Au Presbytère de Saigneville

The top floor of this entirely revamped 18C salt barn is home to a fashionable, stripped-back restaurant decked in raw materials that commands a panoramic view over the Somme Bay. According to the dictionary, a schorre (or a salt marsh) refers to an “upper coastal intertidal zone of thick mud, covered by grass and regularly flooded by high tides”. Chef François-Xavier Sailly regularly renews his creative gourmet score with unexpected combinations.

On their premises on the market square, Axel Folastre and Céline Mention have brought their vision to life: a bright space with an arty decor and a delicatessen display case (pâté en croûte, foie gras, pies etc). Together, they cook up personal and precise cuisine, their balanced dishes demonstrating authentic expertise – the beef fillet is cooked to perfection and enhanced by a fine marriage of oysters, lemon and fennel. On the restaurant floor, too, they work as a team. Céline crafts the desserts with equal parts skill and heart.

In a small regional-style building near the docks, this young couple beautifully showcases local ingredients. Example dishes include pressed sea bass with sand carrots, chervil sorbet; fillet of hake, beurre blanc with sea aster, mashed sandy potatoes; baba with a citrus syrup, cream with lemon balm… Tasty and expertly executed cuisine!

This characterful rural establishment overlooking the Somme Valley is in the hands of a local lad in love with his region. He works with a tight network of local producers, who bear witness to his commitment and loyalty. The several-course surprise menu showcases ingredients from sustainable farms and independent fishermen. Legible flavours whose simplicity and elegance set the scene for a slap-up meal. Splendid wine cellar with over 300 references and a lovely terrace on fine days. What’s not to like?