La Ferme Saint-Michel — Restaurant in Avranches

A wonderful experience, excellent food, highly recommended.

A charming building and setting. The restaurant is actually the old farmhouse that has been on the parking lot to accentuate the setting. Inside the original stone walls stand with hewn wood beams and rustic wood work. The roof was damaged in WWII and has been replaced but in the same bare beam style. The huge fireplace is still used to cook some times of the year. The room in which we ate was at one time the stables modernized but still the original beams and wood work. Nice paintings as well as unique antiques such as a Torecelli barometer adorned the walls.

Servers were very attentive and knowledge able of the menu and wines. Helped us pick a wonderful Medoc Beau Rivage Bordeaux.

Now to the food. The foie gras was a slice of foie gras and not a terrine made from liver as we found in some restaurants. Seared just lightly, served with butter and toast points. Wonderful! The Salt March Lamb Samosa were truly unique. Made from a breed of lamb feed in local salt marshes it was hard to tell the difference in taste from regular lamb but was hearty and flavorful. Like other samosa with a blend of sautéed carrots and aromatics but with French herb blend rather than Indian curry spices. The shells tender crisp sitting in a tomato/seafood reduction. Absolutely fabulous!

The entrée was a locally raised thick pork chop well-seasoned with salt, pepper and a touch of sage and rosemary, nicely seared crust while tender and juicy inside. Buttery roasted baby potatoes, fresh chunky applesauce and roasted chestnut puree were on the side drizzled with an apple cider vinegar, tomato, cream and cracked pepper reduction. Great pairing of flavors.

Dessert was dark chocolate lava cake with salted butter caramel ice cream. Both very rich and sumptuous but we managed to put it all away even after the ample entrée.

Make reservations. Tip – be sure to get the code to get to the restaurant as it is...

It first started with us unable to access the parking lot. You need a code to get through the gate. A phone call should get me a code, right? No. An automated message directs English speaking to press a number. Then you get a recording, in French, with what I’m guessing was a request to leave a message. Called back and went for the regular line. I got hung up on once then the man simply refused to be helpful. Should have been a sign of how the rest of the night would go. We parked in the paid parking for Mount St Michel and walked to the restaurant. Although nowhere near filled, they seemingly were hesitant to seat us. Yes, we had a reservation. They were turning away anyone that didn’t have a reservation. So, it wasn’t full but the servers were running around with, seemingly, no manager present. Finally realized there was another dining room that had a large group of at least 20 people. I think that group totally threw off the entire staff. We waited 15 minutes to get our drink and food order in. The food? Well, the entree took 45 minutes to arrive after we finished our starter. We were served before the table next to us that had been there before we arrived. My husband joked that we probably got their food. I thought my fish was not the right one. But, nobody came to check. Yeah, it was the other table’s food we had been served and I wasn’t served the right fish. No apologies. Was the food good? In a word, no. Bland would be the best description. The rice was just awful. Tasted like hospital food for someone on a restricted diet. Bathroom was absolutely filthy. I walked out without using it. I could go on and on about what was wrong. We were not the only table experiencing a less than acceptable meal. All around us were unhappy diners. I felt bad for the servers. It was so chaotic and there was no apparent leader helping to manage the room. 2-1/2 hours for a 4-course dinner for two people is...

Really pleased with our experience here. We came with our baby and an elderly aunt and uncle. The food was excellent, heavily featuring locally sourced meats and produce. The Normand flavor was evident in every course! The staff were also perfectly accommodating for my uncle’s dietary restrictions.

The restaurant is a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for, and that’s absolutely the case here. Small details I noticed set this place apart from other restaurants I’ve visited in France (even in other touristy areas). The menus are all bilingual (French-English) and we heard the staff using both languages with guests as well. The wifi password was displayed for guests, and I was able to charge my phone at an outlet near the table. The bathroom had a changing station in an area where any guest could use it, and the toilet stalls had multiple coat hangers behind the doors.

As an American living in the north of France, I have many friends and acquaintances who choose to make the trip to Mont Saint-Michel, and I would definitely recommend this...