You must visit this holiday destination if you’re also crazy about oysters
Sometimes, during your holiday, you happen upon a place quite by chance that you never want to leave again. It might be an idyllic bay in the tropics, a busy street in Brooklyn or a hip restaurant in London, or, in my case, a lively food market on France’s Atlantic coast.
And if you also love oysters, cheese, charcuterie and wine (and France), you really need to get here as soon as possible!
Surfing and oysters
We went to Montalivet (about an hour and a half north of Bordeaux) to surf, but I found it pretty hard to concentrate on my board with visions of hundreds of oysters waiting for me just a little further away… On the very first day, we stumbled upon this morning market, located just around the corner from the lively main street of this laid-back surfing village. And what immediately caught my eye?
Food heaven
A huge stall piled high with oysters, arranged by size, run by an entire family—from grandfather to mothers and grandsons—who effortlessly pried open one oyster after another. At the stall, you could order a platter; at the neighbour’s bar stall, a glass of wine or crémant (sparkling wine made in exactly the same way as champagne, but not allowed to be called champagne because it does not come from the Champagne region itself); then you could stroll over to the covered picnic tables and tuck into the whole spread at your leisure.
I was CRAZY with happiness. I literally ate more than a hundred oysters during our 12-day stay. At one point, I even went from a dozen to a dozen and a half… In the morning. And it was so cheap! The most expensive variety cost €9 for a dozen, and a small glass of wine €1.50. So good.
Drinks and brunch
The rest of the market was amazing too, with stall after stall full of local cheeses and charcuterie (which you could also order on a little board right there), the most beautiful baguettes and the region’s famous canelés. And scattered throughout were little bars where you could order a glass (or bottles) of wine for next to nothing, then enjoy it with your food haul at a table, cosily among the other visitors (including strikingly many locals, which made it even more fun).
I want this here too
A market full of food and with little bars; surely it doesn’t get any better?! So if you’re heading to southwestern France, be sure to add this stop in Montalivet to your must-do list. You can find more information about Montalivet’s summer market here. During the summer months, it’s open every day until 1:30 p.m., and honestly, it’s one of the best recommendations in Europe!
Also read:
- Corona-proof outing: harvesting your own oysters
- You didn’t see this hit coming: spaghetti with oyster sauce and butter
- This surprising cheese saw the biggest rise in popularity in France in 2020 (and it isn’t French)
