Normandy Gourmet Food Tour

Vernon, a picturesque town on the banks of the River Seine in the Eure department, is another highlight of your 1st day. Its charming streets and squares are filled with lovely half-timber houses, which date back to the 16th century. Vernon’s Gothic church was started in the 11th century, although construction didn’t finish until the 1600s. The stained-glass windows are particularly beautiful.

Of course, you must make room for the sensual as well as the historic. After your tour, your chauffeur will take you to Le Jardin des Plumes, which is one of Normandy’s best restaurants. Enjoy a leisurely lunch in the convivial surroundings of a contemporary and very welcoming restaurant. Highlights include Les escargots de la Broche (snails from a special farm in Normandy), served with mint in a delectable pastry case. But make room for the main event, which could be a roast rabbit, or perhaps frogs legs served in delicious tempura. This divine Gallic feast will, of course, be paired with a selection of wines – Normandy has no viticultural heritage, but fine wines from nearby French regions will be served. Champagne and Chablis would be ideal.

After lunch, you deserve some luxurious rest and relaxation. Your chauffeur will take you to your hotel, which is a glorious chateau situated in the middle of Normandy’s splendid countryside. Check-in, relax and unwind. There’s a pampering spa at your disposal, or perhaps a leisurely stroll and evening aperitif is called for. The evening is yours at leisure.

Lunch is served at L’Angle Saint-Laurent, another of Normandy’s gastronomic hotspots. This quaint, inviting restaurant specializes in local delicacies and is understandably massively popular with discerning locals. After an aperitif, lavish your tastebuds on thin slices of Normandy scallops, butternut squash soup served with chorizo, or perhaps the legendary Normandy duck foie gras. Main courses just get better and better – if Normandy pork chop served with semi-roasted gherkin and pearl barley doesn’t whet your appetite, then Normandy veal filet, served with baked eggplant sprinkled with smoked mozzarella and buckwheat surely will. The restaurant will also serve a selection of excellent wines to match each course.

After lunch, prepare to be utterly captivated by one of France’s most iconic images: the slender towers and sky-scraping turrets of the abbey of Mont St-Michel rising from stout ramparts and battlements, the whole ensemble connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. Marvel at the extraordinary architecture – this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to step back into the Middle Ages. During the Hundred Years’ War, the English blockaded and besieged Mont St-Michel three times. The bay became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979. It is also famed for having Europe’s highest tidal variations.

After a surfeit of culture and gastronomy, it’s time to head back to your luxurious accommodation. The evening is entirely at your disposal.

And there’s more to follow. After you finish sampling delicious Camembert, we’ve arranged another VIP visit to Calvados producer Pierre Huet Cambremer. One of the leading lights of boutique Calvados production, this family firm has been making Calvados (apple brandy) for generations. Gain invaluable insights into the unique apple-growing terroir of the region and enjoy their exquisite collection of apple brandies – this is a significant highlight of the tour. Lunch is a light affair today – we recommend an utterly traditional lunch of crêpes, at Les Jardins du Pays d’Auge, which is just next to the Calvados distillery. Bon appetite!

The afternoon then calls for something exceptional indeed. Chateau du Breuil is one of the region’s most historic and renowned Calvados producers, so a VIP tour and tasting in their grandiose premises is guaranteed to be memorable. Remember, you’re not driving today, so enjoy the tasting to its full extent and indulge yourself. When you’re ready, the chauffeur will take you to Cabourg. This exclusive seaside town was reportedly Marcel Proust’s favorite vacation spot, and it’s easy to see why. Chic, understated, and supremely elegant – Cabourg has an effortless class about it. We’ve arranged for you to stay in the town’s leading hotel, with sea views and exemplary service as standard. Check-in, relax, and enjoy a blissfully relaxing stroll along the promenade.

Lunch should prove to be equally memorable. We’ve reserved a table for you at a leading Michelin-starred restaurant Ivan Vautier, which boasts a simply gorgeous garden terrace. It’s an enticing package – world-class service, gastronomy and wine in the most sumptuous of surroundings. Your lunch might feature sea bream fillet served with French beans, tomato shallots, and red pepper, or perhaps pork loin cooked sous-vide. Naturally, the wine pairings will be 1st class.

