In the summer I love to take my girls on individual holidays. That way we get some one-on-one time and we can catch up! We go to Cap Ferret once a year, usually as a family, but this time it was just Ellie and me. The drive from Bazas to Cap Ferret is about 1 ½ – 2 hours depending on the route and traffic. It can be around 1 ½ hours from Bordeaux, sometimes less, depending on the rocade.
Because I’m a culinary guide, I eat oysters all the time on tours…so I decided my focus would be to have restaurant meals. If you want to read about oysters https://aquitainetravelguide.com/cap-ferret-and-village-lherbe/
One of the institutions to treat yourself for breakfast (and ice cream or pastries) is Frédélian. It’s in a stunning building with that classical French style we all love. The pastries are lovely, Ellie had the framboiser, she tried the ice cream (clearly happy!), and she tried a fresh limonade (little too bitter for her, but I loved it). Their eggs and crispy bacon are served on a toasted brioche with avocado. Staff are all very welcoming. Certainly visit at some point during your stay! Open daily / 33 Boulevard de la Plage, 33970, Lège-Cap-Ferret / https://www.fredelian-capferret.com
Another spot for breakfast we go to often is Josie Coffee. They have smoothies, chia seed pudding, pastries, avocado toast, pancakes…it’s a very healthy and chill space to enjoy the morning! Open from 9am-3pm daily / 32 Rue des Goélands, 33970 Lège-Cap-Ferret,
Our light lunch after the beach was at a poke bowl shack, pick up only (unless you snag the two bar seats). You’ll see this style of food all over Cap Ferret, but Makoji is super fresh and we loved it. Priced right. Fresh catch of the day was red tuna. Nice staff also! Open daily, you can call in advance to order for pick up or order at the counter / 34 Avenue du Monument Salins, 33970, Lège Cap Ferret / https://www.instagram.com/makoji.capferret
Ellie agreed to dine in a proper restaurant for dinner if I got her pizza first from Chez Joël – so I’ll share that because it was in all honestly a decent, thin crust pizza which we took to the beach. So I cannot speak for the pasta or other dishes, but the pizza worked! Open daily / 2 Rue des Rossignols, 33970 Lège Cap Ferret / https://www.instagram.com/chezjoel.pizzeria.capferret
after we went to Mayzou (home in Gascon) for a late seating. The outdoor terrace was packed, and the charming interior was a little more quiet so we sat there. It’s a really nicely stylized space. The dishes were well balanced, cooked fresh, nicely plated. Service was attentive. The chef / owner is Juliette Lacroix-Wasover who is @thenomadcheffe on Instagram. She also owns, ‘Lou, le Bar’, a cocktail bar on the island nearby. Book in advance in high season. 32 Avenue Nord du Phare, 33970 Lège Cap Ferret / https://mayzou.com
Local artist Françoise Pons suggested we try La Terrace next time, it’s also oysters, lots of other seafood and fresh catch of the day. Let me know if you have been or try it! / 124 Route de Cap Ferret, 33950 Cap Ferret / https://huitres-raymond.fr
WHAT TO DO IN LÈGE CAP FERRET
If it’s your first time in Lège-Cap-Ferret, you’ll of course spend time exploring the oyster shacks. Plenty of time at the beach, either the bay side or the Atlantic Ocean side. Take note there might be some big sand dunes to climb over to get to the ocean on this end of the peninsula! Check the tides, they’re more extreme than in North Carolina at least, and low tide might leave you with no water close by in the bay.
Ellie loves the beach but we wanted to do something unique this time. We thought about a boat ride, but we have done that…then we found out that a local artist offers classes! Perfect. Françoise Pons is one of the kindest people. She’s made beautiful oil, watercolor and pastel images of the area over years. Her galerie has her studio in the back where the classes were. It was taught in French, but this could be a good opportunity to practice French if you’re learning! And ultimately, art is like cooking, the phrases tend to be universal in French and English. Our private two-hour gauche class was 60€ each, there are three day workshops on offer (en plein air). Book well in advance / https://www.ponsfrancoise.com / 178 Route de Cap Ferret, 33950 Lège-Cap-Ferret
if you want more information on Cap Ferret, please feel free to email me aquitaineguide@gmail.com or to book an oyster tour!
Leave a Reply