Mont Saint Michel and La Mère Poulard
The Pilgrim's route or Grande Rue has been the main route winding uphill past Elise St-Pierre towards the impressive abbey gates of Mont Saint Michel since the 12th century. Now this main street is crowded with restaurants to cater to the vast number of tourists, the most famous being restaurant La Mère Poulard founded by Anne "Annette" Boutiaut. The story of this restaurant starts way back in 1888.
Annette Boutiaut - Her Story
Annette Boutiaut married Victor Poulard on January 14, 1873 and in 1888 Annette Poulard started her inn to cater for the pilgrims and increasing number of visiting tourists that arrived at all hours of the day tired, hungry and often wet. Because access to Mont Saint Michel is governed by tides, and visitors walked over the low lands and wet sands to reach the island, they arrived wet and cold. So making quick, hot nutritious food that could feed a number of people was required.
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Annette realised this and created many omelette recipes and cooked in huge wooden hearths. Her cuisine became famous and together with her caring nature she earned the honorary title of Mother. This is how the name of La Mère Poulard was born.
La Mère Poulard kitchen
Copper bowls in the kitchen of La Mère Poulard
La Mère Poulard is World Famous
Known the world over for her famous omelette, La Mère Poulard is still an institution of French gastronomy thanks to her varied cuisine, both inventive and light that combines tradition, simplicity and modernity. Over the years many famous people have dined at the restaurant including Ernest Hemingway and Yves Saint Laurent.
Some of my earliest childhood memories of my Romanian grandma's cooking is her omelettes and I can still hear her heavily accented voice calling out " Do you want an omeletta Anna?" I loved the way she accented her word omelette and called me Anna (her preferred name choice for me) even though I'm named Annette.
Copper bowls in the kitchen of La Mère Poulard
I've always been keenly interested in Annette Poulard as our names are the same and she sounds so generous and caring. I can just imagine her up at all hours of the night cooking for whenever the pilgrims made it across the sands, timing their crossing with the tides.
La Mère Poulard Restaurant
The La Mère Poulard restaurant remains one of the most famous restaurants both in France and around the world; celebrated by more than 3 million French and foreign visitors who visit each year to Mont Saint Michel.
If you are planning a trip to Mont Saint Michel you can extend the experience by staying over night, you can even stay at the Hotel La Mère Poulard. By staying overnight on the island you have access to wander the streets and enjoy the sun setting over the sheep grazing in the fields. It's rather magical only sharing the island with its residents and other overnight guests.
Looking up Grande Rue from outside of La Mère Poulard
Rue Grande in the evening when visitors have left the island
La Mère Poulard Cookbook
One of my greatest joys one visit to the restaurant was when I spied behind the reception counter a cookbook entitled 'The Beautiful Story of Mont-Saint-Michel with 88 recipes by La Mère Poulard'.
I purchased two copies, one for my French home and one for my daughter in Australia. I lugged the very heavy glossy book all the way home, wishing I could have purchased a third copy for my Australian home but it was seriously heavy to carry. We've enjoyed experimenting different recipes and creating our own warm and comforting food just like my namesake.
"The book is a tribute to Annette and her inn. La Mère Poulard. It is also the story of a French family." - The Beautiful Story of Mont-Saint-Michel
La Mère Poulard Hotel
I recommend staying on Mont Saint Michel for a night if time allows. It is worth the little bit of extra planning in my opinion. While there are a number of hotels on the island, I stay at La Mère Poulard Hotel because of its history and location.
It's the first hotel you'll see after entering the island gates and there are no extra steps to walk to with your bag. There is no lift in the hotel though so if your accommodation is on Floor 3, you'll have a few flights of steps to get to your room. The hotel is not modern and is a bit of a time warp, but I rather like that about it. We've opted for a room with a view of the abbey when we've stayed and the view of the abbey under spotlights is rather extraordinary.
La Mère Poulard dining room on Floor 1
La Mère Poulard dining room on Floor 1
Breakfast on Floor 1 gives you a good view of the wall and how it was constructed. The breakfast room walls and the main dining room on the Ground Floor are literally smothered with framed autographed photos of the rich, famous and royal who've graced La Mère Poulard. Just eating in this historical dining room was a bucket list item for me.
If you're going to stay the night make sure you pack light as you'll have to park your car in the Abbey carpark on the mainland 1.6 km from the island (over 4,000 car spaces, payment required). Then approach the Abbey by either passeur shuttle bus, horse drawn carriage or on foot. The last of the boardwalk distance will have to be done by foot. Steps and narrow cobbled lanes will then take you to your hotel, so a backpack or small bag with sturdy wheels will be very helpful.
Guide to Mont Saint Michel
Read our full guide to discovering Mont Saint Michel to find out even more.
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