Leo's Cafe Vernon — Restaurant in Les Andelys

What you can expect: Classic French Pastries, general cafe faire, and a nice dude behind the counter.

What will make you love this place: Fantastic home-made Mexican food, local beer and spirits, good prices, and a Baltimore native that's living his best life with his wife.

We had just visited the Monet house during the recent heat wave and needed food to for the long drive out to Mont St Michel. We drove over to the Giverny city center and found Leo's Cafe, an unassuming little corner restaurant. Upon entering, Zak pleasantly greeted us in French, then noticed we were American and transitioned to American accented English. This was the most welcome surprise after spending two weeks in Europe and the hodgepodge of languages spoken within. He cooked us some of the best food in France (who would have thought traditional Mexican food would be it!) and offered us a cold beer and margaritas. He and my friend got into a deep conversation about physics and the faux-pas of traveling abroad, and shared a bit of his story. The food was incredible, Zak and his wife are awesome people, and Leo the dog is as good of a boy as can be. The next time we go to France, we'll be...

Having a meal here is a delight. The owner, Zac, makes you feel right at home and comfortable in a relaxed, unassuming way. My family of 6 came back to eat here twice in two days because the food was so delicious. Whether you try the quesadillas, burritos or bowls, the meat is tender and flavorful, combining with all of the other fresh ingredients to give you excellent Tex-Mex food with a flavor in each bite. The portions are generous. Try the homemade guacamole and chips, different hot sauces and Leo’s Cafe beer. We also enjoyed the homemade muffins, milkshakes and coffee. Visitors to Giverny and residents of Vernon are lucky to be able to enjoy Zac’s cuisine. It’s a fun change from typical French cuisine and offers a welcome touch of home to Americans...

I visited ‘Leo’s cafe’ after stepping off the train in Vernon. Recently opened by super host Zac, his place is very close to the train station, so if you’re looking to fill up before heading to Giverny, I recommend coming here! As an Australian, finding coffee the way it is made back home has been difficult in Europe. However Zac spent some time travelling in Australia, which is where he fell in love with coffee, so naturally my cafe latte was creamy and delicious, and not too hot!

I also had one of his homemade muffins; apple & cinnamon if I remember correctly, which was absolutely wonderful. Overall a very pleasant experience and would return again if I ever find myself in Vernon in the future....