Food & Drink
with dairy products and excellent meats.
Brittany
on a plate
Breton restaurant Picture Brittany and you’ll probably think
of its stunning coastline and sandy beaches,
association Tables et its enchanting medieval towns and its
Saveurs de Bretagne is charismatic culture and way of life. But you
at the forefront of a push may not immediately associate the region
with the very best of French cuisine.
to raise the quality and Isolated for centuries from continental
profile of Brittany’s influences, this old land has developed its own
cuisine. This year it character and identity, which still expresses
itself through unique, traditional food and
celebrates its 25th drink – think delicious crêpes and galettes,
anniversary with a the unique ‘Far Breton’ and of course, cider.
tantalising partnership Travel through the region and food is literally
all around you. It’s a rich land, jutting into the
with Brittany Ferries Atlantic, with over 1,790 miles of coastline
giving access to wonderful seafood. And then
there’s the interior of the region, abundant
12 | VOYAGE | Spring 2015
The climate is perfect for vegetable growing,
made temperate by the warm waters of the
Gulf Stream. It’s no wonder that Brittany has
been described as the ‘greenhouse of France’
– an immense 10,000 square mile garden
perched between sea and sky.
Yet, historically, Brittany has lagged behind
the rest of France when it comes to food. In a
country at the forefront of global cuisine,
Brittany was seen to be behind the times.
However, 25 years ago a movement was
born with an aim to defend and promote the
gastronomic riches of the region, bringing
together chefs, farmers, fishermen, market
gardeners, breeders, bakers, butchers, artisans
and restaurateurs. Passionate about the region
and their respective trades, they shared the
belief that when it came to cuisine, Brittany
deserved and was capable of far more.
And so, in 1990, ‘Tables et Saveurs de
Bretagne’ was born – an association
spearheaded by a small number of talented
master-chefs, promoting a flamboyant style
of cooking that is close to nature, innovative
and respectful of regional tradition.
Today, Tables et Saveurs unites 41 chefs
whose restaurants are sprinkled throughout
the four départements of Brittany – Côtes
d’Armor, Finistère, Morbihan and Ille-et-
Vilaine – as well as in the Loire-Atlantique,
which forms a historic part of the region and
is integral to its food, despite not belonging
to today’s administrative Brittany.
The chefs are led by association President
Sylvain Guillemot, who learned his trade with
one-starred Marc Tison in Rennes, two-
starred Jacques Thorel at La Roche Bernard
and three-starred Alain Passard in Paris.
Sylvain and his wife Marie opened their own
restaurant, ‘L’Auberge du Pont d’Acigné’, on
the edge of Rennes, in 1995. After 10 years
they achieved their first Michelin star, and
in their determination to maintain it,
inadvertently achieved another!
For each chef, membership of Tables et
Saveurs is both a badge and pledge of quality.
After all, in order to join each chef must hold
either a star in the revered Michelin Red
guide or three ‘Toques’ (chef’s hats) in the
prestigious Gault&Millau guide.
This method of selection is unique in
France, and means that the restaurant guide
produced by the association each spring –
following the publication of the Michelin

guide – is of enormous value to the visiting
gourmet, because you can plan your journey
around it confident that a memorable
culinary experience will be had at each
and every restaurant on its pages.
But Sylvain points out that the end product
simply wouldn’t be possible without the
richness of Brittany’s produce and the daily
toils of the men and women who harvest and
bring it to market. “The relationship we have
with our producers is at the root of everything
we do, and the quality of their produce is
essential; as chefs we must defend them and
their methods of production. It’s a matter of
mutual reliance and respect,” he explains.
These producers ply their trade in all
corners of Brittany. From Morbihan come
sun-kissed red fruits, organic vegetables,
saffron, fish, pigeons, rare oysters and original
concoctions ranging from hand-crafted pâté
to bread wheat, and from cider to chestnuts.
Head south to Loire-Atlantique and you’ll
find plaice drying in the sun, salt from
Guérande to Millac, freshwater fish from
the Loire, pike perch, sardines, ducks,
fresh-picked fruit and vegetables and
Muscadet – ‘Brittany’s wine’ (see page 17).
Ille-et-Vilaine is a treasure trove of
gourmet riches and nowhere is this more
obvious than at the famous Marché de Lice
“The relationship
we have with
our producers
is at the root of
everything we do”
Sylvain Guillemot
at Rennes. Here you’ll find fish and shellfish
from La Jumelière, salt meadow lambs from
the Bay of Mont St Michel, Rennes hens,
and traditional foie gras. Head west and the
Côtes-d’Armor provides a rich harvest, with
everything from fish, scallops and mussels
aplenty, to responsibly farmed vegetables
and pigs bred on Breton hay.
Then, at the tip of Brittany, we come to
Finistère, famed for its artichokes, cauliflowers
and onions, as well as its milk and butter.
