La Marine
Fine dining restaurant · Noirmoutier-en-l'Île
3 Rue Marie Lemonnier, 85330 Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, France
"Alexandre Couillon rises at dawn to go to Noirmoutier fish auction, which sells the best Atlantic fish, before stopping by his own vegetable garden, just a few minutes from the restaurant. The tasting menu, which religiously keeps pace with the seasons and availability, exalts and celebrates fine ingredients, allowing them to shout their name with a simplicity that only the world’s top chefs can attain. Knowing what and where to strip back and pare down to release the flavours and tantalise the eater’s imagination is a fine art. The quality of the fish, seafood and vegetables is exceptional. Alexandre’s other talents include cooking over a fire, harvesting coastal plants, fruit coulis and vegetable pickles, broth and gutsy jus, without forgetting cooking fish to absolute perfection! Memories shine bright of both the mackerel cooked over hot embers and accompanied by confit beetroot or an incredible lettuce grilled over a flame, blueberries in elderflower vinegar and the dessert of buckwheat, caramel mousse, confit citrus fruits and sea lettuce (seaweed) sorbet. The interior has been revamped in natural materials and soft colours, while the grocery shop, Le Petit Couillon, sells produce from the artisans and farmer partners." - Michelin Inspector
"A restaurant on the northwest tip of Noirmoutier that was promoted to three Michelin stars — the only new entrant to the guide’s highest rank this year — run by chefs Alexandre and Céline Couillon, who took over the family restaurant in 1999 and have been credited with turning it into a true gastronomic destination valued by Michelin’s leadership." - Bettina Makalintal
"The new Three Star, La Marine, asserts itself as one of the very best restaurants in France with a unique culinary approach to the French gastronomic landscape. Chef Alexandre Couillon’s cookery provides an authentic exploration of the ocean and edible coastal plants. 'La Marine ‘is worth the detour’ because it sweeps us away to the island of Noirmoutier and leaves us forever changed,' says Poullennec. 'The restaurant team had already been highlighted with the MICHELIN Green Star in recognition of its remarkable eco-responsible commitment, and the restaurant team plays out a resplendent symphony.' @marinedalex / La Marine" - MICHELIN Guide
"Located on the tiny island of Noirmoutier, Alexandre Couillon’s restaurant serves elegant dishes showcasing local seafood and vegetables. The restaurant received two stars in the 2019 Michelin Guide to France. The main tasting menu costs €178 (or approximately $202). Read the full recap of Alexandre Couillon’s Chef’s Table episode here." - Greg Morabito
"On the tiny Atlantic island of Noirmoutier, this fish-focused, year-round restaurant—run by chef Alexandre Couillon and his wife Celine—transformed from a humble family café into an internationally celebrated dining destination. After years of perseverance through slow seasons and a deliberate seven-year effort to impose respect for their work, the kitchen earned its first Michelin star and later a second in 2013, the result of bold experimentation that married simple compositions with local terroir. A serendipitous mistake with a squid bouillon inspired a signature oyster dish that evokes an oil slick, illustrating the restaurant’s tendency to create evocative, sea-inspired plates; this disciplined simplicity and a strict commitment to local artisans and ingredients are central to the chef’s philosophy of erasing the boundary between sea and kitchen while continually tweaking the menu." - Greg Morabito
