Pas de Calais: France's New Fine Dining Destination

With its exquisite seafood, distinctive cheeses, and a burgeoning crop of Michelin-starred restaurants, the canal-webbed region of Pas de Calais on the Calais coast has become a must-visit for food enthusiasts. Known for its port, this Northern France region attracts Parisians with its sandy beaches, medieval towns, and serene UNESCO-listed waterways.

Culinary Highlights of Pas de Calais

Pas de Calais offers an unparalleled culinary experience with its proximity to the sea, producing superb seafood and strong cheeses like maroilles. The region is easily accessible, just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Paris or a quick Eurostar trip via Lille. Recently, it has risen as a fine-dining hotspot with celebrity chefs opening Michelin-starred, farm-to-table restaurants in historic settings.

Five Places to Try

1. Maison Renard, Béthune
   • Located in a charming art deco town, Maison Renard is the first restaurant by TV chef Sébastien Renard. It offers elegant dishes such as john dory with white asparagus and elderflower, and lamb confit with herb gnocchi. Renard also provides cookery classes and has guest rooms above the restaurant. Tasting menus start at €43 for three courses with wine. B&B from €135.
2. Maison Wident, Saint-Omer
   • Known for its exceptional cheeses and charcuterie, Maison Wident offers great-value lunches in Saint-Omer. Daily dishes include veal tagliatelle and fresh fish with vegetables. A charcuterie and cheese platter, salad, and a drink cost €16, while a main course and pudding are €12.
3. Les Piquinettes, Marais Audomarois
   • Enjoy local cuisine alongside the canals in this outdoor estaminet. Specialties like carbonnade flamande and chicken with maroilles cheese sauce are served with fresh salad and frites. A main course costs €15.50, or €21 for a meal with a waffle, coffee, and a drink. Canal boat tours are also available.
4. Restaurant Bacôve, St-Omer
   • Opened by Top Chef winner Camille Delcroix in 2021, Restaurant Bacôve has earned a Michelin star for its inventive dishes using local ingredients. Highlights include foie lollipops with blackberries and sweetbreads with local carrots and caviar. Tasting menus are priced at €84 for four courses and €98 for five.
5. La Marie Galante, Audresselles
   • Situated near a dune-filled beach, La Marie Galante is a traditional seafood bistro serving platters of local blue lobster, crab, prawns, and whelks. Mains like grilled Dover sole start at €20, and seafood platters at €24.

Experience

Distillery Persyn, Houlle

• This family-run distillery has been producing genever since 1812. The award-winning distillery offers tours of its traditional copper pot stills and includes a tasting. Tours cost €7.50 per person.

Where to Stay

Château de Beaulieu, Busnes

• This 17th-century chateau, transformed into a Relais & Châteaux gourmet retreat by chef Christophe Dufossé and his wife Delphine, features a two-Michelin-star restaurant, a spa, and organic gardens. The fine-dining restaurant offers dishes like saddle of rabbit with rhubarb confit. Doubles start at €260, room only.