Funny thing, if the least expensive restaurant you visit on a given weekend is also the best, by far. And with a Michelin star and all. Le Chalut had really good seafood, super service and a nice location, what more do you want?
Parking outside the walls of Saint-Malo was surprisingly easy, possibly due in part to the fact that it was (a) colder than a really cold day in hell, and (b) raining. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the expected spectacular waves crashing against the sea walls, but at least my feet stayed dry. Brown oxfords are not preferred walking gear in an Atlantic storm, just by the way. Plus, I managed to take cool photos without having to wipe droplets off my lens every 30 seconds.
Back to Le Chalut — we had a subtly-done St. Pierre with lemongrass, and a turbot filet; for starters, you can’t go wrong with Bélon plate oysters if they’re as fresh as you get them here (beware of even day-old ones, they get weirdly bloated and fishy-smelly. Gah.) There’s not much else to say about the restaurant — it’s a great place for lunch, small-ish with tasteful decor (not so sure about the canned tuna hanging from fishing nets overhead, but I won’t question French restaurant aesthetics at any cost. Especially if there’s a risk of having a large-ish can of tuna knocked on my head if I complain too much.) Check it out.
(Edit 26-11-10: I read a bunch of reviews recently that claimed it’s really gone down the toilet. Your mileage may vary.)
Le Chalut
8, rue de la Corne de Cert
F-35400 Saint-Malo (Intra-Muros)
+33 (0) 2 99 56 71 58
