January 18, 2014 • 0

Lunch in a Watermill in Tiny Pont-Scorff, France

Le homard: comme the black soup

Visitors to the Bretagne region in northwestern France do not often find themselves in the tiny town of Pont Scorff, unless they are avidly checking off restaurants in their Michelin guide or perhaps visiting a local glassblower. Nearby the town center, Laurent le Berrigaud’s restaurant, Moulin des Princes, is housed in a historic watermill, once owned by the Prince of the Polignarc family and idyllically situated on the river.

Pont Scorff is renowned for its arts and crafts vibe, a humble meeting place of eccentricity and charm. The restaurant bathroom is an example of this, as it can also be considered a library, with stacks of old books about the region’s painters and sculptors, seasonal fairs, and the history of the Gulf of Morbihan. The bar area comfortably adjoins the living area, with seating, exposed stone, original floor tiles, and an old fireplace. In the simply designed dining rooms, floor to ceiling windows enable visitors to focus their attention on the tranquil views overlooking the river. If the eye dallies around the room, it might land on hints of the town’s artistic flair, a rotating showcase of local painters.

The dining experience itself is elegant and thoughtful, the staff superbly trained, and the amous bouche aplenty. The menu reflects this balance: playfulness, creativity, and modernism intermingle with classic elegance in Berrigaud’s contemporary take on Breton recipes. On this particular visit, Berrigaud was experimenting with various ways to utilize squid ink, and the offerings were awash in black. Although the insanely decadent chocolate dessert followed suit in color, it was thankfully excused from the theme.