Le Nautique — Restaurant in Le Havre

Tuesday evening, off-season. In Yport, only four restaurants were open that night… and luckily, we chose Le Nautique. The doors opened at 6:30 pm, and we were among the first to arrive – only to find that all tables were already reserved. But no panic: the staff worked their magic and managed to squeeze us in. Clearly, this place is both guest-focused and solution-oriented.

But that said: better make a reservation — because not even 30 minutes after opening, every table was indeed taken.

Also worth noting: dogs are welcome, which makes it a great option for guests traveling with pets.

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Why so popular? The starters alone explained everything.

We ordered the herring salad and the seafood platter (Bord de Mer). Everything was super fresh and incredibly tasty. Honestly, I’ve never had herring so mild, tender, and flavorful – worlds apart from the pickled stuff we are used from home. The seafood – shrimp, snails, oysters – was just perfect. The platter was generous enough that my partner got to sneak a few bites too - with my blessing… mostly ;)

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On to the mains: cod and skate wing. Both were perfectly cooked – tender, juicy, full of flavor. Skate was a first for me… and a revelation. It immediately became my new favorite fish. Back home, I started looking for a fishmonger who sells skate – and luckily, I found one. Now I can bring the taste of Le Nautique home by cooking their skate dish myself.

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And yes, the portions here are no joke. By the time the mains arrived, we were already wondering how we’d finish everything. Each dish came with sides of rice and vegetables – and though delicious, I had to leave some behind in the name of dessert planning. Priorities!

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A quick shout-out to the little extras: Before the meal, we were served a small, lovely bowl of olives and a little basket of excellent bread – on the house. These days, that’s not something to take for granted, and we appreciated it all the more. Bonus points: when the bread ran out, they refilled the basket without even asking. Super attentive!

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Speaking of service: The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. You can really tell everyone here works as a team – especially when the chef himself pops out of the kitchen to help serve dishes!

And for us tourists, it’s always a relief when you can ask questions in English. So when it came to any additional menu questions, there were absolutely no problems here.

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Dessert? But of course! We always order a Café Gourmand in France if it’s on the menu – because who wants to choose just one dessert? ;) Here, the espresso came with four mini desserts: coconut flan, chocolate mousse, panna cotta with strawberry sauce, and crème catalana. All four were so good, we didn’t know what to eat first… or last.

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Long story short: Three-course menus for under €30 per person… at that price, the quality, freshness, and portion sizes are truly outstanding: Locally sourced ingredients, skillfully prepared – it’s hard to beat.

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Conclusion: This restaurant is an absolute gem. A true highlight in Yport (and far beyond) – this restaurant deserves 5 stars all the way!

Merci beaucoup for a delicious & fantastic evening!

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P.S.: The cider was excellent, too. And since Le Nautique proudly uses only regional products, we ended up visiting the cidrerie near Goderville a few days later (just 15 km away), to bring home a whole crate of that delicious Cidre Doux as a...

Vor 2 Wochen war ich mit meiner Frau zu Ihrem Geburtstag zum Mittagessen im familiengeführten Restaurant Le Nautique, dass wir z.Gl. vortags reservierten. Unsere beiden größeren Hunde durften auch mit. Der Chef wollte uns zuerst an einen Tisch wegen den Hunden im schattigeren Hinterhof setzen. Doch das war uns dann doch etwas zu abseits. Die Separees an der Straßenseite, mit jeweils 2 kleinen Tischen besetzt, hatten uns mehr zugesagt. Alles kein Problem und ruckizucki räumte der Chef einen der beiden Tische und dessen Stühle auf die Seite und wir hatten das Separee für uns alleine. Den 2.Tisch auf die Seite zu stellen bräuchte er nicht, meinte ich zu ihm. Doch, antwortete er, denn er hat selber Hunde und weiß genügend Platz für die Hunde zu schätzen. So etwas tolles haben wir noch nie erlebt. Das Lokal war später komplett ausgebucht und diesen 2.Tisch hätte er also locker mit weiteren Gästen besetzen können. Anschließend wurden wir von seiner sympatisch-netten Tochter und dessen Cousine bedient. Wir haben viel gelacht, es war einfach herrlich natürlich, nichts aufgesetztes und sehr unkompompliziert. Die Hunde bekamen sofort Wasser und wir starteten zur Feier des Tages mit einem Gläschen süffigen Champagner. Zur Weinempfehlung für das Menü kam wieder der Chef zu uns und der von ihm empfohlene Rosé war sagenhaft gut. Von den Vorspeisen Meeresfrüchte u. Bouillabaisse waren wir schon mal sehr angetan, richtig lecker. Die Hauptspeise Flügelrochen haben uns ebenfalls im warsten Sinne des Wortes beflügelt, wobei die Butterversion m.E. die bessere Variante ist. Aber ist alles bekanntlich Geschmackssache. Und das Desserte war dann mit dem Café Gourmant die Krönung. Das wurde sogar mit einem brennenden Kerzchen von der ganzen Servicecrew serviert und sangen dazu ein französisches Geburtstagslied. Ist das nicht rührig? Fazit: Ich schreibe selten Rezensionen, aber das unglaublich tolle Erlebnis in allen Belangen musste als großes Dankeschön an das komplette Nauticque-Team/Familie...

This place is fantastic and I almost don't want to tell the world about it because it will get too crowded and then raise their prices. I had fish (raie) and it was delicious! My friend had the assortment and she also enjoyed hers very much. Many people were having their moules and frites which looked great. The staff were wonderful and came out and sang happy birthday to my friend. The experience was great and the prices were...