Restaurant in Orléans, France
One Michelin star, Loire setting, no stiffness.
Le Lièvre Gourmand holds a Michelin star (2024 and 2025) and a 4.6 Google rating across 717 reviews — the strongest dining credential in Orléans. Chef Bernard Mariller's creative menu sits at €€€, a justified premium over the city's €€ modern alternatives. Book well ahead: availability is genuinely constrained, and this is not a same-week decision.
If you are looking for a Michelin-starred dinner in Orléans that does not ask you to dress up, sit rigidly, or spend at a three-star pace, Le Lièvre Gourmand is the right call. Chef Bernard Mariller's creative kitchen on the Quai du Châtelet has held a Michelin star in both 2024 and 2025, placing it in a tier above most Loire Valley options without the ceremony that often accompanies that credential. This is the right venue for a couple celebrating something real, for a client dinner where the food needs to do the talking, or for the returning visitor to Orléans who already did the brasserie circuit and wants to understand what this city's dining scene is actually capable of.
Le Lièvre Gourmand sits at 28 Quai du Châtelet, on the Loire riverfront in central Orléans. The address matters spatially: a quayside position in a French provincial city typically signals a room with some width, a degree of natural light, and sightlines that give a meal a sense of occasion without forcing it. This is not a cramped townhouse dining room — the spatial logic here reads as relaxed rather than theatrical, which is consistent with the editorial angle that defines the restaurant's appeal: quality delivered without pressure.
The cuisine is listed as Creative, which in a French Michelin context means a kitchen that works from classical technique but is not bound to a regional or historical menu. For a returning visitor, that matters: the menu is likely to shift, and dishes you had on a previous visit may not reappear. That is a feature, not a problem, provided you arrive with openness rather than a specific expectation. If you go back wanting the same dish that impressed you last time, the better strategy is to confirm with the restaurant in advance rather than assume continuity.
The price range sits at €€€, which in Orléans represents a meaningful step up from the €€ creative-modern options in the city such as Gric, L'Hibiscus, Eugène, and La Dariole. That premium is justified by the Michelin recognition, but what makes it disproportionately good value at its tier is the absence of the heavy ceremonial overhead that often inflates the cost of a starred meal elsewhere in France. You are paying for the cooking, not for tableside theatre.
Google reviewers back this up: 4.6 across 717 reviews is a strong signal at this volume. Ratings in the mid-4s with hundreds of data points are harder to sustain than those with dozens, and 717 reviews at 4.6 suggests consistent execution rather than occasional brilliance. For a Michelin-starred creative restaurant in a secondary French city, that consistency is worth more than headline-grabbing peaks.
To place this in national context: France's creative fine dining tier includes venues like Arpège in Paris, Mirazur in Menton, and Flocons de Sel in Megève at the upper end of the register. Le Lièvre Gourmand does not compete at that altitude or price point, nor does it need to. Its comparison set is regional starred cooking , venues where the Michelin credential reflects genuine technique and ambition applied at a more accessible scale. That is exactly the category it belongs in, and within Orléans, it is the reference point for that tier.
For context on the broader Loire Valley and Loire-adjacent creative dining scene, consider how Le Lièvre Gourmand sits relative to destinations further afield: the multi-generational prestige of Auberge de l'Ill in Alsace, the intellectual rigour of Bras in Laguiole, or the produce-driven cooking of Troisgros in Ouches. These are different propositions at higher price points, but they clarify the lineage: French creative cooking with a starred track record is a serious category, and Le Lièvre Gourmand earns its place within it.
Booking is rated Hard. In practice, that means you should plan ahead , do not treat this as a walk-in option or a same-week decision. If you are visiting Orléans for a specific occasion, secure the table before you book your travel. The restaurant's popularity at its price point in a city without a deep starred-dining bench means availability is genuinely constrained, particularly on weekends. Returning visitors should note that demand is likely to be similar to or higher than their previous visit, so the same advance planning applies regardless of how familiar you are with the process.
The Michelin Remarkable classification, alongside the two consecutive stars, gives this venue a trust signal that goes beyond a single-year award cycle. Two consecutive years of Michelin recognition at the 1-star level indicates a stable kitchen, not a one-time performance. That stability is directly relevant to the returning visitor: you are not gambling on whether the quality has held. The evidence suggests it has.
