Le Normandy

The restaurant was a mess: slow, clumsy service, and the people at the next table got coffee and water spilled on their laps. The food was awful. I got three slices of packaged smoked salmon and three slices of packed “Bimbo” bread from what seemed like the nearest supermarket, for 14€?! The vol-au-vent was hard to describe, somewhere between bad and very bad. This place should close.

A Duvel cost €7, which is outrageous. I can’t remember paying anything close to that for one anywhere. The terrace is pleasant for sitting in the sun, but the staff weren’t great, and at those prices you don’t even get a smile.

The building looks lovely from outside, but the inside didn’t live up to it. Our room was very basic, with a short bed and covers that were crumpled and looked slept in. When we arrived, the staff were rude and unfriendly. They kept us waiting to check in while taking phone calls and unloading the dishwasher, then wanted to know why and where we’d eat if not at their place. They also made us pay for the room before we’d even seen it.

A proper old-fashioned French restaurant, even with some of the wine list still written in pencil so they can change the vintage each year. We had a really great waiter.