Christopher Coutanceau and his family have been restaurateurs in La Rochelle since the mid 80s , and these days they ran a few venues in town including the flagship Michelin ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ venue .

The menu is composed entirely of seafood and oscillates between classic French gastronomy and some modern interpretations. As one would expect at this level , there were no weak dishes and a few were incredible .

Pearl Monkfish , monkfish liver , carrot - is a lovely delicate start , the poached loin served at room temp , the liver very pure in flavour and quite different to the Japanese ankimo presentation

Oyster Medley shellfish, iodized foam - this one is a showstopper , a gillardeau oyster is poached and barbecued and is a revelation , surrounded by an assortment of clams, cockles , razor clams and barnacles . Just pure and a pleasure to eat .

Living bouquets shrimps , île de Ré pastis and sea herbs- gorgeous sweet grey shrimp served raw and tartare , with a rich shellfish jelly consommé and a shrimp and pastis ice cream which works scarily well !
Squid in contrast cauliflower and citron - a squid Ying Yang , the white section is a tartare with cauliflower and citrus , the black sees the squid barbecued and deeply roasted with rich squid ink sauce . Mixing the two captures a great harmony .

Crab is rolled inside a potato cannelloni with crab carcass butter , paired with a crab and nasturtium bisque and toasted brioche with crab glaze .

Brill baked in sea papillot- a handsome tranche of brill is accompanied by a medley of mushrooms, and mushroom jus , a lovely interaction .

Scallops Pithiviers , cabbage, celery and autumn truffle- the signature dish of the house , incredible puff pastry , a thick and proud scallop encased in scallop coral mousseline , and a lovely duo of celeriac and black truffle ground the dish with earthy flavours . A rich and luscious main course .

Jellyfish is a unique ingredient for a pre dessert , here it is used for its neutral texture , along with a yuzu granita and a seaweed crisp .

Quince , pear and saffron - this is not overly creative but utterly delicious and a great finale . Less