Normandy’s culinary heritage is one that’s well worth exploring, not least because of the huge range of fantastic ingredients produced in the region. Here you’ll find succulent seafood, robust duck and game dishes and the region’s famous apples that are turned into a whole range of tasty stuff from cider to tarts. There’s a huge range of experiences in Normandy that’ll have any foodie salivating, so to make sure you’ve got the heads up on some of the best places to go, we’ve put together some of the best foodie experiences in Normandy for you below. Looking for somewhere great to stay while you’re chomping your way through some of Normandy’s tastiest bits? Ourluxury chateaux and villas in Normandy make the ideal base for you, your friends and family, and many come with inspiring kitchens so you can whip up a French feast of your own!
Sitting on the banks of the Seine, in the heart of Rouen, Restaurant Gill is one of Normandy’s finest gastronomic options. Run by restaurant team (and power couple!) Sylvie and Gilles Tournadre, Gill serves seasonal French cuisine, varying from delicious meat dishes like roasted pigeon with foie gras and veal sweetbread medallions to seafood specialities like pan-fried sea bass and roasted Brittany lobster. We heartily recommend the tasting menu, which features seven ‘surprise’ taster courses of chef Gilles’ latest creations, paired with wines. Even regular visitors never have the same meal twice.
Calvados is one of Normandy’s greatest creations. It’s an apple brandy made by pressing apples into juice, fermenting them into cider, distilling this in eau de vie and then ageing the spirit in oak casks. Christian Drouin is a distillery near to Pont-l’Évêque with a strong reputation for producing superb calvados, and it’s open to the public. Free, informative one-hour tours are available throughout the year, concluding with a tasting session and a chance to buy bottles of the finished product. Even if you’re off the booze, the beautiful 17th century half-timbered buildings make it a worthwhile visit.
Price: ££
Location:Route de Trouville, 14130 Coudray-Rabut, France
An intimate and endearing little restaurant in Cherbourg’s city centre, Le Pily exclusively specialises in fresh, seasonal and local produce. That means it provides no fixed menu; the dishes change every month depending on what’s in season. Yet the chef’s mastery of regional delicacies, such as locally-caught fish, pigeons, crustaceans, farmhouse cheese and vegetables, guarantees each meal will be a memorable one. There’s a reason it’s held a Michelin star (and countless other awards) since 2010.
Price: ££
Location: 39 Rue Grande Rue 50100, Cherbourg-Octeville
If you really want to get under the skin of Normandy, you’ll need to understand its culinary culture. Fortunately, that is just what Wilde Kitchen offers. This popular cookery school in Benoîtville, run by Irish expat Sinéad Allart (née Wilde), provides small-group gourmet escapes that comprise classes in cooking traditional Norman dishes such as poulet Vallée d’Auge (chicken with cream and apples) and teurgoule (rice pudding), plus trips to local markets, farms and cider producers. One-day courses are available, but we heartily recommend the three-day or six-day options – accommodation included.
Price: £££
Location: La Blonderie, 50340 Benoistville, Normandy
Jean-Luc Tartarin is, without doubt, one of Normandy’s plushest fine dining options. A holder of two prestigious Michelin stars, the Le Havre establishment proudly upholds French culinary traditions but with a changing monthly menu of seasonal dishes. The dégustation menu is the way to try a little bit of everything the restaurant has to offer, though less elaborate set menus are also available. Looking for the fine dining experience on a tighter budget? Consider booking Jean-Luc Tartarin for breakfast.
If you have a sweet tooth, Yver is the ultimate treat. The region’s most mouthwatering chocolatier, it has been hand-crafting extraordinary, quality chocolates since 1946. It offers a truly dazzling array of chocolate products – slabs, truffles, pastilles, dipped fruits and nuts, hot drinks and more besides – which are wonderfully presented. Yver is also an accomplished patisserie, offering delicious pastries, cakes and melt-in-the-mouth macaroons, so prepare to blow your entire souvenir budget in the shop.
This family-run tea shop and restaurant is a Granville institution. The tea menu is one of the largest and most varied you will ever see, with each brew served in Chinese cast iron teapots, and any teas you enjoy can be bought from the shop next door after (with advice on leaves, flavours and brewing temperatures from the knowledgeable owners). The restaurant has a small, simple, seasonal menu but every dish is cooked to perfection, whether it is fresh fish, quiche, croquets or cakes and pastries.
Price: ££
Location: 22-24, Rue Saint Sauveur 50400 Granville.
Normandy is full of chocolateries and pâtisseries, but this place near Lonlay l’Abbaye stands alone in the region as a biscuiterie (biscuit maker). We’d recommend visiting the factory itself to witness the production process (from kneading and shaping doughs to cooking and packaging) and pick up some biscuits hot off the production line – including perhaps some discounted mis-shaped ones. But if you are only interested in the final product, you will find their shops in Bagnoles de L’Orne and Granville.
The restaurant may sit in the shadow of William the Conqueror’s castle, but when it comes to dining experiences in Caen, L’Accolade is the one casting the shadows. Run by Pierre Lefebvre, a self-taught chef who won France’s edition of Masterchef, this stylish bistro restaurant serves extraordinary but unpretentious food, using seasonal local produce. L’Accolade is a particular treat for carnivores, with delectable dishes made from the finest cuts of meat, while the wine list will keep oenophiles happy.