For a fuller picture of where Le Lièvre Gourmand fits within the city's dining options, see our full Orléans restaurants guide. If you are building a longer trip, our Orléans hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest of the city.
| Detail | Le Lièvre Gourmand | Gric | L'Hibiscus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | €€€ | €€ | €€ |
| Michelin status | 1 Star (2024, 2025) | Not starred | Not starred |
| Cuisine type | Creative | Modern | Modern |
| Booking difficulty | Hard | Not specified | Not specified |
| Google rating | 4.6 (717 reviews) | , | , |
| Location | Quai du Châtelet, riverfront | Orléans centre | Orléans centre |
Yes, with a clear caveat on tone: this is a starred creative restaurant that reads as relaxed rather than ceremonial. If you want white-glove formality, it may not match that expectation. If you want serious food in a setting that lets the occasion feel personal rather than performative, it is well suited. Two consecutive Michelin stars and a 4.6 Google rating across 717 reviews back up the quality at a €€€ price point that is competitive for the tier.
Book well in advance , booking difficulty is rated Hard, and this is the only Michelin-starred creative restaurant in Orléans. The cuisine is listed as Creative, meaning the menu shifts rather than staying fixed, so arrive open to what the kitchen is doing rather than arriving with a specific dish in mind. The €€€ price range is a step up from most Orléans alternatives, but the Michelin credential and Google consistency (4.6 across 717 reviews) justify it. Treat this as a destination dinner, not a casual drop-in.
Dietary accommodation is standard practice at Michelin-starred restaurants in France, and a creative kitchen with a flexible menu format is generally better placed to adapt than a fixed-format tasting menu. That said, contact the restaurant directly before your booking to confirm , phone and website details are not listed in our current data, so reach out through their booking platform or reservation channel. Do not assume; confirm in advance, especially for severe allergies or strict dietary requirements.
Group dining at a €€€ starred restaurant in a provincial French city typically works leading for smaller parties , tables of 4 to 6 are usually manageable; larger groups depend on the room's layout and whether a private or semi-private space is available. We do not have capacity data for Le Lièvre Gourmand in our current record, so contact the restaurant directly for group inquiries. Given Hard booking difficulty, groups should plan further ahead than individuals.
If the €€€ price point is a stretch, Gric, L'Hibiscus, Eugène, and La Dariole are all modern creative options at €€. None carry Michelin recognition, but for a lower-stakes dinner or a casual meal where price matters, they are the relevant alternatives. La Chopine is also worth considering depending on your format. For the full picture, see our Orléans restaurants guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Lièvre Gourmand | Creative | €€€ | Hard |
| Gric | Modern Cuisine | €€ | Unknown |
| La Chopine | Unknown | ||
| L'Hibiscus | Modern Cuisine | €€ | Unknown |
| Eugène | Modern Cuisine | €€ | Unknown |
| La Dariole | Modern Cuisine | €€ | Unknown |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
check the venue's official channels before booking — at €€€ and Michelin-starred level, kitchens of this calibre typically accommodate dietary needs when given advance notice. Chef Bernard Mariller runs a creative menu format, which generally allows more flexibility than a fixed classical structure. Do not assume accommodation on arrival; flag requirements at reservation.
For a lower price point with local character, La Dariole and La Chopine are the practical alternatives in Orléans. Gric and Eugène suit diners who want creative cooking without the Michelin formality or price. L'Hibiscus is worth considering if you want something closer to bistro pace. None of them carry Le Lièvre Gourmand's consecutive Michelin recognition (2024 and 2025), which is the clearest differentiator at this tier.
Le Lièvre Gourmand holds a Michelin star for both 2024 and 2025, and sits at 28 Quai du Châtelet on the Loire riverfront — the address is easy to find. The cuisine is classified as creative rather than classical French, so expect a composed tasting format rather than à la carte flexibility. Budget at the €€€ tier and book ahead; walk-in availability at a one-star in a mid-sized French city is not something to count on.
Michelin-starred creative restaurants in France at this size and price tier typically have limited covers, which makes large groups (6+) harder to place. Smaller groups of 2–4 are the practical fit here. If you are organising a group dinner, contact the restaurant well in advance and ask directly about private arrangements — do not assume capacity based on general fine dining norms.
Yes, with a clear profile in mind: it suits couples or small groups who want a Michelin-starred dinner without the full three-star ceremony or cost. Two consecutive Michelin stars (2024, 2025) under chef Bernard Mariller give it genuine credibility for a milestone meal. If you want a grander or more theatrical setting, a three-star outside Orléans would be the comparison; for a city of this size, Le Lièvre Gourmand is the most credentialled option available.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
