From Nouvelle-Aquitaine to Brittany via the Pays de la Loire, the shores of the Atlantic Ocean offer abundant vegetable produce for the ‘Great chefs of the seas’ to pair their most famous fish and seafood dishes with. This Route du Bonheur itinerary leads lovers of the ocean on an evocative journey by way of sandy beaches, steep coastlines, hidden coves and traditional ports. Leading from one Michelin-starred restaurant to the next, the adventure focuses on the art of cooking and tasting sustainable seafood.
This route was created by Christopher Coutanceau, Chef of the Restaurant Christopher Coutanceau
Learn more.
Restaurant and hotel on the seafront. Imagine a world apart where everything is designed for your pleasure. Here, along Relais & Châteaux’s Route du Bonheur, the clocks have stopped so that you may share in this timeless seaside adventure. Located just a stone’s throw from the chef’s eponymous restaurant, La Villa Grand Voile is the exciting realisation of Christopher Coutanceau and Nicolas Brossard’s ultimate dream: to offer their guests a unique, fully encompassing experience that conveys the true brilliance of this wonderful marine destination. Not far from the bustle of La Rochelle’s Old Port and tucked away along a quite street, this historic building invites you to relax and relish in the heart of this majestic maritime city of cobblestones, timber-framed facades and houses clad in white stone.
... Learn moreless
Wholesale fish merchants at the fish market in La Rochelle harbour
Every morning around 7am, you’ll find Christopher Coutanceau here at the fish market. Around ten wholesale fish merchants come here to sell the day’s catch. Down through the years and decades even, these coastal men have come to trust one another and form lasting friendships. Hardly surprising then that...
Read Moreless
On the route
The Central Market (Chez Mélie fishmonger's)
Christopher Coutanceau comes to Chez Mélie to source any extra sea bass and squid he might need. Chef and fishmonger Éric Laporte have close ties from their days as team mates at La Rochelle rugby club! What’s more, Éric’s grandparents supplied the Michelin-starred chef’s grandparents! With catches coming...
Read Moreless
Laurent Hurtaud’s farmed mussels
Laurent Hurtaud has been farming organically for many years now. His mussel stakes help to combat dune retreat in the Bay of Aiguillon. When Laurent’s finest produce arrives in July, a classic dish graces the restaurant’s menu: genuine Mouclade Rochelaise, flavoured with saffron and curry...
Shellfish
On the Vendée coast, the beaches at St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and St-Hilaire-de-Riez are popular with shellfish pickers at a very low tides. Depending on the season and your level of experience, with a little bit of luck, you can fill your basket with banded wedge shells, sand shrimp, winkles, clams and...
Read Moreless
The Central Market (Chez Mélie fishmonger's)
Christopher Coutanceau comes to Chez Mélie to source any extra sea bass and squid he might need. Chef and fishmonger Éric Laporte have close ties from their days as team mates at La Rochelle rugby club! What’s more, Éric’s grandparents supplied the Michelin-starred chef’s grandparents! With catches coming...
Read Moreless
Laurent Hurtaud’s farmed mussels
Laurent Hurtaud has been farming organically for many years now. His mussel stakes help to combat dune retreat in the Bay of Aiguillon. When Laurent’s finest produce arrives in July, a classic dish graces the restaurant’s menu: genuine Mouclade Rochelaise, flavoured with saffron and curry...
A discreet white property with blue shutters, typical of the Vendée region, is home to La Marine, the restaurant of Céline and Alexandre Couillon. This property, located directly on the small port of Herbaudière, at the north-west tip of the island of Noirmoutier, has become something of a mecca for gastronomy. From his parents, the chef not only inherited a restaurant, but also their passion for the sea (his father was a shrimp fisherman) along with strong values of hospitality and respect for produce. He runs the establishment with his wife Céline, as Maître de Maison. For his bistro-inspired menu, Chef Couillon selects only the finest seafood cultivated sustainably. Even vegetables come from his own kitchen garden. Guests wishing to stay the night will appreciate Maison Moizeau which adjoins the restaurant–its rooms feature bright marine-inspired décor, polished parquet floors, white walls and natural materials, and open their windows onto the port and its boats.
... Learn moreless
This is where you can watch the ballet of the lasses–the traditional, flat-bottomed boats used by oyster farmers. Between the slipway and Bourgneuf Bay, the area is covered with pockets of cultivated oysters at different stages of maturation–it takes three years for an oyster to reach maturity. Scattered...
Read Moreless
Exploring the salt marshes
An island tradition that dates back to the 5th century, the culture of harvesting salt in Noirmoutier’s marshes has profoundly shaped the landscapes here. According to local salt workers, the canals and basins where coarse salt and the more delicate fleur de sel are harvested represent almost a third...
