Le Chat L'Heureux
Valence, Auvergne Rhone Alpes
Le Chat L'Heureux is a restaurant and cat cafe on Rue d'Arménie in the centre of Valence, the first in the city and in the Drôme and Ardèche. It opened in August 2026 in partnership with the École du Chat de Valence, a cat welfare association founded in 2001, and around fifteen rescued or abandoned cats live there while they wait for adoption. The cats roam the dining room and a cosy lounge and have their own 25-square-metre room, reached through a cat flap, where they can retreat at any time. Visitors pass through an entrance airlock, disinfect their hands and are asked to respect the cats' calm. Weekday lunches offer traditional homemade dishes, afternoons work as a coffee shop with waffles, smoothies and bubble tea, and Saturdays are for brunch. Because of demand, visits are by phone reservation. Unlike many cat cafes, it welcomes children who respect the cats.