At the foot of the majestic Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral, the restaurant l’Alcôve offers a bistronomic cuisine that puts local products in the spotlight.
Formerly known as Le P’tit Bistrot, this restaurant has undergone a complete makeover, but chef Romain Huault and his team have managed to preserve all the culinary qualities of the establishment.
In this article, you will find the story of our experience at the Alcôve table in pictures, and our opinion on this refined and inventive cuisine.
This review is completely independent, we ate anonymously and paid our bill in full.
Why eat at L’Alcôve restaurant in Bayeux?
Is L’Alcôve restaurant worth it? Our review
In our opinion, culinary discovery is an integral part of the trip. Bayeux is a town in Normandy with a very good offer of restaurants for all tastes, for our greatest happiness.
The restaurant l’Alcôve is one of the first where we had the opportunity to dine and it is for us one of the best tables of the city in front of the Cathedral Notre-Dame of Bayeux.
We particularly appreciated it:
- the finesse of the marriage of flavors, from the appetizer to the dessert,
- the dressing and visual presentation of the dishes,
- theintimacy of the place,
- the quality of the service and the perfect sequence of dishes to enjoy and savor every moment of the meal.
DISCOVER Bayeux
- Best things to do in Bayeux
- Where to sleep in Bayeux: our best hotels
- Rent a car in Bayeux
- Where to eat in Bayeux: our best restaurants
- Visit the Bayeux Tapestry Museum
- Visit the Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History
- Visit the Battle of Normandy Museum
- Discover the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Bayeux
- Discover the British Military Cemetery
What you will eat
Chef Romain Huault’s cuisine is very contemporary, inventive and fine. At the heart of his creations, local products and French gastronomic heritage are set to music with Asian and Mediterranean influences.
Between the alliance of tastes and textures to find the perfect balance, you will be transported from the appetizer to the dessert, through the cheeses. As here, the snacked scallops combined with the cooked Brussels sprouts melt in your mouth. The espuma, or mousse, of wasabi is very light and sweetens the texture of the dish at the same time. A treat!
The menu remains varied and is renewed every week. Coastal fishing, vegetarian dish, tartar… Different types of cooking for all tastes, the whole sprinkled with spicy notes, slightly spiced to sublimate the ingredients.
A beautiful, warm, harmonious and refined cuisine that really took us on a journey into the chef’s world.
The quantities are generous without excess and the plates are well linked, all very well thought out!
What we ate:
- Appetizer: homemade hummus, pine nuts and homemade grain bread.
- Starters: snacked scallops / wasabi espuma / Brussels sprouts, smoked mullet and gravlax served warm / open celery raviole / kalamata olives.
- Dishes: caught hake of the day / cream of lettuce / braised sucrine heart / milk gnocchi, miso crusted filet mignon / mushrooms / sweet potato dauphine / colonnata bacon.
- Cheeses: neufchâtel and livarot, served with Calvados prunes and young shoots.
- Desserts: meringue cylinder / coconut / black sesame / mango, homemade yogurt / milk jam / puffed wheat granola.
- Mignardises: meringues of the chef with curry.
What you will drink
On the menu, white, red and rosé wines, all with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), will be the perfect accompaniment to the chef’s creations. The staff will be able to advise you when making your choice. Alsace, Loire, Burgundy, Provence or South-West, L’Alcôve offers wines from different regions of France known for their wine know-how.
We opted for a Loire wine: red Sancerre, light and fruity, with its notes of red fruits, to accompany our meal.
On the menu, you will also have a wide choice of strong alcohols, some of them made in Normandy (gin, rum, vodka)! But also cider, perry, soft drinks and digestives such as the very famous Calvados of the Billy Farm, 12 years old, cider factory of the region. And of course hot drinks to close the meal.
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The atmosphere of the restaurant L’Alcôve
The atmosphere is intimate and warm at the same time. Sufficient light but slightly subdued, tables spaced out for a space on the first floor as well as on the first floor quite airy.
In the heart of the Old Bayeux facing the cathedral, the restaurant has been completely refurbished in warm and autumnal colors for a cosy atmosphere.
We really appreciated this chic bistro atmosphere without any fuss.
The restaurant staff was really attentive to make us feel comfortable during our meal. The service was well conducted and the rhythm of the sequence of dishes or passages at our table very balanced.
Why is L’Alcôve restaurant famous?
Chef Romain Huault and his team have given a new lease on life to this exceptional place in Bayeux. After 8 years under the name of P’tit Bistrot, the restaurant has undergone a complete overhaul while maintaining the gastronomic quality and originality as well as the finesse of its dishes.
In addition to delighting your taste buds, the restaurant L’Alcôve is ideally located: a stone’s throw from the Bayeux Tapestry Museum and facing the imposing Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral. When you leave the restaurant in the evening, you will be able to admire this huge building illuminated in front of you. A beautiful show to close the evening.
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Practical information: restaurant L’Alcôve, Bayeux, Normandy
Type of restaurant
Refined bistronomy.