No trip to Normandy is complete without a fromagerie visit, and this is one of the very best cheese makers in the region. Graindorge cheese company upholds traditional local cheesemaking methods to produce some of the region’s most famous cheeses. This includes Camembert, as well as its close cousins Livarot (a soft, pungent cow’s milk cheese), pavé d’Auge (a semi-soft variation of Livarot) and Coulommiers (a soft, ripened cow’s cheese), plus the smooth-as-silk cream cheese La Crème Fraîche Vallée d’Auge. It’s free to visit the fromagerie, including complementary cheese tasting, so why not?
Price: £
Location: 42, rue Général-Leclerc 14140, Livarot
Book: No need to book just show up!
Fromagerie Graindorge – Normandy
If you’re hungry for more travel inspiration, why not check some other blogs about Normandy or discover more foodie experiences? You can also find out where to find the best cider tasting in Normandy or check out our coverage of the best festivals and events in Europe throughout the year. Already convinced that Normandy is your next dream destination? Talk to our concierge team! They can help you find the perfect holiday home (just ask and they’ll do the legwork for you) or are on hand to help you book if you’ve already chosen the villa of your dreams.
Looking for a full list of villas to rent this year? Check out our villa holidays page here.
Previous
Best Foodie Experiences in Vendée & Charente
Next
Best Things To Do in Vendée & Charente
Popular Articles
The 10 Best Beaches in Cyprus
Cyprus has beaches for almost every kind of holiday, from soft, pale sands and shallow family bays to turtle-nesting shores, watersports hubs, and quiet coves beneath cliffs. Better still, the island makes it easy to combine time beside the sea with ancient ruins, mountain villages, and lunches in coastal tavernas. The best beaches in Cyprus […]
The 10 Best Beaches in Mykonos
Mykonos may be known for its whitewashed lanes, late-night parties, and famous beach clubs, but its coastline has more range than the headlines suggest. Long sandy bays curve around the south of the island, while the north coast feels wilder, more exposed to the Aegean wind. The best beaches in Mykonos cover almost every mood. […]
10 Best Villas in Ibiza
The fabled ‘White Island’ is a place of many faces. On the one hand, Ibiza is renowned as a prime clubbing destination with a vibrant nightlife that’s a magnet for partygoers. But there’s more to the island than exclusive clubs and dancing ’til dawn! Further inland, you’ll find there’s a much more laid-back atmosphere among […]
Top 10 Family-Friendly Villas in the South of France
Whether you’ve got tiny tots or teens along for the ride, a holiday in the South of France is sure to prove one your family never forgets. There are plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained, including boat rides and bicycle hire, plus sumptuous food and wine (adults only!) to enjoy after a day spent […]
Top 10 Quirkiest Chateaux in France
We love a bit of quirkiness – that’s what’s fun about this collection, all these villas and chateaux have been handpicked for their style and character. Our range of luxury chateaux and villas in France includes some of the most stylish and memorable holiday homes you can find, and that’s saying something…! Whether you’re looking […]
Top 10 Brittany Beaches
When we think of beaches in France, our minds naturally wander to the South of France – sometimes, it’s easy to overlook the beauty of Western France’s coastline, particularly the well-known surf mecca of Brittany. Wild and rugged, with some beautifully unspoilt coves, the scenic coastline of Brittany stretches for more than 1,000 miles. It […]
Top 5 Places to Visit in Northern France
Northern France is often overlooked when planning a French getaway, while Southern France consistently remains a popular choice for family holidays and romantic retreats. However, here at Oliver’s Travels, we know the wonders of Northern France and everything it has to offer! From exquisite beaches and beautiful vineyards to towns dripping in culture and the birthplace […]
Best Things To Do in Normandy
Got a group of travel-hungry friends together and thinking of visiting Normandy? You’ve made the right choice – it’s a region ripe with things to do. From exploring the varied and dramatic coastlines to fantastic foodie experiences that’ll tickle your curiosity as much as your tastebuds, we’ve found some of the best things to do […]
Top Chateaux in the Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is steeped in history and home to beautiful countryside, filled with remarkable villas and chateaux at every turn. Travellers of all ages can enjoy the region’s many charms, with abundant sporting activities, cultural sites, and sleepy towns to explore. We’ve picked our top 10 chateaux in the Loire Valley so you get […]
The 10 Best Beaches in the South of France
The beaches in the South of France are popular for a reason – it’s one of the most luxurious destinations out there! From the star-studded glam of Cannes and St Tropez to the luscious landscape of the rural interior, visitors never take long to catch on; after all, relaxation is pretty high on the agenda here. […]
The 10 Most Inviting Villas With Swimming Pools in France
There’s no denying we Brits crave a little warmth and sunshine. After all, English weather is known for its unpredictability at the best times (it’s either raining for weeks or life as we know it comes to a halt during the mid-summer heatwave, there’s no happy medium). So when it’s time for our holidays, we […]
The Best Villas in the Dordogne
If you want to experience one of the most beautiful places in the world, there’s only one thing for it – head to one of our villas in the Dordogne. There’s a reason (in fact, there are loads) that the British and the French fought over it right until the end of the Hundred Years […]
Top 10 Quirky Chateaux in Southern France
Looking to live the dream at one of our characterful chateaux in Southern France? Covering luxurious Languedoc, dazzling Dordogne and the romantic Riviera, we’ve got premium properties to suit every style preference in the world’s most glamorous region. However, with so many to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why we’ve […]
