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 satisfy 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. Serving staff treated badly by the boss will be less inclined to behave graciously to the customer. And well treated staff will more likely give service with a smile. When you enter a restaurant, you enter a microcosm of the world, with all its dreams and tensions: see Arnold Wesker’s great 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 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 excellent to the unremarkable: the most garish are not necessarily the best. We have never been disappointed by a meal at the New Haven, which has the favour of a loyal British clientèle.  The quality of the Restaurant du Port is attested to by the prizes affixed to the door of Michel Mouny’s famed establishment. He’s not cheap but he’s special.

The newly opened Heidi, at the corner of the Rue de la Rade, is praised by nearby resident Nick Wellings, an impressive authority on restaurants. Try Heidi’s salads and fondus (cheese dips).

Eating late can be a problem in Dieppe. The bustling Tout Va Bien at the beginning of the Quai Henri IV, has continuous service and welcomes late diners. Under the new management of English-speaking Stéphane Novik, It has extended its premises to incorporate the Café de la Paix and also extended its menu to an interesting three-course offer, including oysters, at under 16 euros.

Pay a rewarding visit to Le Bordeaux, the newly opened “bar à vin” in the Rue Duquesne close by. Not a restaurant, but welcome tasters (charcuterie and home prepared olives) are served with the excellent Bordeaux wines from the Côtes de Blaye (pronounced “bly”, like “fly”) that knowledgeable young Gabriel Arduino offers. A bottle shared by two or three people will do you no harm.

Quai Duquesne and Le Pollet

On the Quai Duquesne, at right-angles to Henri’s quayside, is Le Bistrot des Barrières where the midday menu has a touch of sophistication that appeals to discerning locals. It is just beyond the well established and well reputed Arcades, attached to the hotel of the same name.

Across the Pont Jehan Ango, find le Bistrot du Pollet in la Rue Tête de Boeuf, a classy venue with classy dishes which has recently introduced an economy lunchtime menu at around 20 euros.

Further up the quayside, towards the station, L’Espérance, at 50 Quai Duquesne, has extended its menu under new young owners Frédéric and Laetitia Foubert to include un plateau de fruits de mer. And Laetitia is proud of her douillon aux pommes (a Normandy dessert).

Away from the port

Walking up the pedestrianised Grande Rue from the quaysides, there are interesting tables to be found, notably at Le Grand Duquesne opposite St Jacques Church, elegantly presided over by the Hobbé family for more than twenty years. There is simpler fare at the welcoming Calvados (D4) at the corner of la Rue des Maillots, where you will find a good plat du jour. And Les Tribunaux is now a busy eatery at the heart of the town.

At the top end of la Rue de la Barre be rewarded by lunch or dinner at the Sarajevo, 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 red wine is a genuine Côtes du Rhône.

Hobnob on the terrace there with a diverse company, including the substantial Lulu (who runs the seafront minigolf, dispenses wisdom and occasionally gets a win from his lottery scratch cards); the gentle giant Rocky (he won a basket ball silver medal in the 1968 Olympic Games); and sundry village elders.

Nearby, big changes at the Restaurant de Rouen at the bottom of la Rue du Faubourg de la Barre, which Pierrot and Marie-Pierre Tourmente ran joyously for two decades. New owners Jérôme and Laetitia, will be opening Chez Letti on the same premises at the end of summer 2011, and we wish them good luck. Retired singing chef Pierrot has left warm memories with his devoted British customers.

Close by, Jean-Henri Dufils now provides a quick snack and witty conversation in a bright setting at Le Palais, at the bottom of l’Avenue Gambetta.

On the seafront

Oddly, for a seaside resort, seafront restaurants are almost non-existent. But the Windsor Hotel and the Casino will both feed you in restaurants with panoramic views. The Mercure Hotel also has a smart restaurant. Le Bas Fort Blanc at the western end of the front is popular with locals, and the Epsom bar will serve you a bruschetta up to midnight. In summertime, the beachside Club House has famous salads and famous sunsets. And nearby, try the inventive lunchtime salad fare that solid Lulu and his pensive partner, Micheline from Madagascar, have to offer at the wind-protected minigolf.

Gastronomic treats

If you seek gastronomic treats at gastronomic prices, try the cosy Bistrot du Pollet, already mentioned; À la Marmite Dieppoise, in la Rue St Jean off the Quai Duquesne, famed for its fish dish of the same name; the recently opened and well appeciated Coup de Torchon in the Rue Vauquelin; Le Comptoir à Huîtres on the Cours de Dakar, a great and elegant place for feasting on oysters, where Stéphane Barq has now extended his menu beyond shellfish; and (most expensively) Les Voiles d’Or, for a hint of Parisian luxury adjacent to the church of Bonsecours, overlooking the port at the top of the eastern cliff.

Ethnic choices

Want to taste something that isn’t French at all? Well, the Bombay opposite the lifting bridge serves curries (milder than in England); la Taverne algéroise in la Rue Duquesne offers couscous; la Bekaa on le Quai du Carénage in Le Pollet has a typical Lebanese menu; and La Pagode d’Or in la Rue Pecquet has classic Chinese fare provided by a remarkable musical family. The local chattering classes favour l’Ankara, the Turkish restaurant in la Rue de la Rade.

For fast eaters with small purses, kebabs and pizzerias are springing up all over town.

If you are a veggie 

No longer are vegetarians in France limited to the offer of an omelette or a flea their ear. Le Grand Duquesne, the elegant restaurant in la Rue St Jacques, introduced an impressive and varied vegetarian menu (at the behest of graphic novelist Glyn Dillon and other British visitors) several years ago; now a number of restaurants have learnt to prepare vegetarian dishes. An  honourable mention must be given to the Ankara.

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 Martainville. Snails on the menu.

Le Tréport, 28 kilometres and a 2 euros 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 Saint-Louis, Le Homard Bleu or Le Comptoir de l’Océan next door. Great fish dishes. On the little square behind the quayside, is la Pile d’Assiettes, with a Martinique flavour to some of its 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!); the plush Colombier at Offranville; l’Auberge du Retour de la Forêt, ever busy on the road beyond Arques-la-Bataille towards St Nicolas d’Aliermont; and le Restaurant de la Gare at Envermeu. Brian Woy points out that in 1903, Edwardian satirist Max Beerbohm entertained actress Constance Collier to lunch under the trees at the rustic Auberge du Clos Normand at Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie. She went on to wed another, but lunch there is still worthwhile, reports the discerning Brian Woy. 

And, on the edge of Dieppe, we must not omit Les Ouvriers Réunis, a haven for hungry and choosy lorry drivers and canny locals, just up the main road from the ferry terminal (it’s off the first roundabout you come to at the top of the hill). Impressive buffet starters and a pot of wine included with your meal. Book a room for the night if you need to recover.

The list goes on….  It is for you to add to it.

• list of hotels and restaurants in Dieppe