In one of the small streets that go up from the old basin, the restaurant La Fleur de Sel is a very good gastronomic address in Honfleur.
Here, the chef, Vincent Guyon, revisits the classics with a touch of creativity that makes his cuisine unique, full of emotions and mixed flavors.
In this article, the story of our dinner, with many photos and all the practical information to enjoy this inspired and inspiring cuisine.
This review is completely independent, we ate anonymously and paid our bill in full.
Why eat at La Fleur de Sel
Is the Fleur de Sel restaurant worth it? Our review
Eating well in a tourist town is not necessarily easy, and the Fleur de Sel offers us a beautiful menu in the heart of Honfleur. We liked it:
- The mix of influences in the plate, which tints the classics of French gastronomy with a touch of elsewhere. The beef tartar with oysters will be accompanied by the Japanese mizuna salad with grilled rice. The pigeon will be cooked in a crust of satay spices that smell good Southeast Asia…
- For the sober decoration, but which mixes textures (leather, wood, oak beams…) with dishes that we would have gladly taken with us at the end of the meal.
- for the quality/price ratio, with a first menu starter-main course-dessert at only 35 euros.
DISCOVER Honfleur
- Best things to do in Honfleur
- Where to sleep in Honfleur: our best hotels
- Where to eat in Honfleur: our best restaurants
- Visit the surpicious Sainte Catherine’s Church
- Discover the Eugène Boudin Museum
- Honfleur or Deauville or Cabourg: where to go?
What you will eat there
It is difficult to describe Vincent Guyon’s cuisine, as it is so out of the traditional framework. You can feel all the creativity of the chef, balanced between local products and influences from other continents.
The cuisine is sweet, light, spicy with accuracy, wrapped in juice prepared with care … And yet on the menu, you will find grilled farm pig, saddle of lamb or hot foie gras!
But the chef’s talent is to bring a note of citrus (foie gras, pancakes and lemongrass juice), a spicy flavor (saddle of lamb, chickpeas and carrots with cumin) or to work the dessert into a subtle sweet cloud (Greek yogurt with honey, fig and rosemary compote and roasted pollen).
A true impressionist cuisine that plays with contrasts and is really worth a visit! In fact, the restaurant La Fleur de Sel has taken the top spot on our list of the 15 best restaurants to eat in Honfleur.
What we ate:
- Appetizer: Cream of Porcini mushroom soup, fresh cheese spread with figs, young shoots and snacked bacon.
- Dish: Saddle of Lamb with Garlic Pistou, Creamy Polenta, Chickpeas and Carrot Cumin, Lamb juice.
- Dessert: Greek yogurt cloud with honey, rosemary fig compote, oat granola and roasted pollen.
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What you will drink
The wine list takes you to the beautiful French wine regions, with the most beautiful appellations of each terroir.
In red, the Rhône wines have a special place, but what could be more logical to accompany the delicately spiced cuisine of Vincent Guyon. A special mention for the Cuvée du Papy en Saint Jospeh, an excellent tasting memory a few years ago.
In white, it is on the side of Burgundy which will have to go to seek the beautiful bottles, like this Saint Aubin1er cru of Olivier Leflaive. Who has not seen the mist rising over the charming village of Saint Aubin while tasting one of its unique wines, does not know Burgundy…
Also noteworthy is the possibility of ordering some exceptional bottles, available only under allocation.
The atmosphere of the restaurant
The restaurant La Fleur de Sel is located in a small street, 2 steps from the Old Port and the Place Sainte Catherine with its famous wooden church, in one of the most charming streets of Honfleur.
The atmosphere is hushed but not stuffy. In this old house of the old Honfleur, the beams are visible, the ground in tomette, but we particularly appreciated the luminous environment very well thought which modernizes the unit.
On the table, just like in the kitchen, we mix influences, from the dishes with Asian reflections, to the leather placemat and the velvet benches!
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Why is the restaurant La Fleur de Sel famous?
The chef, Vincent Guyon, learned the trade in Angers, before being trained in the best restaurants in Honfleur (Assiette Gourmande and Ferme Saint Siméon).
Installed since 1999 at the Fleur du Sel, he received the trophy of Young Chef ofChampérard, and quickly obtained his bib in Michelin. Far from closing in on his achievements, he keeps his taste buds open to seize the flavors of the moment.
