Christopher Coutanceau — Restaurant in La Rochelle

A three Stars in La Rochelle for a change in my Paris Star Marathon (cf Googlemaps list) I took a break from Paris and I tried the best one star deal in the west of France, and then the only 3 stars there is on the entire Atlantic cost.

A master class on the Ocean.

There’s a lot to say. I’m glad I went there once I was close to a hundred stars under my belt because it gave me perspective. To make it short, focus only on 3 points (which is already a lot and more than usual). The ingredients, the harmony and the brigade. The ingredients. First, the chef is playing with gold. Actually, a part of it reminded me of the best Japanese sushi ya, with the utmost quality of their fishes and seafood. You ll have some of the best raw seafood that you can ever have. But then, the chef starts its master class and cooks, grills, turns into jelly or powders even foam. You’ll explore and discover an ocean of possibilities.

The harmony. Once you have the ingredients are able to decline them, you want them to resonate with others. The chef finds what ingredients have in common, and then what they can bring to each other so they can resonate creating an harmony. Yes, every dishes resonate with harmony. Furthermore, every dish resonate with the previous one, creating an overall ensemble. For me, this strong sense of first finding the common point and then building on it to look for how they can complement each other into creating an harmonious ensemble is clearly the chef incredible gift. It is even more striking when you reach the dessert. The chef pâtissier is clearly gifted, and must have brought his note to the partition, but the music belongs to the chef.

The brigade. This brings me to the last point. The brigade de cuisine is an army and it’s a challenge to make it harmonious. But you also have the brigade de salle (the waiters, maître d hôtel, etc…). Here you have a quite big restaurant for 2 or 3 stars. They were 17 the day I was there. It’s a little army and reaching this size you’re in a dilemma. More people, better service, because more for each table. But more people, more chance that something is forgotten or mixed up, like it almost did in my case. I have nothing but praise for the Maître d hôtel and how it was handled. It was just interesting for me to witness how scaling is hard for everyone (scaling in quantity and/or quality) regardless of the business you’re in.

The dress code/atmosphere: it’s a three stars baby! People make an effort. The crowd: more relaxed than I thought. Seemed very local. I thought I’ll spot some tourist but I did not. I think they were a lot of clients that were there “just” for the food. A lot of couples obviously.

My experience: a masterclass on the ocean

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A real TREAT!

This restaurant not only have a real panache, but a great great story and real history behind. Favourite of President Mitterrand, apparently Chef Coutanceau sent back his Michelin stars. A real food-experience-land-mark in La Rochelle, France. The views are excellent as the location.

But the real star in a restaurant of this standards is the service: second-to-none. Really professional and swift. They are many of them, around you at all times, ready to top up your water or wine or bread. But you never feel like they are on top of you. They never interrupt. And most importantly: nothing is too much trouble. They make you feel comfortable.

And then there is food. Coutanceau made me realised that in France, sometimes, is better to spend the extra pounds in a really really good restaurant as at the end is better value for money. There is so many restaurant where you pay quiet a lot but then when the food arrive you realise that you are paying way too much for what it is. Too late. Coutanceau delivers again, again and again in flavour, in technique, in presentation, in seasonality. From the bread and the seaweed butter to the last petit four is very difficult to fault it.

There is lots of works done in the kitchen to deliver the dishes. And I'm sure they are proud. I am.

I always feel a bit nervous when I arrive and enter this great palace of what food and service combine suppose to be. But very quickly I remember that those extra pounds I will be spending will bring me buckets of joy with a touch of history and lots of real panache.

Have a look at my...

202406: considerably overpriced, disappointing experience not to be repeated.

service and workmanship generally ok, eventhough some aromes rather hearty and out of balance (cuttelfish/rougail, acid sardine). The langoustine was (I'd even say over-) cooked and far away from being 'vivante' - rate/domage. Miniscule servings - hardly enough to capture the flavours: 1 loneley langoustine at the pricepoint of 310€/menu.

Highlights: basil sorbet, abalone, the langoustine (if it were 'vivante') and with some reservation the sardine head to tail (its telling that their signature dish is not part of the 8course menu). Flavours generally a little conventional and as mentioned not always perfectly balanced; I had higher expectations with regard to surprises/finesse/elaboration.

Sobering banal 'strawberry' dessert with a complete lack of ambition - not even fruity. definitely not 2*. plain(!) espresso at 10€. The whole dessert section (incl. derniere prise) lacks excitement and it constitutes an embarrassement - I had the impression this course was for the purpose to fill the menu only; they treated it as a 'devoir'. It summarises the experience in some way: You ask yourself what am I paying 310€ for here?

There are 2* out there that are doing better. OK - we are in La Rochelle and people may not prioritise value for money. Therefore everybody to decide...