On the island of Noirmoutier, everyone seems to know le petit Couillon (Alexandre Couillon, to be precise), a very grand chef! But it wasn’t until one recent summer that they got to know his alter ego, at an épicerie located right next to his fine dining restaurant La Marine. You’ll find a bounty of local treats there, all meticulously lined up on the checkerboard-style shelves: jars of briny samphire from Mathiaud Salomé, precious thyme grown along the Emerald Coast and harvested by Roellinger, delicate fleur de sel from Bonne Pogne… Along with mouthwatering products from a little further away, like pickled Buddha’s hand, oils from Xavier Alazard or Corsican cornichons from Anatra. Behind the counter, there’s a selection of homemade sourdough bread, beautiful Belle Miss’Terre butter, and fish terrines depending on what’s available at the fish market, for your apéro platters… // A.Be.
Hidden gem: The vanilla cake (€8).
