La Grillade — Restaurant in Le Havre

I recently had the misfortune of dining at La Grillade in Fecamp, and it was, without a doubt, one of the worst experiences I've had in a long time. From start to finish, it was a disaster in every sense.

To begin with, the service was shockingly bad. The server was unpleasant, unwelcoming, and seemed entirely uninterested in providing even the bare minimum of hospitality. It felt like we were an inconvenience rather than valued guests.

The food, which should be the highlight of any dining experience, was nothing short of appalling. The meal started with a fish soup that was bizarre, to say the least—unidentifiable flavors that left a terrible aftertaste. Following that, a beef tartare was served that was completely inedible. The meat was minced to a mushy texture, haphazardly thrown on the plate, with a pot of fries lazily placed on top of it. It was as if no thought or care had gone into the presentation or preparation of the dish.

The entrecôte, which I had ordered medium-rare, arrived overcooked to a dry, well-done state. The meat was of such low quality that even if it had been cooked properly, it wouldn't have been enjoyable. The Béarnaise sauce that accompanied it was a complete travesty—oily, separated, and clearly missing the key ingredient: egg yolk. It was so unappetizing that I couldn't even bring myself to taste it.

To top it all off, the owner, who seemed to be aware of the situation, made no effort to apologize or correct the issues. Her worried demeanor did nothing to improve the experience, as he didn’t even bother to offer any kind of compensation or attempt to make amends.

A disaster from start to...

Hidden away from the main streets of Fecamp is this true gem. From the number of locals popping in and out for an evening meal it is clear this place is valued among the local community. Our experience was extraordinary to a point we returned for two consecutive nights. Fresh meat prepared on an open fire grill making a focal point of the room. Smily and friendly staff make it pleasure to watch the meat being prepared frequently stopping conversations at the table while we were just gazing into the fire. The food clearly is aimed for the meat eaters but there is also good range of sea food on offer. Steak tartare, beef fillet, ribs all made perfectly to order and definitely fresh. Points to observe: ageing is clearly a different process here and without air drying involved. Regardless, you get a perfect cut of beef that is soft and tender leaving more room for a conversation across the table rather than for chewing. To be on the safe side I had my meat medium but it was more on the rare side. No complaints as it followed steak tartare and fits my preference but for those wanting their meat just pink probably worth asking the lovely cook to allow couple of minutes more on the fire. If we ever in Fecamp again we will be back. Please visit, don't be afraid to give Jo Jo a hug and tip well (they are extremely shy about tips here for some reason). Dinner for three with a bottle of...

Unfortunately a really horrible experience during what it was supposed to be a nice romantic dinner. Service is a Complete disaster: orders were not taken for longer than 30 mins after arrival (it is a very small place!); a simple starter like plate of veggies didn’t arrive for another 20 mins, and represented a very cheap poor selection of low quality products ( e.g.: horrible tasteless tomatoes in the middle of summer!!!!). Main dish unfortunately followed the pattern: third of the ordered meat (beef and lamb) was impossible to chew, very very low quality.

Unless owner changes something, we are definitely not...