The story
Since 1994, Chef Ivan Vautier has been crafting his culinary vision in a quiet outlying house in the heart of Caen. A Norman through and through, Vautier honed his skills alongside Michel Bruneau at La Bourride, and later at the Crayères in Reims and Le Divellec in Paris before settling in his own kitchen. Today, his restaurant holds a Michelin star, a recognition of the high-quality cooking that defines his modern cuisine.
Vautier’s philosophy is rooted in the land and sea of Normandy. “Local products are always present thanks to the complicity I have with my producers,” he says, emphasizing the core values of seriousness, trust, and quality. His cooking is described as increasingly “fair, sincere, and emotional,” where the apparent simplicity of a dish respects the true nature of the ingredient. The open kitchen allows guests to watch this expertise in action.
The menus change with the seasons, offering a clear picture of Vautier’s approach. The “Ivan’s menu” (135 €) is a balanced tasting journey that showcases the chef’s current ideas, featuring dishes like house-smoked scallop with Isigny cream and sherry, turbot with grey shrimp consommé, and roasted monkfish with mango and cider balsamic. For those who prefer to trust the chef completely, the “Tout en confiance” menu (85 €) is a blind selection of starter, fish, meat, and dessert. A lunch menu is also available from Tuesday to Friday, offering a more accessible entry point into this world of modern French cuisine.
The restaurant is part of a larger 5-star hotel and spa, but the dining room itself offers a focused, serene experience. Located just steps from Caen’s historic center, it is a place where the precision of Michelin-starred cooking meets the honest, grounded flavors of the region.
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