Hôtel Restaurant L'Albatros — Restaurant in Rochefort

After a long hot journey, we pulled into the sparkling white drive and pulled up outside this sharp modern hotel set amongst houses and pine trees.||We were warmly greeted by receptionist, Isabelle, and shown to our garden facing room on the ground floor whilst saying Wow at the view at the front of the hotel. Our room, number 9, was massive! A huge, very comfortable bed, a small terrace looking out on to a tropical looking garden and a white building with a sauna sign on it (the building turned out to be a storage building). The bathroom showed us that the room was an accessible room, with a large shower, basin and loo and enough space for a tennis match.||We wanted to explore the rest of the hotel so left the room and found our way onto the terrace - the view was amazing with water lapping up to the wall. We immediately booked for dinner. You couldn’t imagine a more romantic place to eat and watch the sun go down. Dinner was super - friendly staff, an interesting menu and a great wine list.||We later learnt about the tides on Ile d’Orleron, and unlike most places that look out on to a sort of industrial oyster production landscape, the hotel looked out on to a Sandy beach at low tide and the little town of La Tremblade and the bridge in the far, far distance.||As far as the rear view bedroom was concerned we felt that after a day in the blazing sun the cool of the garden was preferable.||The lovely staff with their helpful advice made our stay on the island a memorable one. We booked...

After a long hot journey, we pulled into the sparkling white drive and pulled up outside this sharp modern hotel set amongst houses and pine trees.||We were warmly greeted by receptionist, Isabelle, and shown to our garden facing room on the ground floor whilst saying Wow at the view at the front of the hotel. Our room, number 9, was massive! A huge, very comfortable bed, a small terrace looking out on to a tropical looking garden and a white building with a sauna sign on it (the building turned out to be a storage building). The bathroom showed us that the room was an accessible room, with a large shower, basin and loo and enough space for a tennis match.||We wanted to explore the rest of the hotel so left the room and found our way onto the terrace - the view was amazing with water lapping up to the wall. We immediately booked for dinner. You couldn’t imagine a more romantic place to eat and watch the sun go down. Dinner was super - friendly staff, an interesting menu and a great wine list.||We later learnt about the tides on Ile d’Orleron, and unlike most places that look out on to a sort of industrial oyster production landscape, the hotel looked out on to a Sandy beach at low tide and the little town of La Tremblade and the bridge in the far, far distance.||As far as the rear view bedroom was concerned we felt that after a day in the blazing sun the cool of the garden was preferable.||The lovely staff with their helpful advice made our stay on the island a memorable one. We booked...

You couldn't expect a better sited hotel. At the end of a residential street, outside and away from the hustle and bustle of the town/village centre, in a pretty little garden, you suddenly discover this gem of a hotel, right on the sea.

Right on it - you do wonder at breakfast if the tide will come in right over your toes!

Mind you, the rooms are a tad small and the prices a tad steep - but high season on a lovely island, it is to be expected that you are paying le prix fort.

There are walks along the sandy shore and through the forest - a real delight.

And then there's the food . . .

Book well in advance

We were amazed that we could hardly park when we arrived. The car park and the garden were jam-packed full with cars, all French ones. We soon discovered that this restaurant is so well-regarded that you had to book well in advance, and we were lucky that we were prepared to wait.

And it was worth the wait indeed.

Position unbeatable, watching the tide come in and then go out - it is right on the waterfront.

Some of the best sea-fresh food ever. Try the Mouclade. Try the sea bass. Try the . . . well, anything really!

Delicious if pricey.

But...