Le Coquillage, to the rhythm of the tides!
There are houses where time seems to stand still, where you cross the threshold as if you were crossing an inner boundary. In Cancale, Le Château de Richeux is one of these: a magnificent building overlooking the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, facing out to sea, anchored to this Breton cliff like an indomitable lighthouse. In this energetic setting, chef Hugo Roellinger continues the family dynasty initiated by his father Olivier, without ever replicating the culinary history. Spices from all over the world are of course represented, and actors from the sea are elevated to the status of icons of the deep, while the gastronomic score has subtly evolved. Immersion in a free, soothing environment that exudes sincerity.
Reassuring ritual
The ritual begins in the library lounge next to the wooden dining room. The floor creaks, the lights are dimmed to match the colors of the sky, and we take note of the qualitative wine choices on a correctly priced wine list. After selecting our first bottle, we head for the intimate, protective and hushed restaurant. In the dining room, the staff wear blue overalls and black pants. A sign of mastered hotel rigor, applied with flexibility. Service is unhurried, like a discreet ballet, allowing the table and the sea to speak for themselves.
The first course emerges like a confidence: an oyster accompanied by a Breton melon juice and granita carried by a tagetes and passion vinaigrette. Summer lingers on. Sea bream takes over, sprinkled with sumac, accompanied by a wild blackberry and yuzu condiment in which the thin strips of fish are dipped. As a garnish in a tartlet, an assortment of freshly picked flowers from the garden, a few shrimps enhanced by a pollen condiment, all topped with a light mousseline of elderberry and seaweed powder that makes our hearts skip a beat.
Sensory big-bang
This is followed by shredded squid with caviar and a buttery, lemony jus of unprecedented finesse. A true poem! Nothing ostentatious, but a thrill of precision: texture, salt, acidity, vivacity. The house’s great classic honors us with lobster covered in cooking juices and sprinkled with green mango powder, served with a cocoa and Xeres vinegar sauce. Brilliant!
The laminaria seaweed ice cream, meanwhile, is topped with a grating of smoked scallops matured for a year, a quenelle of Aquitaine caviar, a shred of kombu seaweed on top and a salted butter caramel sauce. Words almost fail me! At this point, and just for a moment, Brittany becomes more than a postcard setting, revealing a gastronomic emotion that, beyond the image, takes over everything else. Land, sea, mineral, vegetal… everything follows on from each other, everything jostles like a sensory big-bang. Here, luxury is never demonstrative. What’s the point when elegance prevails? We finish this odyssey soothed, awake, our spirits refreshed by the wind and the light.
