The Café de France

To say the Café de France is a Barfleur institution would be a gross understatement.

To many locals and tourists alike, Barfleur is the Cafe de France, and has been since 1901 when it was constructed; first as an "epicerie" (grocers) and bar, gradually morphing into the restaurant-slash-cafe-slash-bar that it is today.

One of the reasons (although certainly not the sole one) that the CdF is so popular is the sense of continuity you get when you visit.  

Nestled at the end of the quai Henri Chardon, its been owned and run by the Chardon family for four generations. Now managed by Olivier Chardon (the current owner's son), while there may be new faces every season, the place is largely staffed with retainers who have worked the tables for at least the 30 years that I've been coming here.

Same café, only the boats have changed

Another reason for its popularity is the location, looking out over the quay, and close enough to the fishing boats that you can watch them being unloaded while at the same time listening to the fishermen's banter at the bar.

In a similar way, the menu rarely changes and why would it?  Plump and golden Barfleur "blonde" mussels, salty French fries, fat prawns doused in lemon juice, a plateau of cockles, shrimp and oysters with a great yellow glob of home-made mayonnaise on the side, ice-cold Leffe beer; what more do you need to sustain you after a hard day at the beach?

Barfleur "blonde" mussels on the menu at the Café de France

But what I like best about the Café de France is the undiminished enthusiasm of its owners and staff (it closes only once a year during the quiet months of January and February), the cosy familiarity of its interior, the sense of community and homeliness that you get when you visit.  

I imagine that before the flight from rural areas to the cities, every small community had a Cafe de France.  

Barfleur is very lucky that it still does.