Island reset
La Maison Moizeau & La Marine (Noirmoutier-en-l’Île)
GETAWAYS • Noirmoutier-en-l’Île
On the edge of Noirmoutier’s fishing port lies a rare pairing: La Marine, the award-winning restaurant of chef Alexandre Couillon, and La Maison Moizeau, its understated, soulful guesthouse. Together, they offer a weekend of dining or resting, fully immersed in the rhythms of the presqu’île.
La Maison Moizeau is a five-room retreat named after a nearby beach. The rooms are called Lutins, Blanche, Jean, Madeleine, and Clère, the latter two being spacious enough for families. All are dressed in natural wood, soft linens, and warm metals, echoing textures of the sea and harbor visible from most windows. The design is by Otso Studio, a duo of young Parisian architects with family roots on the island. The mood is calm and unpretentious. There’s a warm welcome, and at breakfast, smoked fish and hazelnut cake.
Just steps away, La Marine is a culinary pilgrimage. Here, Couillon and his wife Céline have transformed his parents’ restaurant into one of France’s most revered dining experiences. The tasting menu revolves around ikejime fish, foraged herbs, and vegetables from their garden. The dining room overlooks the Herbaudière port. Like the service, the room is serene and intimate, allowing the food to take center stage.
Between meals at La Marine and the nearby sister-restaurant Elise, hopping on a bicycle is highly recommended to explore the rest of this “almost-island.” You can also stroll to the salt marshes, visit the local markets, or simply watch the boats drift in and out of the harbor. Life here moves to a different rhythm. –Victoire Loup
→ La Maison Moizeau & La Marine (Noirmoutier-en-l’Île) • 3 & 7 Rue Marie Lemonnier • from €180/night.