Restaurant l'Hélianthe

Useful Information

Location:	Turquant, behind the town hall.
Open:	FEB to MAR Fri evening, Sat, Sun noon and evening. APR to 15-NOV Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun noon and evening. 16-NOV to DEC Fri evening, Sat, Sun noon and evening. [2010]
Fee:	n/a. [2010]
Classification:	Cave House
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
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Address:	Restaurant l'Hélianthe, Ruelle Antoine Cristal, 49730 Turquant, Tel: +33-241-512228.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The underground restaurant l'Hélianthe was named after the flower Helianthus annuus. It is a member of the sunflower family and similar to the more famous Jerusalem artichoke or topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus). Like the Jerusalem artichoke it has edible parts, especially the tuber. The cuisine of l'Hélianthe is inspired by old recipes from the end of the 19th century. The typical dishes are marinades and simmered dishes of helianthus, Jerusalem artichoke, parsnip, sweet potato, vitelotte, and Swedish turnip.

The restaurant is located inside a former cave house. Antoine Cristal was born here on 17-OCT-1837. He became one of the most famous wine growers in the area. He developed the growing of red wine and the organic production of wine without the use of sugar.