The story
Born on the Île d’Oléron, chef Benjamin Girard grew up by the sea. His culinary path began with a BEP at the Lycée Atlantique de Royan, followed by a professional baccalaureate in cooking, completed in apprenticeship at the restaurant Saveur des îles under Patrick and Cécile Daudu. After graduating, he spent five seasons at the Relais des Salines with James Robert, learning to work with the products of the sea. He then moved to the one-Michelin-starred La Ribaudière at Bourg Charente, and later earned a Bib Gourmand while at La Ribaudière Plage in Ronce-les-Bains. Seeking new challenges, he joined Philippe Etchebest’s brigade in Bordeaux, becoming chef de cuisine at La Table d’hôtes, which earned a Michelin star during his tenure.
In Saintes, chef Girard opened his first restaurant, L'IØDE, where he interprets his experience through a modern cuisine firmly rooted in the sea. The restaurant describes itself as bistronomique, offering generous, flavourful cooking built on fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. The menu changes regularly, but the gallery shows dishes that reflect the chef’s signature style: sandre with matelote sauce, pak choi, and artichoke purée with hazelnut crisp; monkfish with pear potato, seaweed butter, wild garlic, and Armorican sauce; and a dessert of rhubarb sphere, elderflower mousse, and pink grapefruit sorbet. Each plate is a precise, balanced composition that honours the produce.
The restaurant’s consistent quality and value have earned it a Michelin Bib Gourmand, a distinction awarded for good food at moderate prices. It’s a fitting nod to a chef who has spent his career mastering seafood and refining his craft, now offering that expertise in a welcoming setting on Avenue Gambetta. Whether you come for the signature cabillaud with fish soup and rouille or a seasonal tasting menu, L'IØDE delivers a genuine experience of modern French bistronomique cooking.
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