, in the middle of the day
The centre of Angers falls conveniently within a stage along the Loire or the Maine: it is the moment you want a real meal rather than a cereal bar. Boulevard Foch is central, easy to find, and close to the château, Saint-Maurice cathedral and Place du Ralliement if you decide to cut the day in two and look around.
Eating like someone who has been pedalling
French brasserie cooking, made on the premises. Our meat is French. Our fish comes from Maison Savia, in Saumur — some forty kilometres away, which is to say a morning's ride. Portions are a brasserie's, not a tasting menu's, which is exactly what you want at midday with sixty kilometres still to go.
The terrace, when the weather allows
Forty-three seats outside, keeping an eye on the bikes and watching the boulevard go by. But the terrace depends on the weather, and weather cannot be booked: we keep eighty-five seats indoors, across four rooms, for the days when the shower got there first.
Clubs and groups
A peloton of twenty-five arrives together, sits together and leaves together. The Bressigny room takes twenty-five, the Salle Haute thirty. Call 02 41 88 46 62 the day before or the same morning, giving a window rather than an hour: on a bicycle nobody arrives when they said, and we would rather have an honest estimate.
The hours, which count double on a tour
We open at 9.30 a.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. on Saturday, and close at 2 a.m. A stage that drags, a headwind, a puncture: you may arrive at half past nine at night, and it will be open. We are closed on Sunday — worth remembering when planning your stages, since Sunday is often a riding day.
A house from 1902
The house opened in 1902 and takes its name from the Théâtre des Variétés, which stood almost opposite. On a bicycle you cross a great many towns without seeing them; stopping in a brasserie that has been serving for a hundred and twenty-four years is a quick and honest way to meet Angers, halfway between the château and Place du Ralliement.
Cutting the stage in two
Many cycle tourists ride through Angers without stopping, and regret it. The château is minutes away, so are Saint-Maurice cathedral and Place du Ralliement. Lunch here and two hours of sightseeing before setting off again turns a day of transit into a day of travel. Saint-Laud station is close too, if the weather persuades you to finish the stage by train.
Eating before, eating after
Before the effort you eat light and early; afterwards you eat a lot and late. Both are possible: opening at 9.30 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on Saturday, closing at 2 a.m. The departure breakfast and the arrival dinner fit into the same day, at the same address.
What we do not promise
No locked bicycle store: we would love one, we do not have one, and it is better read here than asked at the door with eight loaded bikes. No repair workshop either — pumping a tyre, yes; changing a derailleur, no. And we close on Sunday, the day many clubs ride.
What to tell us when you arrive
Four things. How many you are. How many bikes, and whether they are loaded with panniers — a touring bike takes twice the space of a city bike. Whether you need water, and for how many bottles. And what time you must leave, because a stage is a calculation and a lunch that runs an hour long is paid for on the last climb. A group that states those four points on the way in is seated in five minutes.
Our five spaces
Entrée Foch, thirteen seats, at the front, where you can keep an eye on the street. Arrière Foch, seventeen seats, set back. The Bressigny room, twenty-five seats. The Salle Haute, thirty seats upstairs, for a full club. The terrace, forty-three seats, when the sky allows — and obviously the one everyone asks for on a bike. Eighty-five indoors, a hundred and twenty-eight in all. Counted table by table, which matters when a club rings the night before for twenty-eight.
The questions we get asked
Can we refill bottles? Yes, just ask. Pump a tyre? Yes. Where do the bikes go? Tell us how many you are on arrival; the answer depends on the service. Do you take clubs? Up to thirty in one room, by reservation. Are you open on Sunday? No.
Frequently asked questions
Useful answers
before your visit.
Where is Les Variétés?
At 33 boulevard du Maréchal Foch, 49100 Angers, close to the main sights and Saint-Laud railway station.
What should I mention when booking?
Share your date, time, number of guests and any timing or dietary requirements.
Can I book online?
Yes. Use the booking link below to check availability and confirm your table straight away.
Is the terrace always available?
Yes. The terrace is open all year round, and a large awning provides shelter from both sun and rain. A table remains subject to the day's layout and availability.
Can groups be welcomed?
Yes. Each group can be welcomed with an arrangement suited to its occasion, number of guests and preferences. The team can plan a specific table layout and consider different rooms or areas, subject to the date and availability.
Does the menu change?
Yes. The menu follows the seasons and some dishes change regularly. Please check the current menu before your visit.
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