La Cuisine de Comptoir & the Criée Fish Auction
Les Sables-d'Olonne is one of France's most active fishing ports, and the freshest way to experience that fact is to combine a morning visit to the Criée — the wholesale fish auction on the Quai Guiné — with lunch at one of the quayside restaurants that cook whatever came off the boats that dawn. La Criée restaurant, right on the harbour, is the most celebrated of these, serving impeccably simple
The Fishing Harbour & Auction
The Criée de Les Sables-d'Olonne is one of the largest fish auctions in the Pays de la Loire; trawlers unload their catch through the early hours and the auction floor hums with activity from around 6 am, when wholesalers bid on crates of bar (sea bass), turbot, langoustines and spider crabs.
Public viewing of the auction is possible on organised visits arranged through the Office de Tourisme — a genuinely fascinating experience that puts the scale of this fishing economy into sharp, pungent perspective.
Where to Eat
La Criée restaurant (not to be confused with the auction hall) occupies a prime spot on the Quai Guiné and is the go-to address for no-nonsense seafood: a plateau de fruits de mer piled with oysters, whelks, langoustines and crab claws, or a simply grilled whole turbot with beurre blanc sauce.
For something more relaxed, the Café de la Criée next door serves fish soup with rouille and croutons at outdoor tables overlooking the trawlers — a bowl costs around €8 and tastes of the sea in the best possible way.
Ordering Like a Local
Ask for the poisson du jour (fish of the day) rather than ordering from the printed menu — it will invariably be whatever came in that morning and will be fresher and better cooked than anything with a fixed listing.
Pair your meal with a bottle of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie from the Loire Valley, the classic regional match for Atlantic seafood, crisp and mineral with just enough body to stand up to a rich beurre blanc.
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