Boulogne/Calais area

[Harters]

Looking for a nice leisurely lunch before catching a late afternoon ferry.

Any thoughts?

[David Naylor]

try http://www.restaurant-lechannel.com/intro.php?id=537

ate there a few times and never dissapointed.

david

[bakerestates]

I am also seeking places to eat though up to 2.5 hours from Calais. Been to Chateau Montreuil before. Also, a good small hotel or B&B for a long weekend.

Thanks

[Spike L]

Short drive out of Boulogne: http://www.lhostelleriedelariviere.fr/engl...la-riviere.html

Stayed and ate there a few times a couple of years back, unless much has changed I had no complaints whatsoever, good food and good room

[Harters]

In the end we went to Aquaraile, which has an absolutely cracking location on the second floor of an apartment block, overlooking the beach and the harbour entrance. There is an “a la carte” menu but we went for the 45 EU “Menu Gourmand”.

There was an amuse of a liver mousse which, in itself, was rather bland but it was served with a drizzle of a very intense consommé.

We both started with the “assiette de fruits de mer”. This brought each of us a plate of whelks, winkles, grey shrimps, three oysters, a couple of prawns and a langoustine. Served with bread, mayo and vinegary/oniony sauce.

My partner then had a fillet steak. Excellent béarnaise sauce and pretty good chips. I went for the tagine of monkfish. Perfectly cooked fish poached in fish stock. The stock had also cooked some rice, courgette and carrot which now formed almost a soup.

The cheese course offered an excellent selection and we asked the waiter to pick us some from the immediate area.

For dessert, I had a chocolate fondant but, instead of melted chocolate, the centre was a citrus sauce. Served with some slices of orange and ice cream, this was great. My partner had “Traditionnel Calais” – a coffee cake, with coffee icing and espresso ice cream. Another winner!

Edited May 9, 2009 by Harters (log)