R khooks tasty tales from Paris and beyond
Looking for suggestions in Brittany
Posted by on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Image courtesy of Lonely Planet
And the travel continues! After a short stint here, I’m now planning my next research trip (for my new book), and this time I’ll be heading to Brittany. Any Brittany locals out there? Would love to hear your suggestions for local spots that I should check out. I’m particularly interested in finding local producers to meet up with (whether it be cider, seafood, cheese…I’m keen to check it all out).
Also suggestions for local restaurants, bars, markets and any must-see places are most welcome.
Leave your comments here on the blog. Would love to hear from you! Merci!
hey rachel! if you don’t know it already i suggest you the cote de granit rose. great spot for feasting delicious seafood. cheerio, caroline from switzerland
Hi Rachel!
I highly recommend going to the island of Belle Isle en mer. It’s beautiful and there is an amazing fish market in Le Palais (with also local veg, cheese and lamp producers). A super tasty restaurant called Roz-Avel in Sauzon; the best creperie Les Embruns in Sauzon; delicious salted caramel sweets at Les Niniches in Le Palais.
You have to take the ferry from Quiberon. It’s in the Morbihan region. I go to Belle Isle every year, it’s wonderful!
Amuses toi bien en Bretagne
off subject, but, I CAN’T WAIT TO GET YOUR BOOK IN THE MAIL!!!!! I’m in the states, and I have been waiting for this for a loooong time. Please come visit, too!
Sara
Hi Rachel, try the walled town of Concarneau on the south coast of Brittany. Very pretty location, good restaurants, etc. Also somewhere near Rostrennen is the official Pruneau museum – traditional Breton liqueur. Have fun
Hi! I’m British but have lived near Rennes pretty much all my life, it’s a great city to visit, and you really need to go to the Marché des Lices en saturday morning. It’s fantastic.
Hope you enjoy your time in Brittany!
Hey Rachel, I don’t know if you have been there already but I’m sure you will love it ! First stop in Rennes, the big city, on saturday morning for our famous food market. You would find local producers, cider, coucou (a kind of poultry ?? not sure about the translation), local cakes as kouing-amann ect… It is a very living place, it worth it. St Malo and Cancale are good spots as weel: check out Bordier store (available on Rennes as well) for cheese and delicious flavoured butter (the Yuzu one is very good)and Roellinger spice shop (in cancale and St Malo as well). He makes his own blend of spices, excellent. And there is so much more honestly I just can’t write everything in a comment. I will try to find one “Elle à table” from last year, they had a very good article about North Brittany, if so I would email it to you. I would be pleased to give you a tour of the saturday morning market in Rennes if you decide to have a look !
HI Rachel. I am a big fan of your program and your cooking and i love your blog so much.
You inspired me to start up my own website so plz will everyone check it out and leave a comment.
thnx xx
Hi Rachel, just head for le Guilvinec a fishing port on le pays du Bigouden Finistere or Rosko (Roskoff) both excellent for the sea food / fish; also if at Roskoff check a restaurant there that serves artichokes filled with a range of stuffings sorry can’t remember name was a long ago but it still does the stuffed artichokes. All the best steve
Hi there, as you’re in Brittany just go to Quiberon to eat the very best kouig-aman (I have never eaten a better one else where and the apple version is not bad too). The bakery is just before the port of embarkment and is called : Riguidel!! you won’t be disappointed. Moreover landscapes are amazing.
Enjoy!
hey Rachel!!!!
I love you and your cooking, I really enjoyed your series on BBC are gonna have another one??), your book was sooo good it inspired me to publish my own website. Please, please,please check it out ???
Thanks in advance and cant wait for your new book!
Thank you!
Thanks Steve, sounds great.
Thanks Pascale! Best email address is hello@rachelkhoo.com if you find the article. Thanks a lot.
I hope you didn’t miss the Breton food fair at place Abbesses last weekend
)a
They were all there with bells on -super fab!
