Whether you’re visiting Calais on a day trip, or passing through on your way to or from the port, there are plenty of restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious meal. Here, we share some of the best places to eat in Calais once you disembark your ferry to France, including French fine dining and Moroccan influenced options.
Do you want to try very best authentic French food in Calais?
1. La Tourello
La Tourello is a Calais gastropub best known for its delicious French cuisine. With a focus on producing ‘elaborate and creative’ dishes, this restaurant boasts a warm, friendly atmosphere with a bright, welcoming interior. The chefs at la Tourello use local, organic ingredients where possible, and like to experiment with different flavour combination to create some truly unique dishes. Open every day of the week other than Wednesdays, you can have lunch at La Tourello between 12pm and 2pm, and dinner between 7pm and 9:30pm – except for Sundays when the restaurant is only open for lunch.
La Tourello’s menu has a great selection of meat, fish, and vegetarian options, with a 3-course set menu available for 29€. Alternatively, you can choose to dine a la carte. The restaurant prides itself on its wide range of delicious desserts, and there’s a separate menu for children too, making it one of the best places to eat in Calais for families.
2. Oh! Mouettes
Set right in front of Calais port, it’s unsurprising that Oh! Mouettes is a seafood restaurant. With great panoramas across the port, including views of fishermen bringing in their daily catch, this is the perfect place to enjoy exceptionally fresh fish and seafood in Calais. Popular with locals and tourists, Oh! Mouettes boasts a modern décor scheme and a covered terrace, making it a charming place to enjoy a meal. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays, and open between 12pm and 1:30pm for lunch on the remaining days, and between 6:45pm and 8:30pm for dinner other than Sundays.
Oh! Mouettes has a number of 3-course set menus to choose from: Captain, Commander, and Admiral. The menus increase in price depending on which one you pick, and all options feature lots of delicious dishes to choose from. You can opt to dine a la carte instead, and might like to start with one of the restaurant’s outstanding seafood platters. From scallops and sole to sea bass and shrimp, you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic meal when you choose to dine here.
3. Les Route des Epices
If you’re hoping for high quality food at affordable prices, look no further than Les Route des Epices. Often referred to as being one of Calais’ hidden gems, this small, intimate restaurant offers French cuisine with a Moroccan twist, and is a big hit among locals. A casual eating space with excellent customer service, Les Route des Epices serves well-presented food created by the restaurant’s owner, as he is also the chef! This is really reflected in the quality of the food and service, as a lot of care and attention is put into the whole dining experience.
The restaurant’s menu de jour is its most popular option, as you can enjoy a fixed starter, main, drink, and mint tea for just 12.50€. Although there aren’t option to choose from, this menu changes each day and you can expect to see anything from soups and tartlets to tagines and meatballs depending on when you visit. Les Route des Epices has a children’s menu too, and is open between 12pm and 2:30pm for lunch Monday to Friday, and for an a la carte dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays.
4. Le Grand Bleu
At the other end of the budget spectrum is Le Grand Bleu, which offers a fabulous French fine dining experience. However, despite being one of the more expensive restaurants in Calais, it does offer set menus from as little as 24€ on weekdays, and 34€ at weekends. The food served at Le Grand Bleu is inventive, creative, and beautifully-presented, with dishes being updated all the time. The service is wonderfully attentive, with all needs being met, and the décor is fresh and clean which makes for a very pleasant dining experience.
Le Grand Bleu’s menu features everything that you’d expect from a French restaurant, including snail profiteroles, veal stew, and varied cheese boards, with steak, chicken, and fish also making an appearance. There’s also an excellent fine wine selection, so you’ll be sure to find a bottle that will complement your meal. The restaurant is set away from the town in a quiet location, and there’s plenty of parking should you be visiting with your car.
Ready to try out one of the best places to eat in Calais for yourself? Book your Dover to Calais crossing with us and start planning your perfect meal today.
