Restaurant near Argelès-sur-Mer

A seaside restaurant 11 km from Argelès-sur-Mer

Argelès-sur-Mer, with its miles of fine sand, campsites and seaside resort, is one thing. Port-Vendres and its fishermen's quay is quite another. Just 11 km away, Le France offers an escape to a coastline that is still authentic: a terrace on the harbour, no windsurfing, no jet skis. Fishing boats, gulls, and a plate of moules-frites or fresh local oysters. A complete change of atmosphere, a quarter of an hour's drive away.

Le France's oysters arrive fresh and are served plain with lemon or shallot vinegar. The mussels come from the Mediterranean, cooked marinière, with cream or with chorizo. These simple, well-sourced, well-prepared products are the heart of the brasserie menu. Port-Vendres is still an active fishing and oyster port today — what you eat here hasn't travelled 500 km.