Bistrot Fine

In Anglet’s Montbrun neighborhood, there’s a special kind of bistro that you rarely see anymore, which strikes an elegant balance between vintage decor, large floor-to-ceiling windows and carbide-style light fixtures. Bistrot Fine’s nomadic chef, Christophe Almodovar (previously spotted at Chéri Bibi in Biarritz and Le Palmier in Hendaye) – who left for Villa Anvers this summer and was replaced by Anthony Lewandowski (ex-La Mère Brazier, Pilo, and Daniel & Denise in Lyon) – crafts an honest menu that gets straight to the highly flavorful point. Just take the day we went for lunch and had all of the following for €22: seductive chickpea hummus teased by oyster mushrooms and herb vinaigrette; comforting stuffed cabbage from the Quintaou market over a bed of organic Arto Gorria corn polenta drizzled in jus de viande; before a rich Monsieur Txokola chocolate lava cake glazed in dulce de leche. And Friday nights are a hoot: pâtés and rillettes from La Maison Montauzer, deviled eggs with chicharrón fried pork rinds, fried farm-fresh Aradoa poulet jaune (corn-fed chicken) and fries, tarta de queso… and once a month, a resident DJ spins vinyl for a festive feast. // Loulou Pïc

FEELING THIRSTY? : Conventional and low-intervention wines rub shoulders: Roussillon Munt, a red from Le Clos des Vins d’Amour (€4.50 a glass), L’Allumé, a skin-contact wine from La Maison Advinam (€6.50), Les Bornés, a menetou-salon white from the Domaine Pellé (€33 a bottle), or a Provence rosé from the Domaine Triennes (€26).
PRICE: : Breakfast €9-12, set menus €20-24, kids’ menu €10, dish of the day €16 (lunch), plates €8-15, desserts €8 (dinner).

The menu here includes a main course served in a child appropriate size, a scoop of ice cream for dessert and syrup-sweetened water, plus games galore – overall, a very kid-friendly spot! Big and little kids alike are welcome here, so that the taste of their times is as enjoyable as ours.