This two-storey town house is just outside the centre of Caen, not far from the Abbaye-aux-Hommes. Olivier Barbarin, an experienced chef who is no stranger to fine dining, wanted a location and cuisine that are an extension of himself: confident and delicious food, and decor with a nod to his native Auvergne – the purple walls evoke volcanic rock such as pozzolan. Marengo veal ravioli, hake, Anna apples, pumpkin cream: the formule is a very attractively priced lunch deal, and in the evening a tasting menu is revised depending on the market and the mood.