Inexpensive couples of quality grower's champagne served on a nice outdoor terrace overlooking... a gritty street lined with sex clubs and prostitutes. It's quite a combo. The charcuterie and cheese plates are standard, but it's the warm, witty personality of the proprietor and former comedienne Morgane Fleury that is the main draw for those looking for affordable, natural wine.
This wonderful place is both a shop and tasting space for the Claudel’s dual obsessions, wine and whisky. The shop sells 300 references for each, and those who want to sip on the spot can choose between 24 wines and 80 whiskeys by the glass. Leather club chairs and a selection of small bites make this a great stop before dinner nearby.
In the historic center of Bayeux, wine connoisseur and caviste, Pierre-Henri Lemessier, has transformed a little house overlooking the river Aure into a wine bar and bistro offering simple, delicious food to accompany his well stocked selection of French wine. At lunchtime a generous plat du jour is served with a glass of wine for only €9,80, and in the evening you can enjoy a 3-course menu for €18. Also available are charcuterie and cheese platters, salads, omelets, escargots and crôques-monsieur, many of which are served all afternoon long in the comfortable dining room. And don’t leave without trying the specialty of the house – le sorbet au vin.
After the summer holiday, Pierre Jancou will reopen Vivant Table with a new chef and more serious culinary aspirations. Vivant Cave will open next door around September 15, offering small plates, sandwiches, plats du jour, and plenty of natural wines.