Diffa

Throw a wine bottle from here and it would land in the Loire River! At Diffa, a locavore wine bar with heartening cuisine, they’re bringing a little excitement to an otherwise quiet neighborhood of Blois. Who’s running things? The Venier brothers, with Thibaut in the kitchen and Quentin with the wines, both of whom aren’t even 30 years old yet, and trained at the university of quality bistronomy and international natural wines. The balmy summer night we went, seated on the big cobblestoned courtyard, we let ourselves get carried away by their large selection of small plates, without bothering with a main course: some lovely fennel tzatziki; golden porcini mushrooms atop a resolutely porky andouille cream; a more puritanical grilled mackerel; and some very simple desserts, like the peach and sumac soup. // A.A.

FEELING THIRSTY? Local and affordable natural wines, many of which are served by the glass, like Les Perles, a sparkling Vendôme wine by Anne Sophie and Philippe Colin for €4, the Cheverny red and white wines from the Puzelats for €3.50, and a Clos des Carteries by Christian Venier at €28 a bottle, or Olivier, a Saint-Chinian from Thierry Navarre at €21… in addition to craft beer from the Brasserie Octopus (€3 for a half-pint).
PRICE: Appetizers and small plates €6-9, mains €16-21, desserts €6-8.