Brittany has emerged in the past 20 years as a gastronomic region on par with long-established culinary destinations such as Burgundy and Provence. Along with the three restaurants described in our 10-Day Gastronomic Journey article — Hostellerie de la Mer, L’Auberge des Glazicks and Bistro Autour du Beurre — we also enjoyed the following:
A 10-minute walk from Le Brittany, this contemporary brasserie has a seaside setting, cordial service and an appealing menu of straightforward French dishes prepared with first-rate local produce, including dressed crab-and-artichoke terrine, and yellow pollock (lieu jaune) with buckwheat stuffing, baby vegetables and beurre blanc sauce. 37 Rue de l’Amiral Courbet, Roscoff. Tel. +33-2-98-69-75-90.
About 40 minutes from Dinard, Plancoët is the town whose springs supply the mineral water served at most restaurant tables in Brittany. It is also the location of one of the province’s best restaurants: a charming family-owned place that makes a great lunch destination. The €68 ($75) “Elégance” prix-fixe menu is one of the best bargains in France. We relished grilled rouget (red mullet) on a bed of spelt risotto, scallops wrapped in bacon and garnished with baby fennel and salicorne seaweed, and a perfect sole meunière. 20 Rue des Quais, Plancoët. Tel. +33-2-96-84-10-24.
Located a few miles from Dinard in the pretty resort town of Saint-Lunaire, this friendly seafood-oriented restaurant offers well-sourced dishes like grilled sole, and cod steak with ratatouille. We also enjoyed a delicious frangipane tart topped with preserved oranges for dessert. 1 Pointe du Décollé, Saint-Lunaire. Tel. +33-2-99-46-01-70.
This simple Michelin-starred restaurant occupies an old granite house in a residential corner of Saint-Brieuc. Talented chef Jean-Marie Baudic changes his menu daily — according to the season and the markets — and your only choice is whether to have two or three courses. Baudic loves seafood and vegetables, preferences evident in a starter of dressed crab with quinoa, piquillo peppers, baby vegetables and shellfish jus, and a main course of brill with vegetables and a deeply reduced meat sauce. 5 Rue Palasne de Champeaux, Saint-Brieuc. Tel. +33-2-96-94-50-74.
With gracious service, reasonable prices and fine views over the Bay of Cancale, this charming restaurant is a perfect choice for a traditional French seafood meal, maybe ravioli of langoustine, or roasted ormeaux, the very rare and succulent conch fished off the Channel Islands, followed by cod with celery mousseline, or grilled lobster. Don’t miss the delicious chocolate tart with raspberry marmalade. 4 Rue Ernest Lamort, Cancale. Tel. +33-2-99-89-66-08.
Overlooking the sea, the terrace of this hotel brasserie is a perfect choice for lunch during a walk along the seafront in Dinard. Expect friendly service, delicious platters of fresh shellfish and a superb catch-of-the-day menu. 6 Avenue George V, Dinard. Tel. +33-2-99-46-94-00.
It may sound improbable, but Breton and Japanese kitchens have a lot in common, notably their love of the very freshest seafood, prepared so as to enhance rather than overwhelm its natural flavor. This is why Japanese chef Raphaël-Fumio Kudaka decided to open his own restaurant in Cancale after working with the famous Olivier Roellinger, whose Restaurant Le Coquillage is nearby. Kudaka’s tasting menu presents a delicious and fascinating hybrid of Japanese and French cooking, including dishes like crab spring rolls, tempura of langoustine and conch with seaweed, and roast pork with white beans in a miso sauce. 7 Quai Thomas, Cancale. Tel. +33-2-99-89-56-46.
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