La Rochelle

The La Rochelle guide is compiled by Stephen Garwood


Airport Information

La Rochelle

  • Holiday Taxis (easyJet.holidaytaxis.com) take you from home to the airport, then city or destination.

  • Buses leave every 15 minutes from 7am-7pm for Place de Verdun bus station. Tickets: €1.20.

  • Visit the Europcar desk on arrival for special easyJet inflight rates.

  • The fare to the centre is about €15-€20.

Bon Appetit

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↓ Up to €15
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    (4 Rue d'Ottawa. Tel. 05 4642 6139)
    Small café and bar serving French bistro-style food. Try the good-value three-course menu. Open at lunchtimes from Monday-Friday and on Sunday as a bar only.
↓ Up to €30
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    (30 Rue Saint Jean-du-Perot. Tel. 05 4650 0701)
    Pacific Rim cuisine served with French style. Try prawn and shitaké ravioli or caramelised eel.
↓ Up to €50
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    (21 Rue des Dames. Tel. 05 4643 4005)
    Patron Jean-Jacques Thomas makes full use of the adjacent market to compose his ever-changing menu of seasonal produce, creating dishes like scallops with creamed mushrooms and potato purée. Closed on Wednesday and Sunday.
↓ Exclusive
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    (Saint Martin de Ré. Tel. 05 4609 0330)
    Comfortable harbourside venue whose blue shutters, clapperboard exterior and nautical theme belie the serious quality of the food. The emphasis is on the freshest possible seafood, such as medallions of monkfish with green asparagus and herb butter. Well worth the trip across the bridge.

After Dark

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↓ Low Key
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    (7 Rue de la Chaîne. Tel. 05 4641 1894)
    Chilled-out bar near the Old Port specialising in bière flambée, a potent combination of beer and spirits, which you drink through a straw.
↓ Live Music
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    (4 Rue St-Jean-du-Pérot. Tel. 05 4651 5402)
    Part of the La Coursive theatre and cinema complex, the Théâtre Verdière often hosts live music performances. During the Francofolies, you can see contemporary French rock bands (www.la-coursive.com).
↓ Late & Lively
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    (12 Place des Coureauleurs, Le Gabut. Tel. 05 4656 6454)
    Nightclub where you can enjoy Spanish tapas from 5pm-10pm and dance until 1.30am. It does a great non-alcoholic fruit juice cocktail, too.

This month...

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Shop
  • For a huge range of specialist French biscuits, chocolates, nougats and edible goodies displayed in traditional packaging, head to La Cure Gourmande (16 Rue du Temple. Tel. 05 4652 3993).
See
  • The 25th annual Francofolies music festival comes to La Rochelle this month. The line-up includes more than 50 bands at venues across the city. Among the headline acts are Charlie Winston, Jane Birkin and Olivia Ruiz (11-14 July. www.francofolies.fr).
Go
  • A short stroll from the harbour brings you to the old fisherman's quarter of St-Nicolas, now home to bookshops and art galleries. The famous flea market is held every Thursday and Saturday on Rue St-Nicolas and Place de la Motte Rouge.
Escape
  • About 90 minutes' drive from La Rochelle, Futuroscope is the second biggest theme park in France. Interactive attractions include Fly Me to the Moon, the futuristic EcoDingo race, and spectacular Cosmic Collisions, using state-of-the-art animation and robotic technology (Tel. 05 4949 1112. uk.futuroscope.com).

Tips

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No way!
  • A passenger on a high-speed train from Paris to La Rochelle had his arm sucked into a toilet when he tried to retrieve his mobile phone last October. Eventually, after a two-hour delay, he and the toilet were removed from the train and he was cut free.

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