Our traveling dates have us in Mont-Saint-Michel on a Sunday night in December. It also is our daughter’s 20th birthday. We realize the Mont is terribly touristy with not-so-great fare, but who can recommend a restaurant?
(Side note…we plan to bring boxed lunches with us from Bayeux earlier in the day…counting on our first choice restaurant being closed on Sunday on the land side).
Good documentary, if you haven't seen it
youtube.com/watch?v=fZEXDbfrdJ0
We had dinner at a hotel restaurant near the top of the main street just short of the Abbey. I think it might have been du Guesclin The dining room opened at 7 or so and had a nice view onto the bay and the mudflats although darkness soon took care of that. The prix fixe menu was fine -- not expensive and the food while not a culinary find, was fine. I had lamb which I enjoyed. It is fun to wander around the ramparts in the evening. We were there in late October a few years ago and there were few people -- probably even less crowded in December. Here was our trip -- the pictures of the flats and the floats were taken from the restaurant. https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/mont-st-michel-is-that-a-real-place/
Such a nice write up! Thank you!
Back in April 2014 we had an enjoyable dinner at Auberge St Pierre. Since you're probably not going for the food there should be several restaurant choices. By the time we arrived in late afternoon we pretty well had the place to ourselves but some of the restaurants had already closed as I recall.
As many have mentioned, MSM doesn't offer stellar cuisine, But you are there for the view not the food, and I have had a few pleasing meals with this in mind—including one at Le Mouton Blanc. Unfortunately, almost all of the island's hotels and restaurants are owned by the same conglomerate (The Poulard group). So there isn't any competition for "good" food or beds. But you are there for the location and experience—so it can still be enjoyed with this in mind. I'll echo other's comments to enjoy the island later in the day when all the "day-trippers" and their buses have departed. Walking along the ramparts and lanes late at night is truly magical.
With K2's note in mind, I would make reservations ahead -- not because it will be crowded -- we walked in in October and there were very few other diners BUT because you want to be sure the place you choose is open. A couple of the restaurants are linked to hotels and the hotels in such a touristy spot are likely to be open and thus their restaurants. But this is one to line up ahead of time.
And I don't think I would want to be hunting for a spot to eat a boxed lunch in December -- I'd probably just plan to get a crepe or something on the island.
And a note on 'touristy' -- there is a reason touristy places attract tourists and Mont St. Michel is just a jaw dropping site -- I avoid crowds but if July were my only chance to see it, I would. But far better, even in bad weather in fall and winter when you can see it without being in a scrum.
Yes, very good. Thank you!
I have confirmed our hotel restaurant (with dismal ratings) is open that night so I know we will last have food. Sundays are tricky!
A few years ago we stayed at Hotel Le Relais du Roy just across the bridge on the mainland. The hotel rooms were tired, so without a lot of expectation we went down to eat at the attached restaurant. Boy were we surprised! It was one of the nicest meals I've ever had in France. I don't know if they're still open for the season or at all with Covid, but it might be an option worth exploring. Note that because of the small tourist population on/near the island dinner seems to be served earlier; 5-6pm would not be too early.
We had a reservation there! I had a hard time deciding if we wanted to stay where we could look at the island or be on it! That’s good to know!
And experience we have had dozens of times in rural France is a terrible hotel -- rooms like summer camp for teens level of not great -- and then an attached restaurant where we have had a wonderful meal. Years ago we were trying to find a hotel and dinner near Oradour sur Glen. and I had done some research and had a list of good hotels. We went to 6 different ones on my list and they were all not open for the season (this was early May) We began to fear we would sleep in the car and finally stumbled on a place with a giant mosquito on a plinth out front that had rooms -- sort of a motel. Our room was like a prison cell with a poured pedestal of concrete that was the bed, topped with a foam mattress. The whole room was designed to prevent theft with things all built in. It was kind of late, we were grateful, it was fine. So we went to the attached restaurant kitted out with chrone dining room tables and pink formica wainscoating and had a really very good meal. I wanted the lamb on the menu which they were out of but they said they could do me a brochette of medalions of lamb and I said sure. I was nervous that it would be very expensive since it was off menu. The food was really good. When I paid the bill in the morning, the lamb was something like 8 Euros.
On our last trip in the Ardeche we had a similarly terrible room and again the attached restaurant was really good -- people form miles around came there for dinner. Hotel dining rooms in the Dordogne region were our first introduction to excellent French cuisine in our travels.
MSM has the problem of being controlled by a monopoly which works against quality but our experience was at least in the satisfactory range.
Medieval writers wrote complaints about the tourist trade and crowds on Mont Saint Michel. It's a long tradition.
@janet - those are great stories! I hope stumble along something like that!
