Auberge de l'etoile - Oye-Plage

I don't like writing bad reviews in fact I've written very few I try to liaise with the Chef/Restaurant first but alas those attemps failed. We visited on 23rd August during a day trip for lunch. We had the basic 14.50 Euro menu 3 courses set menu. The starter of Pate and Dessert of Chocolate cake were fine the main a sort of stewed beef and mushroom with chips tasted odd and almost stewed. My colleague and I had about half but left the rest. After pudding and coffee we left and made our way to the Hypermarket at Auchan. My colleague felt rough and sat in the car and after being sick spent the rest of the time in the toilet. Halfway through my shopping I had to join him there. To cut a long story short we cut our trip short and returned to the ferry spending a lot of time in the toilets on the return journey. The following day my elderly colleague had Gastroenteritis confirmed by his doctor. Not a good experience and it is the first bad meal I've had in France and I've had hundreds.

Superb food, a talented chef, but restaurant a little out of the way and frontage needs a spruce up. Fine Dining make the detour.

Arrived at 1915, having reserved, and the restaurant was empty. Order taken quite swiftly only a table d'ote available today (see picture). Restaurant became busier at 8pm and the gaps between courses got longer. Pleasant amuse bouche served tuna club and fois gras macaroon. Followed by another, a 3 carrot mini soup which was like baby food and very dull. Starters: the scallops were excellent. Really nice. The fois gras, similarly, good. Main course: The rognons was outstanding. The steak less lovely under seasoned, bland, chewy. Unadventurous vegetable sides. A very long wait following the main course, of about half an hour. The waitress visibly overloaded. Other guests also drumming their fingers. Finally pudding and cheese. The former a slate of chocolate puddings average. The latter, the cheese course a very meagre offering of 3 extremely average yellow cheeses, Comte, Brie and one other. Wine: fine, but unremarkable. Apart from the claret served with the mains which though smooth was suspiciously shallow and flavourless. Following pudding, we waited an extraordinary long time for the bill and regrettably had to resort to standing up to indicate our wish to pay and go. Alas, even this did not distract THE waitress from her toils. Only when we conspicuously and embarrassingly (for her and us) stood by the till, could we finally pay and depart.

What a find! This restaurant is a bit off the beaten track yet isn't far from the tunnel or ferry terminal so make time on your way home and enjoy gourmet dining at a bargain price. The three course dinner was preceded by not one but two amuse bouche. First came a fois gras creme brûlée with fois gras macaroons, followed by lobster bisque. Starters of more fois gras and lobster were followed by goose and a perfectly cooked steak. To finish there is a choice of cheese or dessert, we both opted for a medley of puddings which consisted of a selection of five different sweets, all of them delicious. There is an option of adding an aperitif and a glass of wine to match your starter and main courses, a bargain at €11 extra. Unfortunately I was driving but my wife was able to have this and had two generous glasses of quality wine. The most surprising thing is the final bill. This came to €72 which included all the food and wine plus coffee. This was our final meal of a three week trip and was one of the best and one of the least expensive.

We arrived here before 12:00, when en route for the ferry at Zeebrugge, on a very hot sunny day but the lady of the restaurant invited us in and was very welcoming. The 13.50 euro menu looked very good value for money, but the choices did not suit us on that day so we opted for the 33 euro menu. The food was good but at 33 euros was expensive. It was apparent that many people in the restaurant were eating the 13.50 euro menu. I suspect that many of the very good reviews are based the value for money menu. The dining room is pleasant and there is a small outside terrace. The wine list was OK and the wine prices were reasonable. There is a small car park in front of the restaurant.