Opale des Caps

This small hotel-restaurant in a coastal village between Cap Gris-Nez and Cap Blanc-Nez hits all the buttons for a meal on the Opal Coast. Young chef Solène Elliott, whose partner provides friendly service, concocts a tempting seafood-centric menu (sea bream, mackerel, pollack), but not only. Among her delicious and beautifully plated dishes, you may find a velvety soup of white asparagus, caramelised onions, black garlic and fried bread; Licques poultry, mashed potato with cancoillotte cheese, Morteau sausage and braised endive…

This bistro nurtures its authentic vintage look, courtesy of banquette seating, mirrors and Art deco-style posters. Patrick Comte is at the helm, rolling out his tasty take on traditional seasonal dishes: snail persillade; egg bourguignonne and a buttery golden turnip; Angus faux-filet steak, gratin dauphinois with maroilles and béarnaise sauce; a Paris-Brest-style éclair with hazelnut ice cream… Indulgent cooking that hits the spot every time!

This pleasant top-floor restaurant boasts a peerless panoramic view over the Strait of Dover and the English coast… it is like something you would expect to see in a painting! The food showcases locally caught fish: lobster casserole, sea bass in a salt crust, sole meunière. To be washed down with a good wine chosen from a list carefully curated by the proprietor.

The chef, Matthieu Colin, puts the experience he gained in Michelin-starred establishments to good use. In a lovely contemporary interior, he continues to pay tribute to local fishing, but also brings local produce into creative dishes that thrive on originality: cod with seafood condiments, grapefruit, crozets, spiced fennel. Friendly and efficient service.

Isma'il and Inès Guerre-Genton now run their own restaurant on the village square in Ardres. Behind a spruce white façade, the elegantly understated interior is done out in a palette of cream tones. The chef's cuisine is creative and uninhibited, combining land lettuce and sea lettuce with citrus fruit, for example. With an accomplished dish of matured pollock, wild garlic and asparagus, which reveals the meticulous work behind the scenes, he takes things up a notch. Personal and sincere cuisine with excellent local ingredients at its heart.

This restaurant, which feels like a smart bistro, ticks all the boxes. Here, Tony Regnier, who trained at some prestigious establishments, conjures up really modern cuisine with creative touches, flawlessly executed and flavoursome, to be savoured in a tastefully decorated room, or on the pretty flower-filled terrace. The guinea fowl and pistachio terrine served with apple chutney left a lasting impression!

A pleasant establishment that holds the ingredients and artisans of the Côte d'Opale and Pas-de-Calais areas in high regard. Chef Emmanuel Pillot and Laura Gambart met at La Liégeoise in Wimereux, where he was sous-chef and she was front of house as cheffe de rang. The dishes leave you in no doubt that this seasoned chef knows his craft. The starter strikes a lovely balance of flavours with a slow-cooked egg, Wissant shiitake, parsley and buckwheat; the tender free-range chicken is accompanied by a medley of Ratte potatoes; and a delicious take on a classic riz au lait. Pure bliss!