La renaissance

Deep in the Normandy countryside, the huge forest of Andaine seems to have put down roots in this wood-rich restaurant as it nurtures and nourishes Franck Quinton’s forest-inspired cooking. His way with mushrooms is second to none: tricholoma, bearded hedgehog, blue foot or grey and yellow oyster mushrooms make guest appearances in his famous “mushroom toastie”. The surrounding woodland plays a prominent role in his cooking, as the Douglas pine used in herbal tea illustrates. A committed champion of local produce, the chef cherry-picks his ducklings, veg from down the road and creamy Gillot AO

Purebred Normandy chef Ivan Vautier has been honing his talents for over thirty years in this property, done up in tasteful contemporary vein outside the town centre. Fiercely proud of his region, the chef aims to showcase the very best of Normandy’s ingredients in soul-warming recipes: green asparagus from Bellengreville; wild morels from a local picker; double cream from Isigny Sainte Mère; Normandy raised pork etc, without forgetting the local catch. Those with a sweet tooth will be entranced by the vision of a millefeuille “as high as a skyscraper”!

For nearly 30 years, Arnaud and Cécilia Viel have been running their modern establishment with a strong personality in perfect harmony with the chef's cuisine. Here in Argentan, homage is paid to Normandy through exceptional hand-picked ingredients: local butter and unpasteurised farmhouse cream, scallops from Port-en-Bessin, lobster from Carteret, foie gras from the Pays d'Auge, sand carrots from Créances, sometimes combined with premium items such as caviar or black winter truffles. The food impresses with flawless execution and harmonious flavours. The excellent wine list is curated by Céci

This restaurant with a bright, contemporary decor delivers the goods when it promises a warm welcome. Chef Gaëtan Crespin works with excellent seasonal produce, most sourced locally, to craft creative and technically on-point cuisine. A shining example comes in the form of his scallops, endive and clementine, or roast veal, parsnips and shiitake… And with excellent value for money guaranteed, it was love at first bite!

Make your way upstairs from the Capucines Brasserie, overlooking the castle of Saint Lô, to this understated, plush establishment. Back in his hometown, Mickaël Marion unveils his keen grasp of inventive cuisine. A steadfast champion of local produce, he frequently forages wild plants and herbs and grows his own veg. His deft score delicately showcases the region’s ingredients: scallops roasted in butter, monkfish served with garden leeks and curly kale. Start the meal with brioche smoked in apple wood and butter laced in the scent of woodruff. Sensitive, distinctive cooking throbbing with fla

This 18C building, whose conservatory overlooks wooded grounds planted with hundred-year-old trees, is run by a Franco-Japanese couple who continues to knock the socks off our tastebuds. While Masako pours her talents into pastries, Julien finetunes his exquisite, flawlessly balanced culinary score: roast monkfish, girolles, mussels and hay or lightly seared tuna in spices, aubergine and cucumber. Regional ingredients invariably take the limelight (Normandy beef, Cahagnes poultry, cheese from local farms and locally grown veggies) and the chef often waxes lyrical about his suppliers when he po

This old building in the centre of the village has been treated to a tasteful contemporary makeover to showcase the talents of Clémence Goupil and Alex Néel. Both are fountains of knowledge about their profession and its history and their establishment’s name refers to the inventor of the modern restaurant concept, Mathurin Roze de Chantoiseau. Your hosts sing an ode to fresh seasonal produce with touching sincerity teamed with bold flourishes: a seafood-tinged tartare of veal, ponzu seasoning and smoked John Dory; poultry breast poached in tarragon butter, green pea cream and black garlic.