British backpacker Gavin Leakey once sold snowboards in Tignes, housed surfers in Hossegor at his surfhouse The Shred Mill, and has skateboarded pretty much all over the place. Working in tandem with chef David White, this board-burner now runs a cool eco-café on the Les Estagnots beach, decked out with plenty of wood and white tones, a stylish cabana-inspired terrace and a fantastic soundtrack. The menu is printed on hemp paper: vegan burritos at breakfast and comfort surf food the rest of the time. For us, the day we went for lunch: a very decadent freshly-ground duck breast burger sourced from the region, with plenty of smoked sheep’s milk cheese, fig and red onion marmalade, pickled cabbage and sautéed potatoes; a purple smoothie made with acai and other types of berries; then a freestyle pudding with chia seeds puffed up in coconut milk, plus a kiwi coulis. It’s also worth noting that they have homemade yogurt made with fresh milk from the Pyrenees. // D.N.
FEELING THIRSTY? Iced watermelon juice (€4), smoothies, milkshakes, freshly squeezed juices (€5) and coffee (€1.50 to €3.50).
PRICE: Breakfast burritos €8-10 (8am to 10am), à la carte €19-25.
