La Mère Poulard, Mont St Michel. Normandy, France

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La Mère Poulard, Mont St Michel. Normandy, France
La Mère Poulard, Mont St Michel. Normandy, France
Trip Advisor
Trip Advisor

Born in 1852, Annette Poulard was just twenty when the Mont-Saint- Michel, set free from its imprison­ment and declared Historic Monu­ment by the State, opened its doors once more to the outside world and to life. So it was quite natural then for Annette and Victor to open their inn in 1888 to accommodate pilgrims and food-lovers rushing there to taste the cooking of the one who by now had been nick-named “Mère Poulard”.

The kitchen is pretty cool, it is open to the street and you can actually see the omelets being made.

They are cooked on a wood fire just as they used in the 19th century.

Mère Poulard Menu
Mère Poulard Menu

The menu is a bit misleading, the €75 lobster and omelette is not listed.

I am not going to draw this out any longer than necessary, the food sucks. I visited about 15 years ago and I actually stayed at the Mère Poulard Inn. The rooms were solid stone, no TV, no anything but the experience was unforgettable. That evening we went for an omelette and I remember at least 4 chefs were beating the eggs, their only job, the sound reverberated through the restaurant. We waited for over a half hour and the result was more of a soufflé than an omelet. A mouth watering airy goodness that was at least 3-4 inches thick, that I still fondly remember to this day. Back then we sat on the first floor, which I would suggest if you actually decide to eat here. In the picture above you see one disinterested kid talking to a guy checking his watch while he beats the eggs.

Potatoes with Truffle oil, La Mère Poulard, Mont St Michel. Normandy, France
Potatoes with Truffle oil, La Mère Poulard, Mont St Michel. Normandy, France

We were placed on the featureless second floor, with pictures of many long dead celebrities, reminiscent of a bad Italian joint. The service was atrocious, we ordered the omelette, lobster and potatoes with truffle oil. Anyone who has watched “Chopped” on the food channel will know what I am going to say about the potatoes. They were an unseasoned, oily mess, frankly inedible. The truffle oil did not help.

Omelette and Lobster, La Mère Poulard, Mont St Michel. Normandy, France
Omelette and Lobster, La Mère Poulard, Mont St Michel. Normandy, France

The omelet was no better. It looked and tasted like the half cooked, fallen soufflé that it was. You can see the concave top, maybe 3/4″ thick, at best. No seasoning to speak of. The lobster was cold, with congealed butter surrounding it, not really very appetizing. Not even warm butter for dipping.

Banished to the Second Floor
Banished to the Second Floor

If you are visiting Mont Saint Michel, take a pass on La Mère Poulard and try one of the restaurants down the street with a real gourmet treat, Agneau de pré-salé.