Richard Coutanceau

Frommer's Review

This is not only the most glamorous and prestigious restaurant in La Rochelle, but also one of the finest along the coast. Delectable cuisine is served in a circular concrete pavilion in a pine-filled park, with big bay windows overlooking the sea. Clearly an artist, Richard Coutanceau, the owner and genius chef, prepares "modernized" cuisine. For an appetizer, two of the most famous starters in France are combined: frogs' legs and snails roasted in parsley and garlic and served with truffle-laced creamy potatoes. The signature fish dish is line-caught sea bass cooked within its own crusty skin and served with stewed tomatoes and chorizo. Among the meat dishes, we prefer the roasted pigeon kabob with asparagus and tomato jelly, made even more alluring with truffles and a slightly bitter Choron sauce.

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