Les Vapeurs — Restaurant in Lisieux

L’anchois superstar, la pomme sous Prozac

Trouville, samedi soir. Premier rendez-vous avec Les Vapeurs, institution locale où tout le monde semble jouer un rôle : le couple bourgeois en marinière, le serveur au clin d’œil semi-professionnel, et moi, solo, prêt à voir si la légende tient dans l’assiette ou juste dans le miroir.

Spoiler : l’entrée m’a giflé (dans le bon sens). Une rosace d’anchois frais, généreuse comme un dimanche en Normandie. Tellement bien présentée qu’on hésite entre Instagrammer ou l’applaudir. Frais, salin, parfait avec les pommes de terre — un plat qui vous regarde dans les yeux et dit : "Je suis simple, mais je sais ce que je fais."

Derrière, le maquereau grillé arrive sans prétention. Cuisson maîtrisée, pas de chichi. Pas là pour briller, juste là pour être bon — et il l’est. Un vrai poisson qui ne cherche pas la lumière, mais qui fait son boulot mieux que beaucoup de vedettes.

Et puis… la tarte aux pommes. Tiède, molle, fade. Comme une conversation polie qu’on n’a pas envie de prolonger. Heureusement, la crème normande qui l’accompagne est une bénédiction. Une crème si dense qu’on pourrait poser des étagères dessus. J’ai failli lui demander son numéro.

Le service est comme la mer un jour calme : professionnel, un peu charmeur si on tend l’oreille, et efficace sans vous coller. Mention spéciale aux serveurs mignons comme des pubs pour ciré jaune.

Conclusion ? J’y retourne. Pour les anchois, pour le décor sans bois mais pas sans cachet, et pour cette ambiance mi-bourgeoise mi-côte d’Albâtre où l’on vient autant pour manger que pour être vu. C’est un théâtre de brasserie : les plats parlent, les regards aussi.

Anchovy stardom and a tart with stage fright

Saturday night in Trouville. First time at Les Vapeurs, that old-school institution where the decor glints, the locals hold court, and the waiters have that half-smile that says, “I know this isn’t your first glass.” You sit, and immediately feel like you’ve entered mid-scene in a movie you didn’t know you were in.

Then the anchovies arrive.

Laid out like edible origami, fresh as gossip and twice as sharp — they land with confidence. Paired with silky potatoes in oil, it’s a dish that doesn’t shout, just raises an eyebrow and wins. Pure brasserie brilliance: local, direct, no filter.

The mackerel that followed was no diva, but a good understudy. Nicely grilled, no saucey distractions, just fish doing what fish should do. Respect.

Then came the apple tart — warm, which it didn’t need to be. The apples? Bland. Nervous. Like they'd missed rehearsal. But the cream — thick, sinful, unapologetically rich — almost stole the whole show. Honestly, it could’ve carried the dessert alone and deserved its own listing on the menu.

Service? Snappy, charming, and occasionally easy on the eyes — especially if you like your seafood served with a side of smirk. No complaints.

Would I go back? Absolutely. For the anchovies, for the show, and for that very French feeling of being both spectator and cast.

中文 — 凤尾鱼出彩，苹果塔下线：Trouville的老派小剧场

周六晚上，第一次走进 Trouville 的 Les...

First of all, the staff seems to not care about the customer at all. We were standing next to two waiters, waiting to ask for a table and they just continued their little chat fully ignoring us. Then it took them about half an hour to come ask for the drinks while other people who arrived later got asked first. Maybe they didn’t see us or forgot about us. The food was quite nice and flavourful and the portions were enough to be full. However it was very hard to get the attention of the waiters, some were very busy but there were others who seemed to not be so busy, wandering around and ignoring us. When I got my desert, my spoon was literally thrown onto the table, the waitress slammed my desert onto the table like she was very busy. However whenever I observed her, she just looked around and was very slow doing her tasks. Food was a 8/10 but the service kind of ruined the overall experience Service however 2/10 except for that one servant who, despite being the only one fully doing his job and being very busy, cared to explain and answer to...

(French comments below)

For those who knew "LES VAPEURS", you may fall from high.

Now you will need to add 6,50€ to eat a very small plate of French fries with mussels, the Moules Marinieres (the flagship dish of the Brasserie). They were before always included in the price, generously.. The price of the Moules Marinieres is up to 1,50€, plus the 6,5€ of French fries. 23€ for a typical brasserie dish... And yes, I said "French fries" but they are more little sticks soft, very greasy and tasteless! And they said, they were fresh and homemade? Homemade since several weeks may be...but not from today for sure. What I loved as crazy before we the little fresh mushroom salad with fresh coriander, so tempting and refreshing in the summer. No, it is not existing anymore.. Belive it or not but for 13€, we got a mini salad of mushrooms without any taste at all, with so small and few pieces of coriander. And no dressing at all. Where is my lemon ? Olive oil? They then asked the lemon at the bar! And the bread, so important here in France, totally soft and without taste, like the one we can get in the supermarket down the street basically!

"LES VAPEURS" do not exist anymore I am afraid. And when we asked to know why, and if we could have a litle chat to understand what changed so much in a year, they told us with a gloomy look, "he is on holidays". Aren't we the 25 of August 23, in the middle heart of the summer season ?

Only poor tourists and "pigeons" will buy the address and its reputation, they will be able to do a picture with gloomy waiters to put it on Instagram, if a fly is not falling in their plate, as lot were flying around, the best of the evening we thought..

The regulars will not eat there anymore..Pour ceux qui ont connu « les vapeurs », vous allez tomber de haut !

Sachez qu’il faudra désormais ajouter 6,50€ pour manger une petite assiette de frites avec ses moules (le plat phare de la brasserie Trouvillaise), alors qu’elles ont toujours été servies généreusement et sans supplément.

D’ailleurs le prix de la moule marinière a pris insidieusement 1,50€.

J’ai dit des « frites », mais ce sont plutôt de petits batônnets sans forme trempés dans un vieux bain d’huile. Une horreur.

Que dire de cette petite salade de champignons à la coriandre tellement appétissante et rafraichissante par le passé ? Difficile de se régaler avec un petit tas de champignons grossièrement coupés dans l’assiette, servi sans sauce et donc sans goût (13€). Quant au pain, il est mou et sans saveur.

« Les vapeurs » n’existent plus hélas. D’ailleurs le patron qui incarnait si bien le lieu et veillait au grain a disparu. Il est vacances, en plein cœur de la saison.

Les touristes et les pigeons de passage « achèteront » l’adresse incontournable, le lieu… Ils pourront y faire une petite photo pour le compte Instagram, si une mouche ne vient pas se coller sur leur assiette.

Les habitués, eux, ne s’y...