With the association’s 25 year-long
emphasis on relationships with producers and
other regional culinary stakeholders, and with
the world of top chefs being such a small one,
it was perhaps just a matter of time before
Sylvain Guillemot met Brittany Ferries’ head
chef Patrice Pantalini. Together they came up
with the idea of forging an alliance to further
the promotion of Brittany’s cuisine.
Food & Drink
Not only do they exchange ideas, the ferry
company is organising special tours around
the restaurants, many of which form part of
a hotel. Such a partnership is entirely fitting
– Brittany Ferries was founded in 1973 by
farmers looking to put Brittany on the tourist
map, in just the same way that those founding
chefs of Tables et Saveurs set out to put the
region firmly on the culinary map. To this day,
the ferry company is predominantly owned by
farmers, many of whose products end up on
the tables of the association’s restaurants.
This month, the 41 chefs of Tables et
Saveurs will toast the association’s 25 years
as a flagship of French cuisine with a
celebration held, fittingly, on board Brittany
Ferries’ flagship, Pont-Aven. This promises
to be a unique occasion with 41 chefs, each
accompanied by a partner producer, cooking
a dish to showcase the very best of Brittany
on a plate.
And then, festivities over, they’ll head back
to their kitchens to work on their next
culinary masterpieces…
Further information
To find out more about Tables et Saveurs
de Bretagne and its restaurants visit
www.tablesetsaveursdebretagne.com
Spring 2015 | VOYAGE | 13
Food & Drink
The 41 restaurants belonging
to Tables & Saveurs de
Bretagne are found in all
corners of Brittany, however
a good number are located
either in or nearby Brittany
Ferries’ arrival ports of St Malo
and Roscoff. What better way
to start or end your holiday
than with a gourmet treat?
DINING
in style
L’Auberge La Pomme d’Api
14 | VOYAGE | Spring 2015
In and around St Malo
Maison Tirel Guérin
A perfect gastronomic stop-off,
halfway between St Malo and Cancale
Chef and hosts: Olivier Valade, and
Chantal and Pascal Duval
The founding chefs of this culinary
institution have now passed the mantle
to Olivier Valade, but their spirit and
values are ever-present. The décor
is classic, comfortable and relaxed.
Valade’s cuisine is understated, precise
and straightforward, constantly
evolving and with an emphasis on fresh
produce from both land and sea. Look
out for langoustines encrusted in
almonds with coconut milk sauce; the
medley of saddle of lamb with lemon
thyme jus; a Coucou de Rennes chicken
stuffed with truffles; and to finish – a
Caribbean dark chocolate ganache.
Contact details: 1 Le Limonay, 35350,
Saint-Meloir des Ondes
+33 (0)2 99 89 10 46
www.tirel-guerin.com
Menu price: from €33 to €104
Room price: from €80 to €230
“Every morning, the sea, wind
and aromas of the land inspire me.”
Olivier Valade.
La Table Breizh Café
A delightfully incongruous fusion of
Japanese and Breton cooking – a real
escape from everyday life.
Chef and hosts:
Raphaël-Fumio
Kudaka (pictured
left), Bertrand
Larcher and
Julien Gaye
At street level is
a typical Cancale
crêperie. But
climb the stairs and you’ll find a true
Japanese gourmet restaurant. The
décor is authentic Nippon, but look out
of the window and the views are of the
Mont St Michel. Chef Raphaël-Fumio
Kudaka trained in some of France’s
most prestigious restaurants, but here La Table Breizh Café
he transports you to the land of the
rising sun, with exquisite, fragrant Le Saint-Placide
dishes, sustained by Brittany’s best Meticulous dishes, careful
seafood. Each mouthful is a pleasure.
combinations… Luc and Isabelle
Mobihan have a penchant for
Contact details: 7 Quai Thomas,
simplicity and minimalism; aims
35260 Cancale
reflected in the restaurant’s modern
+33 (0)2 99 89 56 46
interior and contemporary dishes.
www.breizhcafe.com
Menu price: from €75 to €135 (and Chef and host: Luc and Isabelle
from €38 at lunchtime) Mobihan
Room price: from €98 to €108 Le Saint-Placide is located just a few
“Japanese cuisine… born in paces from the sea, but away from the
Brittany.” Raphaël-Fumio Kudaka hubbub of St Malo’s walled town – and
is all the better for it. Set in a corner
Le Chalut of the Place du Poncel, this restaurant
In a maritime bistro setting, discover is always true to itself, with no
cuisine that’s straightforward, compromise when it comes to quality
generous and sincere, brimming with of produce or care in preparation.
energy and finesse – just like its You’ll find contemporary dishes that
creator, chef Jean-Philippe Foucat, speak straight to the heart: lobster
who hails from the Auvergne. with vanilla, ginger and kaffir lime;
Chef and host: scallops sandwiched in truffles; and
Jean-Philippe langoustine ravioli with coriander,
(pictured left) and parmesan and rocket oil. Luc and
Sophie Foucat Isabelle Mobihan’s style is precise and
You won’t accurate, emphasising what’s essential
find a hint of and eschewing the superfluous.
pretentiousness
here, just
well-executed
food that looks simple, but is crafted by
dint of intricate and skilful techniques.
