Shrimping for lunch by Madeleine Zhang 
| Les Tourelles, overlooking the beach, serves the best seafood lunch in town. Photo courtesy of Les Tourelles. |
A homely seaside town just two hours' drive from Paris, Le Crotoy's reputation for the freshest seafood is immediately clear from the wide choice of busy restaurants by the port. Families also visit for the bird-watching on the sand dunes, the war memorials, and the miniature steam train-and to hunt for their own shrimps on the beach. But, if you didn't bring your nets, Les Tourelles serves a great lunch.A colored sandcastle
With its bright seaside look, like a sandcastle that has been colored in, this restaurant offers a pleasing contrast to its nearby rivals, and the deck outside has an unobstructed view of the beach and bay. A cauldron of their piping hot moules marinières and fries makes a filling starter, followed by a giant platter of seafood that glistens with oysters, hearty whelks, glossy black winkles, sweet-fleshed delicate spider crabs, prawns, tiny tender grey shrimps-to be eaten whole-with mussels, clams, and razor clams. Everything is ultra-fresh and, for less than 70 euro ($90) for two, it's hard to imagine a better lunch venue. Although seafood strongly dominates, there are other dishes on the menu, such as hare stew or braised duck for carnivores--and vegetarians are catered for, too. Three-course set menus are available for 21 euro ($28) and 31 euro ($42), without wine. The wine list is compact and features one or two curiosities-the white Beaujolais, for example, is a revelation. My only complaint was the slowness of service (I visited last March). I wasn't in a hurry, but if you have ravenous children in tow, ask how long the meal will take before sitting down. Les Tourelles, 2-4 rue Pierre Guerlain, 80550 Le Crotoy; tel. +33 (0)32227-1633; e-mail: info@lestourelles.com; website: www.lestourelles.com/hotel.php?Nlg=en |
