Restaurants in Normandy
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Le Bouchon
Look no further for Caen's most popular and buzzing restaurant. Le Bouchon is well worth reserving ahead for, though you may squeeze in if you simply turn up. You may well be the only foreigners here and certainly don't expect a translation of the chalk-board menu – but if your French is up to it, come and savour some spectacular modern Norman cooking and enjoy a wonderful choice of well-priced wines, which the manager will very passionately help you choose.
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Brasserie Paul
The classic Rouennaise brasserie, favoured by artists and philosophers for over a century and still going strong. All the decorative trappings are there - starchy service, plush red seats and spinning overhead fans (not to mention the self-playing pianola) - and the menu is crammed with regional dishes, including Simone de Beauvoir's favourite smoked duck salad.
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La Rapière
Housed in a late-1400s mansion held together by its original oak beams, this restaurant specialises in hearty home cooking – the timbale de pêcheur (fisherman's stew) is served up piping hot in a cast-iron pan. For dessert, an excellent option is trou normand (apple sorbet with a dash of calvados).
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Pascaline
A top spot for a great-value formule midi (lunchtime fixed-price menu), this bustling bistro serves up traditional French cuisine in typically Parisian surroundings – think net curtains, white tablecloths and chuffing coffee machines. There's live piano nightly, and jazz nights are held on Thursdays.
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La Petite Auberge
A slice of the country comes to downtown Caen at this quaint little restaurant, serving up hearty mains such as Breton sardines, pommes gratinées (sliced oven-cooked potatoes), and the local speciality, tripes à la Caen (tripe cooked with carrots, onions, leeks, celery, Calvados and herbs).
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Gill
The place to go in Rouen for gastronomique French cuisine of the highest order, served in an ultrachic, ultramodern dining room. Specialities including fresh Breton lobster, scallops with truffles, Rouen-style pigeon and, for dessert, millefeuille à la vanille.
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Au Temps des Cerises
There's no better place to check out Normandy's famous cheeses than this ever-popular restaurant (look out for the fox and raven murals outside). Choose your cheesy poison - the menu is packed with tartiflette, fondue and endless varieties of croûtes - and tuck in.
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Le Bistrot des Halles
This is something of a rarity in ultramodern Le Havre - a traditional bistro serving traditional food in a traditional atmosphere, with not a speck of concrete, steel or glass in sight. Expect brasserie standards (mainly steaks and seafood) and a cosy, classically French atmosphere.
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Le P'tit Bec
The down-to-earth menu is stuffed with pasta, salads, œufs cocottes (eggs with grated cheese baked in cream), several vegetarian options and homemade desserts. There's also a terrace for the summer months on one of Rouen's most picturesque side streets.
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Les Nymphéas
Its formal table settings arrayed under 16th-century beams, this fine restaurant serves cuisine based on fresh local ingredients (including cider and calvados), giving a rich Norman twist to dishes such as farm-raised wild duck, scallops and lobster.
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Les Maraîchers
All gleaming mirrors, polished wood and colourful floor tiles, this bistro – established in 1912 and classified a café historique d'Europe – has a genuine zinc bar and a warm and very French ambience. Specialities include Normandy-raised beef.
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La Marine Marchande
A great place to fill yourself up at knock-down prices before catching that afternoon ferry. The buffet table is packed with a selection of regional hors d'oeuvres, plus a main course, cheese, dessert and wine, all for just around €10.
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L'Odyssée
One of the top restaurants in town for fish and seafood, much-loved by food critics and local gourmands. The menu changes according to the daily catch, but the generous assiettes de mer (seafood platter) is always a popular choice.
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La Table du Terroir
The crimson chairs and tablecloths at this country-style restaurant are entirely fitting, as this is definitely one for the carnivores - rump steak, pork fillet and tripes à la Caen are just some of the meaty treats on offer.
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Abracadabra
Ever heard of a Pizza Triton, Pizza Popeye or Pizza Yassa? No? Then head for this fantastic place a little further down the street from Le P'tit B, which serves up more varieties of wood-fired pizza than you ever thought possible.
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Le P'tit B
This classy little stone-walled eatery gives traditional flavours a contemporary twist – the wok de trois poissons (three-fish stew) and beef fillet are a treat for the tastebuds. The menu changes four times a year.
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Le Pommier
Specialities at this smart restaurant include fillet of roast duck, filet mignon de porc and a varied selection of imaginative French dishes made with fresh Norman products, including rare heirloom vegetables.
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La Reine Mathilde
A sumptuous, c 1900-style pâtisserie and salon de thé that's ideal if you've got a hankering for something soft and sweet. There's seating here, making it a great spot for breakfast or afternoon tea.
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Maître Corbeau
This restaurant is Caen's undisputed cheese specialist, serving up massive plates of tartiflette and Savoyard fondues in an Alpine-inspired atmosphere (including the all-important plastic cow in the window).
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La Petite Auberge
This absolute gem of a place is possibly Le Havre's most charming dining option. Its low-beamed dining room whispers of romance, even if you're dining alone. Seafood dominates the inventive yet traditional menu.
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Thé Majuscule
Downstairs it's a typically chaotic French secondhand bookshop; upstairs it's a classy tearoom with a warm-season terrace, homemade tartes (including one vegetarian pie), salads (in summer), plat du jour (€9.50), cakes and exotic teas (€3.30).
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Restaurant à Table
An excellent option for traditional French cuisine – including four fish and four meat mains – at reasonable prices. Specialities include home-smoked salmon and some scrumptious desserts.
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Crêperie Soizic
Our personal favourite of the many crêperies vying for your business on this busy block, the Soizic is always bustling with a loyal crowd of galette- and cider-loving locals.
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Le Petit Bistrot
The top place in town for down-to-earth regional cooking, served in a tiny dining room decked out with sunny colours, plain wooden tables and terracotta floor tiles.
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Crêperie La Sirène
Not a bad budget option, with a good selection of sweet crêpes and savoury galettes and salads. Up an ancient spiral staircase from a souvenir shop.
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