Chez Gaster
centre, Tours
Restaurant in Tours, France
Book with PearlThe Read
Price
$30–50per person
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Chez Gaster offers weekday lunch and limited evening service in central Tours, operating Monday through Friday with a quiet, local-facing rhythm. The Rue Colbert location is walkable from the old town, and reservations are easy to secure. A practical midweek choice when higher-profile addresses are booked, though weekend closure and sparse public detail limit its appeal for short-stay travellers.
About Chez Gaster
Chez Gaster is a restaurant in Tours with a weekday schedule: lunch Monday through Friday, plus dinner on Thursday and Friday. It is closed Saturday and Sunday, so it is not a weekend option. For other named options in Tours, diners may also compare Bistrot des Belles Caves or Le Petit Patrimoine, while keeping Chez Gaster’s limited opening pattern in mind.
Lunch format and timing
Lunch runs 12–2:30 PM Monday through Wednesday, then 12–2 PM on Thursday and Friday. Dinner is listed Thursday and Friday from 7:30–10 PM. The venue closes Saturday and Sunday, which rules out weekend meals and makes weekday timing the main practical consideration. For travellers passing through Tours, the Thursday and Friday dinner services provide evening availability, while Monday through Wednesday are lunch-only.
Positioning in Tours dining
Chez Gaster is a Tours restaurant with a smart casual dress code and a weekday-focused schedule, making timing the main practical consideration. Diners comparing options in Tours can consider Les Bartavelles or other local dining rooms, but Chez Gaster’s practical advantage is straightforward: weekday lunch service, with dinner only on Thursday and Friday.
The Thursday and Friday lunch window is shorter than the Monday-to-Wednesday lunch window, and dinner runs from 7:30–10 PM on those two evenings. Smart casual dress is appropriate.
Planning details
- Location
- 27 Rue Colbert, 37000 Tours, France
- Reservations
- Book on OpenTable
- Website
- chezgaster-restaurant-traditionnel.fr
- Phone
- +33247057963
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Chez Gaster sits unassumingly on Rue Colbert, framed by narrow Renaissance façades that anchor the restaurant in Tours’ historic centre. The room reads as classic and intimate rather than showy: tables feel modest, and the neighbourhood’s small traiteurs, wine shops and fromageries set a quietly charming tone. The place is part of a settled local rhythm, familiar, unforced and slightly tucked-away, with honest, traditional French cooking. That combination makes the dining experience feel warm and approachable while remaining rooted in the city’s architectural and culinary heritage.
Best For
This is a neighbourhood address that works for sensible mid-week lunches and quieter weekend evenings. Foot traffic skews local on weekday lunches and the restaurant draws a mixed evening crowd on weekends, so it suits diners looking for reliable, classic French cooking in an intimate setting. It’s well matched to date nights and low-key special occasions where the focus is on food and provenance rather than spectacle. The scale and location also make it a good choice for anyone wanting a sincere Touraine dining experience rather than a tourist-oriented meal.
Ordering Tips
Lean into the kitchen’s traditional, organ-meat-led repertoire: the signature items, pork trotter with sauce gribiche, veal brains with capers, steak tartare and tête de veau, are the clearest expressions of the house. Given the restaurant’s location in the Loire Valley, pair dishes with regional wines from Touraine, Vouvray, Chinon or Bourgueil to complement the flavours. Expect straightforward, honest preparations rather than elaborate reinterpretations; choose a couple of classic plates to share and let the wine list highlight the local terroir.
Venue details
Ambiance
Warm and welcoming atmosphere in a historic Rabelaisian setting with exposed rafters, blackboard menus, and a good-humored vibe.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Small
- Kitchen
- Traditional
- Menu Format
- A la carte
Signature Dishes
- pork trotter with sauce gribiche
- veal brains with capers
- steak tartare
- tête de veau
Know before you go
Know Before You Go
- Getting there
- 27 Rue Colbert, 37000 Tours, France
Planning details
Location
27 Rue Colbert, 37000 Tours, France · Directions
Also consider
Also Consider
- Le Petit Patrimoine, Notable alternative
- Les Bartavelles, Modern Cuisine, €€€
- Bistrot des Belles Caves, Notable alternative
- Makeda, Notable alternative
- Le Onze, Notable alternative
Restaurant context
Chez Gaster competes for weekday lunch traffic with Bistrot des Belles Caves and Le Petit Patrimoine, both of which publish clearer menu frameworks and operate weekend service. Les Bartavelles sits a tier higher in ambition and price (€€€), making it the better choice if you're willing to spend more for a documented modern cuisine experience. Chez Gaster's advantage is availability: the low booking difficulty and neighbourhood positioning mean you can walk in or reserve same-day most weeks, a useful fallback when the higher-profile addresses are full.
For solo diners or business lunches prioritising speed and quiet, Chez Gaster's calm midday room and central Rue Colbert location deliver practical value. Makeda and Le Onze offer alternative formats in the same general accessibility range, though neither has published the same weekday-heavy schedule. If you're in Tours for a long weekend, book Les Bartavelles or Bistrot des Belles Caves first and save Chez Gaster for the Thursday or Friday lunch when your primary targets are unavailable.
The Friday evening service at 7:30 PM gives Chez Gaster a second use case, though the lack of published cuisine type or signature offerings makes it harder to recommend over Le Petit Patrimoine or the broader selection detailed in our full Tours restaurants guide. Choose Chez Gaster when proximity, timing, and ease of booking outweigh the need for a well-documented menu or culinary narrative.
Explore Tours
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Chez Gaster guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Chez Gaster
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Price | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chez Gaster | Tours | , | , | No published awards |
| Le Petit Patrimoine | Tours | , | , | No published awards |
| Les Bartavelles | Tours | Modern Cuisine | €€€ | Michelin Guide France & Monaco 20262025 Michelin Plate2024 Michelin Plate |
| Bistrot des Belles Caves | Tours | , | , | No published awards |
| Makeda | Tours | , | , | No published awards |
| Le Onze | Tours | , | , | No published awards |
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How Chez Gaster Tours compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are alternatives to Chez Gaster in Tours?
In Tours, Le Petit Patrimoine, Bistrot des Belles Caves, and Les Bartavelles are other named options to compare, alongside other local dining rooms.
Is Chez Gaster good for solo dining?
Solo diners should plan around the opening hours: lunch Monday through Friday, plus dinner Thursday and Friday.
Is lunch or dinner better at Chez Gaster?
Lunch is available Monday through Friday. Dinner is available only Thursday and Friday from 7:30–10 PM. Monday through Wednesday have the longer lunch window, from 12–2:30 PM, while Thursday and Friday lunch runs 12–2 PM.
