You know how much I love culinary delights and how much I appreciate eating well! In fact, when I visit a region or a country, I am just as eager to discover its cultural wealth as I am its gastronomic wealth. I think it is part of the true joy of exploring a territory. That is why I have put together a special article on Breton gastronomy to complement my first article about the Côtes d’Armor, featuring a selection of specialties and great spots to taste them…
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Table of Contents
A small selection of Breton specialties
To start, here is a small selection of local specialties (not exhaustive, of course!) to enjoy on-site or to bring back in your suitcases:
- Boujaron, a maritime heritage brandy made from Goëlo county ciders, used for hundreds of years to pay sailors setting off for the “Grande Pêche” (Grand Banks fishing). Today, this spirit has been revived by Jacques Barreau-Botrel and it is definitely a local specialty to bring back from your getaway in the region.
- The Saint-Jacques scallop from the Bay of Saint-Brieuc is very famous. The Port d’Armor (in Saint-Quay) is the #1 French fishing port for scallops.
- Cider from Brittany, obviously, and I highly recommend you try the one from the Goëlo County.
- Still in the drink category, don’t forget that you can also find local beers in Brittany; for my part, I tasted an organic buckwheat beer called Telenn Du.
Several years ago, I discovered the brand Henri Le Roux, specialized in creating chocolates and caramels (€8.20 per 100g) which is actually produced in Brittany. But for Parisian foodies, there are several brand boutiques in the capital!
Several years ago, I discovered the brand The Brittany Discovery Box by Henri Le Roux is an invitation to travel to the land of salted butter and crepes, with a special selection featuring 6 chocolate candies.
Price: €7.20 per box
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My Favorite Spots in Binic and Saint-Quay-Portrieux
To make the most of all these good things, here is my small selection of great spots in Binic and Saint-Quay-Portrieux:
The “Beach Aperitif” basket from the Delicatessen
This charming boutique with a pirate vibe is run by Vincent and offers many gourmet, typically Breton products, including the famous Boujaron I mentioned above. Vincent has just launched his “beach aperitif” baskets so you can enjoy all these treats in a natural spot or by the sea. Everything is planned, from savory to sweet, drinks, all necessary meal items (cutlery, napkin, cutting board, etc.), and finally the wicker basket to carry it all. All that’s left is to find a nice spot to relax!
Price: from €35 for 6 people
L’Épicerie Fine 1 place de l'église 22520 Binic
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Le Via Costa
Le Via Costa is a lounge restaurant and the perfect place to sip a little cocktail with your feet in the sand and a sea view.
Must-try: one of their house non-alcoholic cocktails (€7.50) to load up on fruit!
Via Costa Plage du Moulin 22680 Étables sur Mer
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La Maison de Léa, restaurant and creperie
This former shipowner’s house, located on the port of Binic, now houses a creperie that offers Breton specialties in a very nice setting.
Must-try: the house mussels and fries (I personally tried the cider version for €12.50), a small crepe for dessert (the one with lemon juice below for €3.70, my favorite), all accompanied of course by a bit of cider.
The little extra: the 2 elevated terraces with a panoramic view of the port.
La Maison de Léa Quai de Courcy Binic
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A la Table de Margot
A very fine dining spot with gourmet cuisine, installed in the oldest house in Binic, dating back to 1679. This restaurant, which earned 1 toque in the 2016 Gault & Millau guide and which I highly recommend, highlights local producers and offers regional products.
Must-try: the scallops and coastal fish, which come directly from the Saint-Quay fish market.
A la Table de Margot
7 place de l’Église 22520 Binic
Price: menus at €29, €36, €42, or €55_
La Crêperie du Port
This lunch was the occasion for a purely Breton experience with a great lesson on crepe flipping on the traditional “bilig” (crepe griddle) with Géraldine and then tasting a crepe menu.
Price of the menu + crepe shaping lesson: €18
La Crêperie du Port
50 quai de la République St-Quay-Portrieux
Pro tip: lunch menu with a galette + a dessert + a drink and a coffee at €11.50_
Restaurant Signatures
The restaurant of this charming hotel offers cuisine elaborated with local food where seafood plays an important role. We enjoyed the Gourmand menu at €29 that evening, which I’ll let you discover in the photos below. It was very decent overall, even if some dishes lacked finesse for my taste.
Price: menus at €29, €39, and €49
Restaurant Signatures 72 boulevard Foch 22410 St-Quay-Portrieux open every day for lunch and dinner, closed on Monday
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Les Cochons Flingueurs
This spot, very popular with the residents of Saint-Quay, is both a bar and a restaurant, and it’s the perfect place for a little Breton aperitif in a lively and friendly setting.
Must-try: cocktails (between €7 and €9), a very fine selection of rums (between €3 and €8), local beers, etc.
Les Cochons Flingueurs Plage du Casino St-Quay-Portrieux open Monday from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM and Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 11:45 PM
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La Crêperie La Géolette
This spot also makes crepes to go which I tasted and they are delicious!
La Crêperie La Géolette 1 boulevard Clémenceau 22520 Binic in season from Monday to Sunday from 10 AM to 9 PM non-stop Takeaway available in particular
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L’Epicave
The other delicatessen in Binic, which also offers a whole bunch of local and Breton products.
Epicerie fine l'Epicave 5 place le Pommelec 22520 Binic
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I hope that with all this I have made you want to discover or re-discover Brittany, and if you also have your own favorite spots for eating in the area, feel free to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Mademoiselle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization mandatory before any use
