Savoring Normandy: A Food and Drink Guide to Northern France

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In the 1940s, Normandy in Northern France cemented its place in history as the landing site of the D-Day Invasion and the place where WWII spy Julia Child fell in love with cooking. But just like Julia reinvented herself, so too has Normandy.

Today Normandy isn’t about war; it’s about life. While many travelers visit Normandy for its history, they’ll now find a region that’s become a gastronomic powerhouse in a country known for its food and drink.

Rouen: UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy

In 2021, Rouen became the first and only city in France recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. While the honor is recent, Rouen’s culinary roots are old.

The city is home to La Couronne, France’s oldest restaurant dating to 1345, and the place that, after one meal, inspired Child to become a chef.

In her memoir, My Life in France, Child described her lunch at La Couronne as,”…an epiphany. In all the years since the succulent meal, I have yet to lose the feelings of wonder and excitement that it inspired in me. I can still almost taste it.”

And after my dinner there, I can certainly understand Child’s excitement. In addition to Child, La Couronne has attracted stars like Audrey Hepburn and John Wayne, politicians like John Kennedy, and royalty like Queen Elizabeth. I feared the restaurant would, at best, rest on its celebrity and, at worst, be a tourist trap. Instead, I experienced a meal similar to Julia’s.

In every course, from the sliced octopus with basil to the roasted sea trout, the chef coaxed maximum flavor from each ingredient, crafting dishes that melted in my mouth. The meal was one of the best I had in France, and with four courses, plus a half bottle of wine for €59 ($68.40), it was also one of the best values.

If a meal here inspires your inner Julia, you can cultivate it by taking a class at the Fauchon School of Gastronomy, shop the region’s best produce at the Place du Vieux Marché or Marché Saint-Marc, take a cider or cheese-making tour, or cycle The Fruit Route, which winds through the Seine Valley’s agricultural heartland and offers plenty of places to stop and pick pears, apples or cherries.

The Apple of Normandy’s Eye

While the spirits of D-Day no doubt linger in Normandy, the region has been associated with another kind of spirit since the 16th century.

Normandy’s traditionally cool, wet climate is ideal for cider apples, and the first instance of a distillation of cider into eau-de-vie, a Calvados-like spirit, dates to 1553. Since then, Calvados, an apple brandy named for the Calvados region of Normandy where it’s produced, has given the world a taste of Normandy. In 1942, Calvados was given its own Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), and its production is as protected as Cognac or Armagnac.

Today, visitors can learn about this special spirit at The Calvados Experience at Distillerie Père Magloire in Pont-l’Évêque. Founded in 1821, the distillery is one of the oldest and most prominent commercial Calvados producers. Since 2018, it has told the story of Calvados through its Calvados Experience interactive exhibit and tasting. Using technology created by the team behind the Harry Potter Museum in London, the 45-minute presentation and tasting educates visitors about the history, production, and classification system of Calvados.

Benedictine Buzz

An hour away in coastal Fécamp, monks at the abbey of Fécamp created an herbal elixir in the 16th century, but the recipe was seemingly destroyed during the French Revolution.

In 1863, entrepreneur Alexandre Le Grand claimed he found the recipe in his family’s books and spent a year recreating it. In 1864, with the Benedictine order’s blessing, he launched Bénédictine liquor. Le Grand was a master marketer, so historians doubt the story, but it helped create the Benedictine mystique that continues today.

The Bénédictine Palace itself is stunningly beautiful inside and out. The original Neo-Gothic palace burned in 1892, which gave Le Grand an excuse to rebuild an even more lavish version, earning it the nickname Versailles Industriel. Today the opulent building is both a working distillery and a museum housing a collection of ivories, coins, and paintings.

After a guided tour of the museum and the distillery, I had the chance to taste the original Bénédictine D.O.M. alongside the 1888, a unique combination of Bénédictine and cognac, and the rare single-cask edition. While all the liquors were smoother than I expected, I admit my favorite expression was the Bénédictine Spritz cocktail I enjoyed in the on-site La Verrière cocktail bar.

