We arrived early for our reservation. But if you make an effort to speak some French and be polite,…read moreas we did, they will be totally helpful, so we got seated 15 minutes early at a prime table at the beach's edge. No complaints there. We chose this spot because it did come up again and again as an institution in Arcachon worth a visit. After ordering two glasses of champagne to get started (it was a really nice environment so we felt like living it up a bit), we settled in for the Formule menu. Fish with a orzo and ham was an unlikely combination but the saltiness of the ham was a perfect foil to the mild fish. Our other dishes were equally good, flavors all on point, dessert of a creme brulee perfectly burnt in the moment. With our best efforts at speaking French, our waiter warmed up to us quickly and made friendly chitchat, asking where we were from, how long we were in France for, etc. Charming and warm, this was a quintessential french dining experience as it should have been. No rush, no overbearing waiters, no clearing the tables too early. Food on point and portions just right. The institution lived up to its name, at least for us. I would give it a second chance, definitely.

Great location right on the water- this restaurant actually has two sides- one that serves more…read morecasual fare which is what this review is for and the other side that is more of a brasserie. I stopped in with the rest of the "people watchers" around noon on a Saturday. While the place was busy- it wasn't packed so there were plenty of tables outside to watch the people go by. There are daily specials like steak and frites, a daily fish special, etc, and then plenty of sandwiches and salads. They even have sushi if that's your thing. I ordered a coffee and a salad Nicoise. The salad was huge and it came with some warm bread. They were out of a small bottle of sparking water so the server brought me a large one. While the coffee was good - in typical European style that tiny cup cost 3.40 euros and I needed three to satisfy my caffeine craving. At the end of the day- my coffee ended up costing me as much as my salad! But the service was quite good even though my limited French was tested. But between some good pantomiming on my part, and the few words my server and I could figure out, I ended up with exactly what I wanted to eat. If you drive- know that this area gets very congested. There is a parking lot by the carousel that will cost you 1 euro for a couple of hours but if that lot is full, you are pretty much out of luck. This place seems like the place where many of the locals go. In fact- the reason I found it was a woman who worked at my hotel suggested it for a sandwich and a glass of wine. But local or not- you'll be happy you stopped in and sat a bit to watch the people of Arcachon wander by.

I visited this place around 1997 when I spent about a month I. Arcachon. I have such great memories…read moreof it. I recall getting what is basically a rectangular Belgian waffle, and there were literally around 75 different toppings. I tried several of them. I think hot fudge may have been my favorite. I remember that they had hot caramel, powdered sugar, raspberry jam, blueberries, whipped cream, and many, many others. I hope this place is still there if I ever make it back to Arcachon. It was a practically daily treat while spending the afternoon at the beach.