But the strength of this chef is that he hasnot succumbed to the star system that takes the cuisine of certain chefs into unattainable spheres, preferring instead a carefully prepared cuisine at a moderate price.
Practical information – La Fleur de Sel, restaurant in Honfleur
Type of restaurant:
Gastro/bistronomic
Schedules
From Wednesday noon to Sunday evening
Where is La Fleur de Sel
- Driving time from Rouen: 1h
- Driving time from Evreux: 1h20
- Driving time from Caen: 55min
- Driving time from Alençon: 1h40
- Driving time from Cherbourg: 2h05
WHERE TO STAY IN Honfleur
Option 1:
Choose a historic house near the old port.
- Hotel Absinthe – see prices, photos and availability
Option 2:
Choose a hotel higher up for more peace and quiet while remaining close.
- Hotel La Maison de Lucie – see prices, pictures and availability
Option 3:
A bit of luxury in the surrounding countryside.
- the magnificent Saint-Siméon Farm – see prices, photos and availability
How to get there
The city of Honfleur has been for a long time rather poorly served, even if this has improved (a little) with the construction of the beautiful Pont de Normandie in 1988.
We clearly advise you to opt for the car by renting your car if necessary from Paris.
If you are more adventurous, you can take a train from Paris Saint Lazare either to Le Havre or to Deauville and finish by bus (minimum 3h30 of travel)…
And for having practiced it a lot, we are not sure that the train journeys between Paris and Normandy are much shorter than those told by Marcel Proust at the beginning of the 20th century. A true praise of slowness, or the opportunity to reread the complete ” In Search of Lost Time ” during the trip (7 volumes). It’s up to you!
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
When you think of poor transport links, the seaside and a tourist town, you think of parking problems! Even though the number of parking lots has increased tenfold in the last few years, they can fill up quite quickly in summer. The most convenient way to get to the restaurant La Fleur de Sel is from the parking lot near the public garden, boulevard Charles V.
The city is not very large, so don’t hesitate to jump on the first place you see!
All parking lots in the center are paid and relatively expensive.
The menus
2 types of menu are proposed:
- a first menu with a moderate price but already with a nice range of flavors
- a discovery menu in 4 to 6 steps
Is La Fleur de Sel family friendly?
Even if they are welcome, there is no children’s menu for us. The small size of the room and the muffled atmosphere do not seem to us to be ideal if your children have ants in their legs, but if they are used to gastronomic tables (or wish to become so), this one remains very accessible.
The bill
Excellent value for money for this gastronomic restaurant with a first menu at only 35 euros, which is a tour de force considering the quality of the plate and the location of the restaurant. The discovery menu is positioned in a more usual range (from 59 to 79€).
Reservation and contact
- Reservations can only be made by phone 02 31 89 01 92.
- And if you still have a question about the restaurant Le Fleur de Sel, you can learn more on their website.
Our top 3 things to do in Honfleur
Walk around the old basin
Became the most most typical of Honfleur, the old basin was used for a long time by fishermen and sailors who armed their boats in the shelter, before facing the dreaded Sleeve! Lined with tall Norman houses, some of whose facades are covered with slate, the old basin has inspired a whole generation of impressionist paintersinspired by the reflections of the water and the 50 shades of sky so characteristic of the mouth of the Seine. Let yourself be charmed!
Discover the church of Sainte Catherine
This church in the heart of Honfleur is a rare piece of religious heritage in France. Entirely built in wood, its vault has the shape of an overturned boat hull (15th century). Its oak belfry was moved to an annex building for fear of lightning igniting the frame, but also because it could not withstand the weight of the 6 bells sheltered for a time in the belfry. We particularly like the atmosphere of this church which recalls the maritime vocation of Honfleur with its numerous ex-voto plaques dedicated to fishermen and the sea.
Read our article.
Visit the Eugène Boudin Museum
Born in Honfleur in 1824, Eugène Boudin is an emblematic painter of the impressionist movement who was greatly inspired by the landscapes of Normandy and Brittany. He has become famous for his marine works, knowing how to render, like no other, theharbor atmosphere that we love so much. The Eugène Boudin Museum in Honfleur, located in the former chapel of the Augustine convent, houses a rich collection dedicated to the famous painter and the Impressionists, but also to lesser known aspects of Norman popular art (wooden games, posters…).
Read our article.
And to learn more: