We recently returned from SBH after a lovely 12 night stay (December 3 to 15). The weather was beautiful, and mosquitoes were noticeably less of a problem than last year.
We did not see or hear about any sargassum on the beaches. Many wine lists now start bottle prices at 100 euros, which seems excessive. There is a lot of
construction going on, with many large dumptrucks on the roads.
And now to the all-important stuff: feedback on the restos we visited! One general comment: many wine lists now start bottle prices at 100 euros, which seems excessive to me. Also, the new(ish) Monoprix grocery store in Lorient is amazing!
We are habitués who have visited at least annually since the late 1990’s. You’ll notice that the noisy, glam party places are missing from the list below – that’s just our taste. YMMV.
LUNCHES
Christopher “La Plage de Chris” – new chef and seafood-heavy concept. We liked the previous Provençal menu better and mourn the Chicken Caesar Salad which is no longer on offer.
Nyama – lovely neighborhood spot with tasty Vietnamese food and great staff, reminiscent of bygone days on the island. Limited lunchtime menu. As others have noted, dinner has completely different offerings. We enjoyed the Vietnamese BBQ where you cook your own meats on a hotplate and then roll up the fillings in moistened rice paper.
Sand Bar – still fabulous setting, food and service. Love the watermelon and goat cheese salad (which is enough for 2 people).
Le Toiny Beach Club – always super pleasant. Quieter than Sand Bar.
Le Bouchon – great burgers, with or without chevre.
La Cabane at Cheval Blanc – until now, we had never managed to try this upscale feet-in-the-sand spot. Enjoyed the food, service and setting and will definitely make it a regular feature.
Ti Corail – tasty food on paper plates in a timeless low-key beach setting. Leave yourself some extra time for parking.
DINNERS
Chez Gus – Had no record of our reservation, even though Wimco concierge had written confirmation. Seated us anyway. Strange retro bistro ambiance until 9 pm (Wednesday), when the place morphs into a karaoke bar. Food was tasty, but service was quite disorganized. Won’t go back.
Mi Brasa – Showed up at 8 pm Thursday. Space is beautiful but it was entirely empty. We had a drink and decided not to stay for dinner. Went to Eddy’s instead and enjoyed it.
Eddy’s – Saved the day with a blast of traditional SBH and fun servers.
Le Repaire – Les moules did not arrive for their scheduled appearance. Fish dish was nice but steak was gristly. They were hosting a huge group of locals for a birthday party which may have impacted the service.
Tamarin – Very nice meal and wine. A lovely experience with good service in the main pavilion.
L’Isola – Fantastic as always for us. Better than the owners’ original spot in Santa Monica, IMHO.
La Casina - A pleasant surprise. Lively vibe without the pitfalls of the “party” places. Delicious food, reasonable prices and nice staff. Quite busy on a Sunday night. Will definitely be back.
Bonito – Great cocktails, nice food with different dishes than you find everywhere else. We were seated next to a large noisy group which made the atmosphere less than ideal.
Les Bananiers – Pizza and scallops, YUM! Always enjoy it.
BAZ – takeout Thai and sushi, delivered to the villa by Deli Food. Enjoyable and super convenient for a casual night in.
We did not see or hear about any sargassum on the beaches. Many wine lists now start bottle prices at 100 euros, which seems excessive. There is a lot of
construction going on, with many large dumptrucks on the roads.
And now to the all-important stuff: feedback on the restos we visited! One general comment: many wine lists now start bottle prices at 100 euros, which seems excessive to me. Also, the new(ish) Monoprix grocery store in Lorient is amazing!
We are habitués who have visited at least annually since the late 1990’s. You’ll notice that the noisy, glam party places are missing from the list below – that’s just our taste. YMMV.
LUNCHES
Christopher “La Plage de Chris” – new chef and seafood-heavy concept. We liked the previous Provençal menu better and mourn the Chicken Caesar Salad which is no longer on offer.
Nyama – lovely neighborhood spot with tasty Vietnamese food and great staff, reminiscent of bygone days on the island. Limited lunchtime menu. As others have noted, dinner has completely different offerings. We enjoyed the Vietnamese BBQ where you cook your own meats on a hotplate and then roll up the fillings in moistened rice paper.
Sand Bar – still fabulous setting, food and service. Love the watermelon and goat cheese salad (which is enough for 2 people).
Le Toiny Beach Club – always super pleasant. Quieter than Sand Bar.
Le Bouchon – great burgers, with or without chevre.
La Cabane at Cheval Blanc – until now, we had never managed to try this upscale feet-in-the-sand spot. Enjoyed the food, service and setting and will definitely make it a regular feature.
Ti Corail – tasty food on paper plates in a timeless low-key beach setting. Leave yourself some extra time for parking.
DINNERS
Chez Gus – Had no record of our reservation, even though Wimco concierge had written confirmation. Seated us anyway. Strange retro bistro ambiance until 9 pm (Wednesday), when the place morphs into a karaoke bar. Food was tasty, but service was quite disorganized. Won’t go back.
Mi Brasa – Showed up at 8 pm Thursday. Space is beautiful but it was entirely empty. We had a drink and decided not to stay for dinner. Went to Eddy’s instead and enjoyed it.
Eddy’s – Saved the day with a blast of traditional SBH and fun servers.
Le Repaire – Les moules did not arrive for their scheduled appearance. Fish dish was nice but steak was gristly. They were hosting a huge group of locals for a birthday party which may have impacted the service.
Tamarin – Very nice meal and wine. A lovely experience with good service in the main pavilion.
L’Isola – Fantastic as always for us. Better than the owners’ original spot in Santa Monica, IMHO.
La Casina - A pleasant surprise. Lively vibe without the pitfalls of the “party” places. Delicious food, reasonable prices and nice staff. Quite busy on a Sunday night. Will definitely be back.
Bonito – Great cocktails, nice food with different dishes than you find everywhere else. We were seated next to a large noisy group which made the atmosphere less than ideal.
Les Bananiers – Pizza and scallops, YUM! Always enjoy it.
BAZ – takeout Thai and sushi, delivered to the villa by Deli Food. Enjoyable and super convenient for a casual night in.