Try dishes like crab with scallops,
shellfish broth, turbot with apples
crushed with hazelnuts and a
vegetable and lemongrass jus, or brill
with asparagus – all executed with
breathtaking ability. And if you have a
taste for lobster, there’s a dedicated
menu just for you.
Contact details: 8 Rue de la Corne aux
Cerfs, 35400 Saint-Malo
+33 (0)2 99 56 71 58
www.tablesetsaveursdebretagne.com
Menu price: €29 to €78
“I always aim to keep as close as
possible to the essential taste of the
Le Saint-Placide
produce.” Jean-Philippe Foucat

Contact details: 6 Place du Poncel,
35400 Saint-Malo
+33 (0)2 99 81 70 73
www.st-placide.com
Menus from €27 to €95
“I aim to offer a cuisine which has
its own identity, made with local
products.” Luc Mobihan
In and around Roscoff
L’Hotel de Carantec – Restaurant
P Jeffroy
Patrick Jeffroy’s restaurant offers
the most beautiful view over the Bay
of Morlaix. His forthright cooking
dazzles with essentiality and
miraculous combinations, yet is
unmistakeably Breton in character.
Chef and host: Patrick Jeffroy (above)
and Christine Tollemer
Crunchy seaweed, pressed Burgaud
duck, legendary Léon’s vegetables,
gleaming crab and line-caught sea
bass – all prepared so as to preserve
the most frank and direct taste. Diners
flock here for the gently cooked fillet
of brill in a lobster jus, the baked white
Paimpol beans with veal trotter and
light hollandaise sauce with yuzu.
Contact details: 20 Rue du Kelenn,
29660 Carantec
+33 (0)2 98 67 00 47
www.hoteldecarantec.com
Menus from €48 to €145
Rooms from €120 to €236
“The man who heads straight to the
taste.” Patrick Jeffroy
Le Brittany & Spa
Set in an old 17th-century manor and
looking out to sea, the dishes served
in this restaurant are a hymn to local
produce from land and sea.
Chef and hosts: Loïc Le Bail (pictured
above), Famille Chapalain and
Jérôme Marc
Loïc Le Bail’s cooking is both expertly
executed and imaginative, bringing to
life local recipes through a science of
modern and traditional combinations.
Try farm-reared Breton suckling pig,
cuttle fish, Roscoff crab, Jerusalem
artichoke, crispy Nori seaweed,
monkfish roasted on the bone, girolle
mushrooms, scallop skewers and
sand-grown carrots from Santec.
A true feast for the senses.
Contact details: Boulevard Sainte-
Barbe, 29680 Roscoff
+33 (0)2 98 69 70 78
www.hotel-brittany.com
Menus from €55 to €105
Rooms from €120 to €295
“I want to offer cuisine that is
strictly locally sourced.” Loïc Le Bail
L’Auberge La Pomme d’Api
Visit this welcoming restaurant in
Saint-Pol-de-Léon and you’re in for
a pleasant surprise. Jérémie Le
Calvez is a gifted and plain-speaking
“I thrive
on pushing
forward a little
each day”
L’Auberge La Pomme d’Api
Food & Drink
young chef whose creative palette
consists of the freshest seafood and
earthiest vegetables.
Chef and host: Jérémie Le Calvez and
Jessica Chelala
Jérémie Le Calvez’s in-depth
knowledge honed in the kitchen,
combined with skills perfected in the
patisserie, give rise to an abundance of
flavours full of freshness and audacity.
Savour foie gras of duck marbled with
artichokes and olives, scallops, black
pudding, cream of cauliflower with
vanilla, and much more besides.
Contact details: 49 Rue Verderel,
29250 Saint-Pol-de-Léon
+33 (0)2 98 69 04 36
www.aubergelapommedapi.com
Menus from €30 to €80
“I thrive on pushing forward a little
each day.” Jérémie Le Calvez
La Butte
A restaurant that has the knack of
making its guests feel welcome and La Butte
relaxed, and of feeding them well.
He applies masterful techniques
to splendid produce from northern
Chef and host:
Finistère: think wild abalone sea snails,
Nicolas (left)
scallops and young pigeons. A feast for
and Solène
eyes and taste buds alike.
Conraux
This delightfully Contact details: 12 Rue de la Mer,
unusual 29260 Plouider
restaurant has +33 (0)2 98 25 40 54
been beautifully www.labutte.fr
remodelled under Menus from €48 to €92 (from €25 at
the supervision of Solène and Nicolas lunchtime)
Conraux, who welcome you amid Rooms from €83 to €154
chic, contemporary and restful “A profound respect for produce,
ambience. In the kitchen, Nicolas a love of the terroir, and a desire to
draws his inspiration from Paul share the best of this ‘Coast of
Bocuse’s innovative approach, taking Legends’ with each guest.” Nicolas
traditional recipes and evolving them. Conraux
Spring 2015 | VOYAGE | 15