Ficelle Picarde at Chez Antoine
The ficelle picarde — a thin buckwheat crêpe rolled around mushrooms, ham and crème fraîche, then gratiné under a blanket of melted cheese — was invented in Amiens in 1953 and remains the dish every visitor must order. Chez Antoine on Rue des Sergents is the city's most respected address for traditional Picard cooking.
The dish that defines a region
A proper ficelle picarde should be made with a thin, pliable crêpe (not a thick galette), filled with a duxelles of finely chopped mushrooms and good local ham, rolled tightly, covered in crème fraîche and grated Emmental, then baked until bubbling and golden. It sounds simple; the difference between a mediocre and a brilliant one is enormous. At Chez Antoine, the crêpes are made fresh, the mushrooms are cooked down properly and the cheese forms a proper crust.
Order it as a starter — it's rich — and follow with duck confit or andouillette de Vire if you want to stay in regional mode. The wine list leans toward northern French and Belgian options, and the house cidre from the Oise valley is an excellent match for the ficelle.
Other Picard specialities to try
Beyond the ficelle, look for flamiche aux poireaux (a leek and cream tart in a thick pastry shell), macarons d'Amiens (a local biscuit made with almonds, honey and angelica — completely different from the Parisian macaron) and pâté de canard en croûte from the charcuteries around the covered market.
Chez Antoine is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner; booking is strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday evenings. It's located on Rue des Sergents, a 7-minute walk south of the cathedral in the heart of the old commercial quarter.
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