When a Breizh wind blows down the streets of Brest, it’s so nice to seek refuge in L’Embrun (peacock blue armchairs, white tablecloths), opened by Marlène Breton (front of house) and Guillaume Pape (in the kitchen). The other night, the Top Chef France 2019 finalist (ex-Olivier Bellin in Plomodern) unveiled his very briny menu with a steady hand: a brilliant flame-charred marinated mackerel fillet with dots of smoked Brillat-Savarin, sweetened by beetroot; elegant blue Breton lobster moistened by a bisque and snuggled up against some incredible porcini with black garlic, glazed in a piment d’Espelette butter; before a cylindrical lime meringue with praline mousse and crisp lemon caviar. At lunch, there’s a mouthwatering “market menu” that changes every week. It might feature something like a slow-cooked egg with a black trumpet mushroom cream, a bacon emulsion and enoki mushrooms; line-caught yellow pollack fillet with cabbage and a lobster bisque; and toasted brioche with tonka bean-infused mascarpone cream, poached pear, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. // A.Be.
FEELING THIRSTY? There are organic-oriented wines selected by the young sommelier Benjamin Crenn: a gourmet Costières-de-Nîmes white from Château de Nages (€7 a glass), a deep Côtes-du-Rhône red from the Domaine de la Mordorée (€44 a bottle).
PRICE: Menus €22-28 (lunch), €42-75 (dinner), à la carte €64-72.
