A keen traveller, chef Mélanie Serre (who previously worked with the late Joël Robuchon) has set up shop in Cap Ferret, at the start of the peninsula – facing out to sea (at high tide) or seagrass beds and samphire plants (at low tide). Her indulgent menu is eclectic, with many nods to bistro or even classic French cuisine. Her perfectly executed recipes are often given an appealingly creative twist: she makes a mean pâté en croûte, devilled eggs with leek vinaigrette, stuffed cabbage, beef Wellington, rum baba… There's a good wine cellar with bottles to suit all budgets, from modest natural wines to top-tier labels.