Nestled beside La Rochelle’s most famous medieval tower in the Old Harbour district, Restaurant Les Flots, was a former 18th century tavern, now impressively renovated.
Soft ceiling lighting, polished wood flooring, comfy armchair-like seating and a framed fireplace create a warm and inviting ambience. Large French windows offer clear views over the nearby imposing stone column of the Tour de la Chaine. Owner chef is Grégory Coutanceau who established the restaurant when he was only 22 years old.
Fuelled by the mixologist’s house cocktail, Namon, a smooth blend of Cognac, apple juice and cinnamon, emanating an aromatic sense of soft smokey leather, my companion and I embarked on a seafood journey here.
To add a touch of local vineyard authenticity, we also ordered a chilled bottle of Arica wine from the Merlot grape harvested from the nearby Isle de Re where we were staying for a few days.
Dishes at Restaurant Les Flots are served on attractive white plating, some curved like the waves of the ocean outside, mere meters away.
Our young servers, Elias and Flavie, translated dishes from French to English for us Anglophiles starting with our first course, an amuse bouche of white fish, turnip puree and herb foam.
My companion then chose bream ceviche as her starter, innovatively marinated in Granny Smith apple juice enhanced with lemongrass and lime, sorrel ice-cream and wholegrain mustard pickles.
I chose the chef’s signature starter, flame-seared langoustines with a Charentaise chowder Royale, an umami soup made from rock fish and shellfish garnished with vegetables and herbs, flavored with lemon condiment and dehydrated caviar grains.
Remaining oceanside, my main was a grilled fillet of turbot, with Fabien, one of the more experienced staff members, deboning at table with the true precision of a craftsman. It was delicately cooked with clams, fine celery purée with melanosporum black truffle, wild morels and shellfish juice emulsion.
My companion couldn’t resist the lobster stew as her main dish, sentimentally entitled ‘To the glory of my father,’ in honor of the owner’s father, Richard, his cuisine mentor. With lightly glazed seasonal vegetables, mushroom ravioli and lobster juice, the stew was also enhanced with Coteaux du Layon, a sweet white wine from the Loire Valley wine region, and aroma of ginger.
It being quite late in the evening, instead of a delectable dessert menu, among which were a soufflé of pina colada, diced vanilla pineapple and granita with aromas of amber rum and coconut and flambéed frecinettes, a variety of banana, with old rum, vanilla confit, we opted for the cheese tray. And what a surprise awaited us.
On a trolley wheeled proudly table-side by Fabian. I counted 27 different varieties including Roquefort blue, goats cheese, one flavored with truffles and another with walnuts from the Dordogne region, as well as tommes, a semi-hard, often round cheese, including Corsican and smoked Tomme d'Estaing from the Larzac region in France. Gelee of poppy and melon accompanied our selection, with my companion choosing a pineau, a blend of fresh grape juice and Cognac, as her aperitif.
After such a feast, a leisurely walk along the historic seafront nearby was a necessary exercise, the restaurant’s central location granting it added bonus points.