After lunch, your driver will take you on a tour of Normandy’s most famous strip of coastline – the 5 D-Day landing beaches. Code-named ‘Operation Overlord’, the D-Day landings were the largest military operation in history. On the morning of 6 June 1944, swarms of landing crafts hit the northern Normandy beaches, and tens of thousands of soldiers from the USA, the UK, Canada, and elsewhere began pouring onto French soil. The code names for the five landing beaches were Utah, Omaha, Gold, June, and Sword.

We also have made time for you to explore the Normandy American Cemetery & Memorial at Colleville Sur Mer. The military cemeteries scattered across Normandy are a powerful reminder of the actual cost of the liberation of Europe from Nazi domination. The American cemetery above Omaha Beach was established in the late 1940s when American war dead were brought here from temporary cemeteries established during the fighting. Strolling around the memorial, it’s impossible not to be moved by the sheer scale of the devastation – and to marvel at the courage of the US servicemen who helped to liberate Europe.

When you’re ready, your chauffeur will take you back to Cabourg for a relaxing evening at your leisure. A glass of Champagne before dinner? Why not!

The Eglise Ste-Catherine also begs to be explored. Initially intended as a temporary structure, this extraordinary church has been standing in the square for over 500 years. Built by the people of Honfleur during the 15th and 16th centuries after its stone predecessor had been destroyed during the Hundred Years’ War, wood was used to save funds for strengthening the fortifications around the Enclos. The Church’s free-standing wooden bell tower is particularly beautiful.

Lunch today is at your leisure, but we would like to recommend Restaurant L’Homme de Bois, an old-time brasserie with utterly exquisite shellfish, fish and meat dishes served in a candle-lit dining room. Specialties include mussels, fish soup, and lobster. After your gourmet and leisurely lunch, relax in your comfortable Mercedes as we ferry you to a very glamorous and luxurious hotel on the outskirts of Honfleur. After a painless check-in, why not avail yourself to the pampering spa – the essence of tranquility. The evening is free time, but the hotel has an excellent onsite restaurant. Alternatively, they will be happy to recommend restaurants in Honfleur.

After your VIP tour, we invite you to take lunch at a quintessential Rouen tavern – La Petite Auberge. One of their specialties is snails, but if that’s not to your liking then a whole host of gastronomic delicacies wait. Canard a la Rouennaise is a local highlight – Rouen-style duck is duck stuffed with its liver and served with a red wine sauce. Enjoyed with a glass of red Burgundy, perhaps Volnay, there is nothing finer.

In the afternoon your driver will take a detour to Pont-l’Évêque, a hamlet that has been synonymous with cheese for many centuries. Some of the most enduring names in the pungent world of French cheese come from Normandy, and Pont-l’Évêque is undoubtedly the prettiest destination of all. During World War II, the hamlet was severely damaged by the Battle of Normandy but has been carefully restored since. Take a stroll, order a glass of wine and unwind. Bliss.

In the evening you’ll return to your hotel. Why not reserve a table at their excellent restaurant or bar?

After that exhilarating ride, we think a gourmet lunch is in order. We promised you a spectacular finale, and l’essentiel does not disappoint. Deaville’s most elegant restaurant would have you start with poached langoustine, cooked in a smoked eel broth, garnished with thai grass, or veal tartar served on a bed of cashews, pistachio oil, and wasabi. Marrying classic French gastronomy with fusion influences, l’essentiel is Normandy’s most sophisticated restaurant. Pigeon, stuffed cabbage, and tamarin juice call for a memorable pairing; fortunately, the restaurant’s cellar is formidable! Our top choice? Chateau Trotanoy.

What could surpass this hedonistic feast? Well, we’ve decided to let you enjoy Deauville at your own pace. Impossibly chic, Deauville has been a playground of the rich and famous ever since it was founded by Napoleon III’s half-brother, the Duke of Morny, in 1861. Today it is packed with excellent restaurants, deluxe hotels, glamorous boutiques, and is home to two racetracks and a high-profile American film festival.

So, where to start? In Deauville, the rich and beautiful strut their stuff along the beachside Promenade des Planches, a 643m-long boardwalk lined with cabins named after famous Americans (mainly film stars), before swimming in the nearby Piscine Olympique or losing some euros at the casino. Of course, you could always just relax at a seafront cafe and order some Champagne.

When you’re ready to depart, the chauffeur will return you to Honfleur. We sincerely hope you’ve had a blast. The last evening is at your leisure, so why not explore some of Honfleur’s lovely and hospitable restaurants?

We hope you had an unforgettable time on this gourmet, luxury tour of beautiful, historic Normandy. Bon voyage!