Le Balafon

 

Lovely Dinard in Brittany was discovered by newly minted American millionaires and English aristocrats at the end of the 19th century, and this well-mannered beach resort has never lost the charm that attracted them or the cosseted atmosphere created by the handsome villas they built along its shoreline. The French love it, too, considering it to be an eminently BCBG (bon chic, bon genre) holiday destination.

This season, the restaurant that the cashmere-pullovers-draped-over-shoulders holiday crowd will be making a beeline for is the delightful new Le Balafon, which is the bistro Dinard has been missing. It’s a place that occupies a sturdy stone house with the warm, happy atmosphere that comes from a very contented crowd eating excellent food for very fair prices.

The kitchen here is run by a talented young team, Violaine Cocault, whose impressive experience includes L’Oustau de Baumaniere in Provence and L’Arpège and the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, and innovative pastry chef David Beucherie. The good-value chalkboard menu changes almost daily, but runs to dishes like risotto with fresh tuna, pan-roasted duckling with seasonal vegetables, and pastries like the superb peach Tatin (upside down tart of caramelised peaches) I had here at the end of an excellent dinner.

Le Balafon ? 31 Rue de la Vallée, 35800 Dinard, + 33 2 99 46 14 81 www.lebalafon-restaurant-dinard.fr

Closed Sunday and Thursday nights/Monday lunch Lunch €15-€17, à la carte €30

 

 

Restaurant columnist alexander lobrano lives in Paris. His book Hungry for Paris is online in the France Today bookstore.

 

Originally publiched in the June-July 2013 issue of France Today.