Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [15]
Musée Le Secq des Tournelles (Wrought-Iron Museum).
Set near the Musée des Beaux-Arts, this claims to have the world’s finest collection of wrought iron, with exhibits spanning from the 4th through the 19th century. The displays, imaginatively housed in a converted medieval church, include the professional instruments of surgeons, barbers, carpenters, clockmakers, and gardeners. | 2 rue Jacques-Villon, Gare | 76000 | 02–35–88–42–92 | €3, €8 includes Musée des Beaux-Arts and Musée de la Céramique | Wed.–Mon. 10–1 and 2–6.
QUICK BITES: The friendly Maison Hardy (Pl. du Vieux-Marché, Vieux-Marché | 76000 | 02–35–71–81–55) offers zestful service and a splendid view of the picturesque market square, scene of the burning of Joan of Arc, whose story is retraced in colorful frescoes on the café wall.
WHERE TO EAT IN ROUEN
Fodor’s Choice | Gill Côté Bistro.
$$–$$$ | FRENCH | With two Michelin stars under his toque for his tony gastronomic restaurant Gill, chef Gilles Tournadre jumped at the chance to open a contemporary bistro on Rouen’s storied Place du Vieux-Marché. The atmosphere is sleek and modern, and the updated bistro fare, which has the distinct advantage of being served up seven days a week, consists of inspired versions of much-loved French classics, like tête de veau with sauce gribich (a caper, parsley, and cornichon Hollandaise) and andoillette, along with more contemporary dishes, like a piquant Caesar salad. Portions are ample and the small but choice menu—with a great-value €22 fixed-price option—changes monthly. | 14 pl. du Vieux-Marché, Vieux-Marché | 76000 | 02–35–89–88–72 | DC, MC, V.
Fodor’s Choice | La Couronne.
$$$$ | FRENCH | If P. T. Barnum, Florenz Ziegfeld, and Cecil B. DeMille had put together a spot distilling all the charm and glamour of Normandy, this would be it. Behind a half-timber facade gushing geraniums, the “oldest inn in France,” dating from 1345, is a sometimes-ersatz extravaganza crammed with stained leaded glass, sculpted wood beams, marble Norman chimneys, leather-upholstered chairs, and damasked curtains. The Salon Jeanne d’Arc is the largest room and has a wonderful wall-wide sash window and quaint paintings, but the only place to sit is the adorably cozy, wood-lined Salon des Rôtisseurs, an antiquarian’s delight. The star attractions on Vincent Taillefer’s €33 menu—lobster soufflé, sheeps’ feet, duck in blood sauce—make few modern concessions. Dine at La Couronne and you’ll be adding your name to a list that includes Sophia Loren, John Wayne, Jean-Paul Sartre, Salvador Dalí, and Princess Grace of Monaco. | 31 pl. du Vieux-Marché, Vieux-Marché | 76000 | 02–35–71–40–90 | www.lacouronne.com | AE, DC, MC, V.
La Toque d’Or.
$$ | FRENCH | Overlooking the Église Jeanne d’Arc, this large, bustling restaurant has been renowned since time immemorial for Normandy classics such as veal with Camembert flamed in Calvados, breast of duck glazed in cider, or spicy braised turbot. Try the excellent house-smoked salmon (they’ll give you a tour of the smokehouse if you wish) and the Norman appletarte soufflée. | 11 pl. du Vieux-Marché, Vieux-Marché | 76000 | 02–35–71–46–29 | AE, MC, V.
WHERE TO STAY IN ROUEN
Cathédrale.
$ | There are enough half-timbered walls and beams here to fill a super-luxe hotel, but the happy news is that this is a budget option—even better, it is found on a narrow pedestrian street just behind the cathedral. Ensconsced in a 17th-century building, the pretty Normand decor begins in the lobby, extends to the large dining room—fitted out with grand 17th-century-style chairs and a historic fireplace—and crescendos in the flower-laden patio, a green oasis oh-so-picturesquely framed with walls of timber and stucco. Done largely in pastel patterns, guest rooms are petite but neat and comfortable; No. 7 is the largest. Breakfast