After the flood
La Grenouillère (La Madeleine-sous-Montreuil)
GETAWAYS • Hauts-de-France
La Grenouillère is a restaurant, but it’s also a rite of passage. Historically, the house — a little over three hours’ drive north of Paris — did indeed serve as a passage between the two shores of the Canche River, a crossing point for locals and travelers alike. But what began as a humble auberge in the 1930s has been transformed by Alexandre Gauthier, who took the reins from his father in 2003 and reimagined the space with architect Patrick Bouchain. The result is a contemporary hideaway where freestanding huts scattered throughout the garden recall the waterfowl hunters’ lodges, beckoning to the region’s past.
Meals are served in a dining room that feels both modern and primal. Gauthier’s audacious dishes champion the Opal Coast’s overlooked ingredients, from buttermilk and whey to colza and bulots, recast with an avant-garde sensibility. Though the kitchen is constantly evolving, certain dishes have become signatures, like smoked eel paired with wild herbs, and a delicate rosehip sorbet. The cooks come out of the semi-open kitchen to deliver their creations on the now-iconic leather tables, creating an intimate, unconventional atmosphere.
Despite a devastating flood in 2023 that shuttered the restaurant for 15 months, Gauthier and his team are back, ready to welcome guests in a place where the past, present, and future of French cuisine converge. –Victoire Loup
→ La Grenouillère (La Madeleine-sous-Montreuil) • 19 rue de la Grenouillère • call +33 (0) 3 21 06 07 22 to book.
FOUND Pro: A day trip to the nearby beach town of Merlimont offers lunch at Sur Mer, Gauthier’s summery seaside outpost. Here, the menu’s all about the ocean: towering platters of shellfish, crispy fish and chips, and citrusy crudos. In contrast to La Grenouillère’s theatrical setting, the vibe is laid-back, with maritime décor and the soundtrack of waves crashing.