French Fromage

Throughout our trip in Normandy, my husband kept uttering, “Cheese is life,” as he delighted in the local fromage.

At La Dégusterie in Pont-l’Évêque, he was in cheese heaven as we enjoyed a cider and cheese tasting workshop led by cheesemonger David Raguet. As a wine girl, I’ve never paired cheese with cider, but the DuPont Reserve is a stellar match, cutting the richness with acidity and carbonation.

Our cheese board reads like a line-up of Normandy’s greatest cheese hits: Camembert de Normandie, Livarot, Neuchâtel Pont-l’Évêque. Raguet explains that not all of the region’s cheeses are created equally, even if they have an AOP/AOC stamp on their label.

The key difference centers on raw vs. pasteurized milk. The best cheese comes from raw milk and hand-production. I can totally taste the difference in the Camembert de Normandie we enjoy here, versus others I’ve had before, and in my favorite Norman cheese, the Pont-l’Évêque, a soft cheese named for the town we’re sitting in.

Norman Wine?

France is synonymous with wine, but wine in Normandy? Fifty years ago, a Norman wine region would’ve seemed unbelievable, but climate change is making the area more grape-friendly.

However, this isn’t the first time this has happened. From the 8th century to the 1300s, the climate was warmer, and records show that monks made wine in the region, according to Étienne Fournet, the owner of Arpents du Soleil Saint Pierre sur Dives.

Set in those ancient vineyards, Arpents du Soleil began as a small experiment in 1995 and became the first Norman winery of the modern era. Today, under Fournet’s ownership and winemaking, the winery produces pinot noir and an assortment of white varietals including chardonnay, auxerrois, and pinot gris on about 15 acres.

After walking the vineyards and touring the winery with Fournet, I was lucky enough to sample eight current wines, especially enjoying the 100 percent pinot noir, 2021 Resilience, cheekily named for that year’s tough growing conditions.

Travelers can reserve English-speaking tours at 2:30 PM on Thursdays and Fridays. For oenophiles who want to take a deeper dive into Normandy wine, Norman wine expert Juliette Leroux, owner of The Art of Wine Academy, arranges English-speaking custom day tours to explore different wineries, producers, and landscapes. Juliette’s passion for her home’s wines comes through as she shares the wines of Le Domaine des Deserts, Le Domaine Leprince, and Le Domaine Brucan-Cherbourg.

Where to Stay in Normandy

Normandy is a large region, but basing yourself in Rouen, Caen, and the seaside will give you the flexibility (with a car) to explore the culinary delights throughout Normandy.

Rouen

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Rouen Centre puts you within a 10-minute walk of most of the city’s top attractions. My favorite part of the hotel was enjoying breakfast outside, sitting next to the famous Tour Jeanne d’Arc, the only remaining feature of the 13th-century castle where Joan of Arc was imprisoned.

Caen

Hidden on a small side street, Hôtel La Particulière is a gem of a boutique property tucked away from the city’s hustle. The eight-room converted 18th-century townhome is exquisitely decorated. Book room three for the most privacy and a great view of the courtyard.

Honfleur

Named for the famous 19th-century French composer Duparc’s L’invitation au Voyage, this Honfleur hotel of the same name is in the heart of the old town and steps away from the water. This boutique hotel pairs high-quality service with the heart of a charming town, and the harbor with its fishing boats is steps away.

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Savor the Flavors of Normandy

Normandy rewards travelers who arrive hungry—and curious. From the historic tables of Rouen and pungent wheels of Camembert to apple orchards, centuries-old spirits, and a surprising new generation of winemakers, the region offers plenty of reasons to linger over another taste. As you plan your own culinary journey through France, explore more of our favorite food and wine travel experiences and France travel inspiration on Wander With Wonder.

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