Dining in Brittany

After a tour of Greece in late June ’05, my wife, Dorothy, and I stopped in Brittany, France, to visit our daughter who resides in the small city of Douarnenez, which at one time was the sardine capital of Europe. We had the opportunity to try a few restaurants there.

• On the waterfront at the end of rue Anatole France, which leads into the marketplace, is the Bord Eaux Restaurant. From the deck there is an excellent view of the small boat harbor, and from inside there is a limited view from most tables.

The menu is fairly extensive, with several choices of beef, fish and chicken. A 3-course meal for four with wine was €95 (about $115). The food was excellent as was the service.

• Restaurant Le Keriolet, at 29 rue Croas Talud, is about a kilometer from the center of town. From every table in the dining room there is a pleasant view of the garden.

The dish of scallops and shrimp in a langoustine sauce was outstanding. My wife had rai, a seafood rarely seen in the States, and this too was excellent. A 4-course dinner for three with wine cost €78 ($95).

• In Josselin, about a 2-hour drive from Douarnenez, there is an interesting castle — just one room wide and open only when the owner is away. Across the river is Hotel du Château, where we had an excellent lunch entrée of grilled pork with a lightly spiced tomato sauce. The pork was fork tender. The 3-course lunch for two with wine cost €37 ($45). From the terrace we had a nice view of the castle and could watch the kayak races.

• We stayed overnight near the airport at the Charles de Gaulle Hotel, which is very conveniently located, especially for early morning departures. Rooms are immaculate but on the small side. With breakfast, the bill was €92 ($110). The restaurant dinner menu was adequate; a light chicken dinner with dessert and wine for two cost €27 ($33).

WALTER HUSE
Fort Myers, FL