Allium

According to legend, bear’s garlic, a.k.a. as wild garlic or allium ursinum, starts to sprout at the same time as the brown bear leaves its lair after hibernation. After their winter fast, the hungry bears devour the young leaves, hence the name of this plant that has come to symbolise strength and fertility. Frédérique and Lionel Hénaff have opened the restaurant of their dreams outside Quimper’s town centre in a bid to celebrate Brittany’s gourmet produce. Seafood occupies a star role in their appetising cast, including scallops from the Bay of Morlaix and abalone. The chef’s inventive cuisine, firmly anchored in nature, boldly blends a profusion of ingredients, among which herbs and flowers, with a weakness for light foamy siphoned sauces. A tasteful, elegant vibe sets the scene in the dining room, which also offers a handful of seats at the counter facing the open kitchen. The best of Brittany: what’s not to like?