Love yr book too just like everyone else
Hi Rachel! Bertrand is a very proud Breton – his recommendations are: Galettes & Crepes in general, and specifically the Galette-Saucisse – a classic staple of Rennes “street food” that can be found at the Marché des Lices on Saturdays (once of the best markets in France); Kig ar Farz, a “pot au feu” breton; seafood & fish of course – oysters (Cancale), langoustine (Camaret; Presqu’ile de Crozon), bar de ligne (Point du Raz); vegetables & fruits – artichokes, cauliflower, strawberries (Plougastel-Daoulas); desserts – Far Breton, Kouign Amann & Gâteau Breton… it’s a region that loves its beurre demi-sel and it’s used extensively in their cooking & pastries. It’s a unique region because they have excellent products from the sea and from land (de la terre et de la mer) but not the classics associated with France – it’s not a region for wine or cheese. Bertrand’s happy to answer any other questions you have
I confirm everything Pascale said. In fact I was going to write most of what she mentioned so definitely go for it!
Hi Rachel – love your programme. Brittany is fab. I go to St Malo and the surrounding area a lot with my camera. There is a truly wonderful butter / cheese shop in St Malo. It’s called La Maison du Beurre, it’s on Rue Orme, St Malo & you can watch the guys making the butter. The butter is really delicious for both eating and cooking and the cheeses are out of this world! They also sell amazing sea salt. I always buy there before catching the ferry home to Jersey.
Hi Rachel,
Like Bertrand above, I am a proud Breton but from the Southern part, so I will just add a few more suggestions to complement Bertrand’s. To meet some local food producers, a good place to start with is Nantes’ largest market, Talensac (http://www.marche-talensac.fr/), preferably on Saturdays. It is an amazing vibrant place full of wonderful fresh produces & smells with piles of seafood, vegetables and delicious charcuterie. In the South, we produce 2 white wines, Muscadet and Gros-Plan. In Nantes, you have to eat at “La Cigale”(http://www.lacigale.com/) my favourite brasserie for the architecture & classic quality French cuisine , visit and try the delicious chocolates of the chocolaterie Gautier Debotté at 9 rue de la Fosse (stunning original wooden framed windows), wonder through Passage Pommeraye and be amazed by the giant mechanical puppets of Les Machines de l’Ile (http://www.lesmachines-nantes.fr/). In Brittany we mainly produce goat cheese types but in the south, we also have the curé nantais. You must visit also the salt marshes of Guérande. OK, must stop now but could go on to recommend all sorts. Enjoy your visit ! If you need more info, don’t hesitate to ask. :=)
Hello! I’m going with 2 friends to London and then Paris. We’d love to have dinner at home as we do? Thank you! Miriam
Hello!
if you ever venture in PLEYBEN, you must absolutely try the Crêperie de l’Enclos. (I define it as a life changing experience)
The thing is, Brittanny is so big, and there are specialties all over. You can find all sorts of cheese and meats (althoug porc remains seen as the most traditionnal meat) , many new and different sorts of vegetables. You will find all of this in farmers markets all around.
You have small cidre makers about everywhere.
And of course sea food along the coast. About those, langoustines are to be found in Le Guilvinec and Saint Guénolé Penmarc’h mainly, maybe also in Concarneau (I am afraid that Camaret isn’t really a fishing harbour anymore) . Those three harbours offer quite a wide range of fresh fishes and sea food.
And finally, there are a lot of organic smallholders that are starting farms a little bit everywhere and try and live from a local production.
If you ever have a chance to go to Rosnoen (in Finistère and nearby Prequ’île de Crozon), all of this is summed up there. You can find all productions in this area. Plus, sightseeing in the surroundings is … amazing.
Hi Rachel – we live in a little fishing village near Concarneau in Finistere – seafood fresh from the boats in Trevignon harbour, wonderful restaurant Ar Men Dhu at Raguenes, with sea views and fabulous local produce. And for quirky home produced food in traditional Breton village setting – Le Bazaar Maniaque at Nizon.
For a very picturesque, small cider farm you should visit Ferme de Beau Soleil near Matignon (20 mins east of Dinard) and its young owner Thomas Renouard. Thomas makes cidre bio, vinaigre, jus de pommes and also pommeau. His products look great and it would be a lovely location.
hi rachel and the team
are you still looking for your girl friday during your stay in brittany? if so, please let me know how to apply – i’d be perfect! xx
Hi Rachel,
I blog about beautiful Brittany, well mainly the fascinating department of Finistere. In our local town of Huelgoat you will find Miellerie de Huelgoat producers of local honey products http://www.mielleriedehuelgoat.com/
Also on the outskirts of the town you will also find Les 4 Saisons who supply a traditional range of jam from the Monts d’Arrée http://www.4sais.com/
Hope these suggestions are of some use.
Maria
Merci, Maria! Rachel