Feel like casting off? If jetting off on a whim to Saint-Malo isn’t an option, head to Yves Camdeborde’s briny den, L’Avant-Comptoir de la Mer: a long zinc bar, a few barstools, two tables tucked away at the back… Just like at the other Avant-Comptoirs (du Marché and de la Terre), there’s no menu. Instead, there are fifty-some posters strung up around the room with photos, names and prices of the dishes. The godfather of bistronomy has also scrawled out his seafood favorites on some blackboards on the walls: a selection of oysters from friends (Joël Dupuch, Jean-Jacques Cadoret, Adrien Geay, Pascal and Renan Henry); perfectly cooked whelks served warm with wasabi mayo; razor clams marinière with red onions and fresh thyme… And for a little something sweet? A creamy Madagascar vanilla rice pudding. It’s worth noting that there are shellfish platters made with whatever’s fresh, which can be delivered or taken to go. // D.C.
FEELING THIRSTY? Blanc tarnais des Plageoles (9 € le verre), Jurançon sec d’Uroulat (30 € la bouteille), rouge gardois d’Olivier Pichon (31 €)…
PRICE: N°3 oysters from €3.50 to €4 a piece and €36-38 a dozen, plates €4-50, desserts €2-7.