Read Moreless
Tasting oysters at Bonhomme port
This is where you can watch the ballet of the lasses–the traditional, flat-bottomed boats used by oyster farmers. Between the slipway and Bourgneuf Bay, the area is covered with pockets of cultivated oysters at different stages of maturation–it takes three years for an oyster to reach maturity. Scattered...
Read Moreless
Exploring the salt marshes
An island tradition that dates back to the 5th century, the culture of harvesting salt in Noirmoutier’s marshes has profoundly shaped the landscapes here. According to local salt workers, the canals and basins where coarse salt and the more delicate fleur de sel are harvested represent almost a third...
Restaurant and hotel on the seafront. On the sand dunes, facing the charming port of La Gravette, Anne de Bretagne is a contemporary villa, perfectly placed to enjoy the best of Brittany. There are breath-taking views over the ocean from the suites and the Italian-style terraces. In the excellent restaurant, Mathieu Guibert’s cuisine is inventive with a touch of the sea, in perfect harmony with the wines selected by Michèle Vételé, a highly-recognised sommelier. In season, you can try wild clams with shredded leek. Fish and shellfish create a perfect match: “slow-cooked” line-caught sea bass is served with a sardine concassé, a string of winkles and a sea lettuce emulsion.
... Learn moreless
The Baudet family has been passing on their secrets for over 50 years. These days, Hugo and Marion run the farm: 22,000 stakes spread out between Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Brévin, only 30 minutes from the Port de Gravette harbour. This location enjoys the advantage of freshwater currents arriving from...
Hotel and restaurant in a village. It began as a blacksmith’s forge, then an inn stocked by the adjoining farm where workers and villagers met. Today, it is where Olivier Bellin, who took over from his grandmother and mother, interprets his “modern” version of a “land and sea” cuisine steeped in history. The fish are wild varieties, the vegetables are organic and the meat comes from small producers. Magnified in dishes boasting intense flavours, they continually seduce local Bretons and attract travellers who enjoy staying in the rooms adorned in highly contemporary decor. On sunny days, the magnificent view over the Bay of Douarnenez adds the final touch.
... Learn moreless
Shaped like a back-to-front L, the little port of Audierne is still a meeting place for locals. It was here that former seamen, retired long-distance captains, line fishermen and sailors boarding supply ships for oil platforms, or tuna boats returning from the Indian Ocean would come to exchange news....
Restaurant and hotel on the seafront. Caressed by salt spray, Château Richeux dominates the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel with its imposing yet elegant 1920s silhouette. It is one of four Maisons de Bricourt, which comprise the Roellinger family's hospitality ventures, and an essential stopover to experience Brittanys unique landscapes and tides, as well as the region’s incomparable flavors.
The property’s twelve, tastefully decorated rooms offer breathtaking views of the sea or look over the 7.5-acre parkland estate. The first floor is home to restaurant Le Coquillage, where cuisine reflects the Roellingers’ passion for local seasonal products and global flavors. With freshly harvested produce from the kitchen garden and orchard, Chef Hugo Roellinger uses vegetable and maritime flavors to create dishes of remarkable delicacy. The close relationship with the water continues in the Celtic Baths, where you can swim facing the waves or and enjoy reflexology treatments provided by talented practitioners. The woodland gardens, shoreline and horizon inspire a combination of daydreaming and relaxation.
... Learn moreless
Between September and June, Christophe Orveillon prefers to harvest by hand rather than trawling the seabed. His abalone and scallops are simply amazing and delicious. This method of fishing allows him to favour quality over quantity and respects the natural cycle of the scallops. Although the Rance...
**Offer cannot be combined, valid for an itinerary in at least 2 different Relais & Châteaux establishments, reserved with Relais & Châteaux concierges, discount applicable on certain rates and certain establishments. List available from our concierges.
Total price communicated as an indication, based on a stay of the number of nights recommended on this webpage, taking place in the next 3 months, and based on double occupancy (excluding recommended activities, excluding properties not bookable online).
Reservation Service
To give you inspiration, Relais & Châteaux presents the Routes du Bonheur:
Suggestions for travel itineraries that you can fully personalise according to your wishes and the experiences you would like to discover. Our consultants are available to help customise your route and assist you in making reservations at our properties. It is up to you to reserve any recommended activities on-site or nearby that might interest you.
** Offer cannot be combined, valid for an itinerary in at least 2 different Relais & Châteaux establishments, reserved with Relais & Châteaux concierges, discount applicable on certain rates and certain establishments. List available from our concierges. Call our concierge to tailormade your booking and itinerary*. *Price of a local call
Destination restaurants and sustainable seafood
This route was created by Christopher Coutanceau, Chef of the Restaurant Christopher Coutanceau
EUR (€) Euro