Schedules
The restaurant L’Alcôve in Bayeux is open:
- Tuesday from 12:00 to 1:30 pm,
- Wednesday to Saturday from 12 to 1:30 pm and from 7 to 9 pm,
- closed Sunday and Monday.
Where is the restaurant l’Alcôve in Bayeux
The restaurant L’Alcôve is located at 31 ter Rue Larcher in Bayeux (14400) in Normandy.
- Driving time from Caen: 30min.
- Driving time from Mont-Saint-Michel: 1h30min.
- Driving time from Ouistreham: 35min.
WHERE TO STAY IN Bayeux
Option 1: Central and close to downtown
Within 5 to 10 minutes’ walk of the historic center, you’ll find beautiful mansions transformed into welcoming hotels and B&Bs. We recommend..:
- Hotel Domaine de Bayeux installed in an 18th century mansion – see prices, photos and availability.
- Hôtel le Lion d’Or in a former 18th-century post office building – see prices, photos, availability.
Option 2: in the countryside
The Normandy countryside is very green and inspiring. At the bend in the forest or in the fields, pretty villages with beautiful buildings transport you to another world, or even another era.
- Hotel Domaine de la Rançonnière, only 20 minutes from Bayeux – see prices, photos and availability.
Option 3: By the sea
The seaside is just 15 minutes drive from Bayeux. Breathe the sea air while enjoying easy access to Bayeux and the D-Day beaches.
- Hotel Villas d’Arromanches – see prices, photos and availability.
How to get there
The easiest way to get there is by car, but you can also reach Bayeux by train with 13 trips per day, only 2h30 from Paris.
See available timetables and book your train and coach tickets now.
In the heart of Old Bayeux, not far from the half-timbered houses, narrow cobbled streets, the restaurant very well placed in the city. It is within walking distance of all points of tourist interest.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Parking
We advise you to park in the small streets around the restaurant or in the paid parking lot in front of the restaurant just behind the cathedral. Indeed, parking in the historic center is not necessarily easy. And it’s also more pleasant to walk or bike around!
The menus
A menu is proposed under several formulas:
- lunch in 2, 3 or 4 parts: starter / main course or main course / dessert, starter / main course / dessert or starter / main course / cheese / dessert at a moderate price.
- In the evening, a dinner in 3 or 4 courses according to your desires.
Children under 10 also have their own menu with meat or fish accompanied by vegetables, a drink and two scoops of ice cream for dessert.
Is the Alcove restaurant family friendly?
Completely! The reception of the team was very pleasant, you can go there with your children with your eyes closed. The staff was helpful, high chairs are available and the restrooms are equipped with a changing table.
Your stroller will also find its place in this intimate restaurant, do not hesitate to mention it at the time of your reservation.
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The bill
Very good value for money for this bistronomic restaurant with a menu in 4 times and drinks the whole at about 50€ per person on the evening service. The menu is in a classic price range (in 3 times at 22€ for lunch, excluding drinks, at 40€ in 4 times for dinner, excluding drinks).
Reservation and contact
- Reservations can only be made by telephone on 02 31 92 30 08.
- If you want to know more about the restaurant L’Alcôve in Bayeux, you can visit their official website.
Our top 3 things to do in Bayeux
Stroll through the alleys of the historic center
In a setting that is both authentic and warm, we were seduced by the charm of the historic heart of Bayeux. Indeed, the medieval architecture is well preserved. Take the time to stroll through the small streets of the center!
There is a lot to see while walking in Old Bayeux:
- the old half-timbered houses, mansions or manor houses with turrets all over downtown,
- the cobbled streets where their windows of craftsmen anddelicatessens display local products will surely make you envious,
- the tourist wonders of the city remained intact despite the Second World War.
You will also have the possibility to visit Bayeux:
- by taking the little tourist train of the city,
- by following the explanatory markers and the bronze nails on the path of the Old Bayeux walking tour.
Visit the Bayeux Tapestry Museum
The Bayeux Tapestry, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is on display in the town’s former Major Seminary, or former Catholic college. Also, this exceptional embroidery tells thestory of the conquest of England in the 11th century by the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror. The Bayeux Tapestry is 68 meters long and about 70 cm wide, 50 cm of which are devoted to the embroidery itself. It is a didactic narrative in 58 scenes based on the model of a stained glass window. Historically, the design of this narrative embroidery was commissioned to adorn the nave of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Bayeux.
Read our article dedicated to the Bayeux Tapestry with many photos and tips to make the most of your visit.
Visit the Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Bayeux is a centerpiece of the Old Bayeux circuit. With its medieval architecture, its stained glass windows, its crypt as well as its Romanesque and Gothic styles, it is a place not to be missed. The famous Bayeux Tapestry would have been embroidered in the 11th century to decorate its nave. If you go down into the crypt of the cathedral, be sure to look up to see the 15th century frescoes of the musical angels. In short, a listed monument not to be missed, illuminated from sunset onwards, which is also one of the stops on the Bayeux tourist train.
Read our article dedicated to the Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral to find all our tips and our experience of visiting this magical place.
And to learn more:
