A trade fair at the Angers exhibition centre means three days that start early and finish late, and on-site catering that closes just when you finally have time to eat. Les Variétés welcomes exhibitors, visitors, fitters and sales teams at 33 boulevard du Maréchal Foch, in the centre of Angers, in a brasserie open since 1902.
The rhythm of a trade fair is not a restaurant's
You build a stand the day before and want dinner at ten at night. You break it down on the last evening and are not free until half past nine. You run back-to-back meetings and have not eaten by half past two. That is precisely when most places have shut the kitchen. We open at 9.30 a.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. on Saturday, and close at 2 a.m. On Sunday, however, we are closed: if your fair runs across a weekend, plan for it.
Taking a client, a team or a supplier
A fair exists so that people meet; a stand is not the place for a serious conversation. We have five spaces: Entrée Foch for thirteen, Arrière Foch for seventeen, the Bressigny room for twenty-five, the Salle Haute for thirty, the terrace for forty-three. Arrière Foch, set back from the entrance, suits a lunch where you need to hear each other. For a full team at the end of the fair, the Salle Haute seats thirty together.
Cooking that does not cheat
Our meat is French. For the fish it is Maison Savia, in Saumur — forty kilometres up the Loire. Everything is cooked on boulevard Foch. At an agricultural or food fair such as SIVAL, where your counterparts spend the day discussing provenance, that is not decorative detail: it is the only way not to look ridiculous taking a client to lunch.
Getting here from the exhibition centre
The exhibition centre lies to the north-east of the city, the brasserie in the centre. Allow for the journey by car or public transport, and anticipate the end of the day, when everyone leaves at once. Many exhibitors stay in the city centre: in that case boulevard Foch is on your way back, and the car stays where it is.
What exhibitors ask us for most
Two things, always the same: a late hour and a table for the whole team. Both are possible, the second on condition you warn us. A stand rarely comes down at the announced time; give us a window rather than a precise hour on the telephone, and call again if it slips. A table held for a group that never comes costs everyone more than a thirty-second call.
A house from 1902
The brasserie opened in 1902 and takes its name from the Théâtre des Variétés, which stood almost opposite. For an exhibitor spending three days in an exhibition hall, the appeal is that it actually exists: a city-centre place, full of locals, where you do not feel you are still at the fair.
The exhibitor's lunch, which no schedule contains
On paper you eat at half past twelve. In reality an interesting visitor turns up at 12.25 and you eat at 2.40, or not at all. That is normal trade-fair life, and it is why a brasserie beats a restaurant with fixed services: here the room does not close between midday and the evening. You come when you are free, not when the service decides. Across three days, that single difference changes how tired you go home.
Our five spaces
Entrée Foch, thirteen seats. Arrière Foch, seventeen seats, set back: the right choice for a commercial meeting where you must hear each other. The Bressigny room, twenty-five seats. The Salle Haute, thirty seats, upstairs, for the whole team on the last evening. The terrace, forty-three seats, weather permitting. Eighty-five indoors, a hundred and twenty-eight in all. Counted table by table, never rounded up.
The neighbourhood, if you are staying three days
Many exhibitors see nothing of Angers but the hall and the hotel. Boulevard Foch is central, within walking distance of Place du Ralliement, Saint-Maurice cathedral and the château of Angers, and close to Saint-Laud station. An hour between breakdown and your train is enough to see the city. That is common sense rather than salesmanship: the trip may as well be good for something.
What we do not promise
No private car park: parking in the city centre needs planning, especially with a van. No closed room either — separate spaces, but open to the house. And on Sunday we are closed, which matters for a fair running across a weekend.
The questions we get asked
How late can we come? The house closes at 2 a.m., Monday to Saturday; for a full meal late, call ahead. How many can you seat together? Thirty in the Salle Haute, twenty-five in the Bressigny room. Can we book the day before for lunch? Yes, and during a fair it is advisable.
Booking when you do not yet know your time
Which is the normal case at a fair. Call 02 41 88 46 62 and give a window rather than an hour: we would rather have honest information than a precise booking that collapses. For a table of two to six, online booking shows the slots genuinely available. For a group, the telephone remains more effective.
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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