Eating out

YOU want to find a decent restaurant in Dieppe? The advice in these pages is neither definitive nor prescriptive. We mention a number of places that might respond to your requirements, places we have discovered over the years, but there are others that will have missed our attention and may be deserving of yours. Restaurant reputations go up and down, with changing owners and chefs. And serving staff treated badly by the boss will be less inclined to behave graciously to
the customer. When you enter a restaurant, you enter a
microcosm of the world, with all its dreams and tensions:
see Arnold Wesker’s play The Kitchen to be reminded of it.

Quai Henri IV

The centre of the Dieppe restaurant culture is the Quai Henri IV, overlooking the new marina where, for
two centuries until 1994, the ferries deposited their
passengers. The quayside is named after Henry of Navarre,
who ruled France tolerantly at the end of the sixteenth
century and was dubbed ‘‘a wise and thirsty monarch’’
by Socialist historian and gastronome Raymond Postgate
(father of Oliver). Henry was baptised with Jurançon wine
and garlic, which may have given him a start in culinary
appreciation.
The quayside restaurants range from the good to the unpalatable: the most garish are not necessarily the best.
We have never been disappointed by a meal at the New
Haven (F4), which has the favour of a loyal British clientèle.
The quality of the Restaurant du Port (G4) is attested to
by the prizes affixed to the door of Michel Moony’s famed
establishment. He’s not cheap but he’s special.
The newly opened Heidi (G3), at the corner of the Rue de la Rade, is praised by nearby resident Nick Wellings, an impressive authority on restaurants, as he is on Flaubert’s novels and old railway timetables. Try Heidi’s salads and fondus (cheese dips). Eating late can be a problem in Dieppe. The bustling.

Tout Va Bien (E4) at the beginning of the Quai Henri IV, with ‘‘la Belle Eudoise’’ and other smiling waitresses, welcomes late diners and its fare seems to suit Anglo-Saxon expectations.
A welcome new arrival on the Quai Duquesne, at right-angles to Henry’s quayside, is Le Bistrot des Barrières (E5) where the midday menu has a touch of sophistication that is drawing in discerning locals. It is just beyond the well-established Arcades (E4), attached to the hotel of the same name.
Across the Pont Jehan Ango, try the inventive 15 euros lunch at the restaurant Jehan Ango (F5), joyfully offered by Laurence and Eric. And just round the corner, on the island of Le Pollet, is le Bistrot du Pollet (F5), a classy venue with classy dishes which has recently introduced an economy lunchtime menu at 19 euros.
Further up the Quai Duquesne you can get a 10 euros three-course meal at L’Espérance (E5). Towards the railway station, is Le Bocal (E6), the newly reopened restaurant and wine bar of the DSN cultural centre: it deserves to succeed.

Away from the port

Travelling west from the quaysides, there are interesting
tables to be found.
At the top end of la Rue de la Barre – in the pedestrianised
backbone of Dieppe’s town centre – don’t miss the Sarajevo (B5), owned by Jeannot (a local lad) and Vesna (who adds the authentic Balkan touch). Their meals are fresh and copious (you get both halves of the avocado you order) and the carafe wine is a genuine Côtes du Rhône. Hobnob with a diverse company, including Loulou ‘‘le cheminot’’ (he owns and drives the street train), the larger Lulu (who runs the minigolf), the gentle giant Rocky (he won an Olympic basket ball silver medal), chuckling Alain (who had a colourful diving career and speaks polished English), and sundry village elders.

Nearby, we have to announce the end of an epoch: Pierre and Marie-Pierre Tourmente have sold up at the Restaurant de Rouen (A5) at the bottom of la Rue du Faubourg de la Barre. After two decades of service to the local community and to many grateful British customers, singing chef Pierrot has retired. His successors have a great reputation to live up to.
On the seafront Oddly, for a seaside resort, seafront
restaurants are almost non-existent. But the Windsor Hotel (D3) and the Casino (B4) will both feed you in restaurants with
panoramic views. The Mercure Hotel (B4) also has a restaurant, as do Les Bains (B3) in the adjacent swimming pool complex. Le Bas Fort Blanc (A3) at the western end
of the front is popular with locals, and Max Gréboval’s Epsom bar (C4) will serve you a bruschetta up to midnight. In summertime, the beachside Club House (D3) has famous
salads and famous sunsets. And nearby, try the inventive lunchtime fare that solid Lulu and his partner, the ever intriguing Micheline, have to offer at the windprotected
minigolf (C3).
If you seek gastronomic treats at gastronomic prices,
try the cosy Bistrot du Pollet (F5), already mentioned;
À la Marmite Dieppoise (E5), in la Rue St Jean off the Quai Duquesne, famed for its fish dish of the same name; Le Comptoir à Huîtres (below F8) on the Cours de Norvège, a great and elegant place for feasting on oysters where Stéphane Barq has now extended his menu beyond shellfish; and Les Voiles d’Or (3I), for a hint of Parisian luxury adjacent to the church of Bonsecours, overlooking the port from the eastern cliff.

Ethnic and veggie choices Want to taste something that isn’t
French at all? Well, the Bombay (E4) opposite the lifting bridge serves curries (milder than in England); the Taverne Algéroise
(E4) in la Rue Duquesne and the Kasbah (C4) in la Rue de la Morinière offer their versions of couscous; and the Pagode d’Or (D5) in la Rue Pecquet has classic Chinese fare provided by a remarkable musical family. The local chattering classes favour the Ankara (G3), the Turkish restaurant in la Rue de la Rade. For fast and economical eaters, kebabs and pizzerias are springing up all over town.
And if you are a veggie? No longer are you limited to the offer of an omelette or a flea in your ear. Le Grand Duquesne (D5), the ever smart restaurant in la Rue St Jacques, introduced a varied vegetarian menu (at the behest of artist Glyn Dillon and other British visitors) several years ago; now a number of restaurants have learnt to offer acceptable vegetarian dishes.

Outside Dieppe

Rouen has a plethora of eating places. You will find better fare around the cathedral than on the busy Place du Marché. Try la Petite Auberge in the Rue de Martainville. Snails on the menu.
Le Tréport, 28 kilometres and a 2 euro bus ride to the east of Dieppe, claims a superior culinary reputation to that of Dieppe (although Victor Hugo ate a leather-like steak there). On the quayside, try Le Homard Bleu or Le Comptoir de l’Océan next door. Great fish dishes. In the royal city of Eu, inland from Le Tréport, eat handsomely at le Maine or more economically at le
Restaurant de la Poste.
Other addresses worthy of an out-of-town journey include les
Régates at Pourville (great view!); le Colombier at Offranville; l’Auberge du Retour de la Forêt on the road beyond Arques-la-Bataille towards St Nicolas d’Aliermont ; le Restaurant de
la Gare at Envermeu. And we mustn’t omit Les Ouvriers Réunis, a haven for hungry and choosy lorry drivers just up the main road from the Dieppe ferry terminal (turn right at the roundabout at the top of the hill and it’s on the next roundabout you come to). Impressive buffet starters and free wine. Book a room for the night if you need to recover.
The list goes on…. It is for you to complete it.

• list of hotels and restaurants in Dieppe