LE FLORA

Le Flora: 

Le Flora is the restaurant on board the Brittany Ferries ship Pont Aven. It is an excellent restaurant as we found out on the trip from Cork to Roscoff last (Saturday) night.

The top meal was a £28.50 four course offer, too tempting to turn down. Started with a shredded crab on bed of avocado with a green salad that included mange tout and broad beans. Slightly spicy and thoroughly deliciousness. On of the best starters so far this year.

My main course was something different though not quite in the same class as the starter. The Bouillabaisse, Brittany Ferries style, wasn’t at all bad, mixing red and white fish with fennel seeds ad some warm potato in the fish soup. The Advisor’s chicken supreme with squid and artichoke was different and quite delicious.

My cheese plate, deliciously baked Rocamadour served with Spanish lettuce hearts, was melt in the mouth delicious while the general cheese plate, which included favourites such as Livarot and Camembert, was also excellent.

Desserts were substantial and sweet, as promised. One was called a Vacherin Contemporain, basically three different types of ice-cream and loads of exotic fruits while the other was called a seasonal Coupe Fruit. Both went down well.

They have an excellent wine list on board, more or less offering everything that they offer in the on-board shop. They had a few special offers on and we went for the lovely dry Chateau Magneau Cuve Julien Graves 2008 at a cost of €24.90 euro (generally, and annoyingly, the prices are in sterling). It just grew on you.

The sterling pricing, by the way, led to an error. The first we know of it was when we were leaving our cabin in the morning and found note pinned to our door asking us to call to the restaurant. We did just that to find that while we had been charged the correct figures, we had been charged in sterling instead of euro. In fairness to the staff, they sorted it out there and then. We probably wouldn’t have had realised it until the bill came from the credit card company at the end of the month. So well done to Brittany Ferries on that one!

Le Flora (Ringaksiddy-Roscof)

Le Flora (6/6/09)
Storm forecasts notwithstanding, the Advisor booked a window table at Le Flora restaurant. That, by the way, is the top restaurant on the Brittany Ferries ship Pont Aven.
The gales never came on the Ringaskiddy – Roscof trip (14 hours) but the promise of a top notch meal was delivered on the high seas.
Starter was Shredded Crab, wrapped in Avocado puree and accompanied by a green bean mix and salad. Terrific!
Main course was pork – Pluma Pata Negra: pork steak, probably underdone by Irish standards but, accompanied by a potato cake (understated description) and a simple crispy lettuce, it was absolutely gorgeous.
Dessert for me was a Crumble Pommes, beautifully done with a few big black berries and a little swallow of fiery Calvados to swallow it down. Loved it and also loved the other dessert at our table which was a Soufflé Grand Mariner with a little glass of the famous liquid to accompany it.
By the way, between the mains and desserts, we had the pleasure of picking three cheeses each from the cheese board. Can’t remember them all but the Tombe and the Livarot were the highlights for me.
After the sweets, the coffees were accompanied by a mini Cornetto.
There is a big range of wines available at low to high prices. Felt good so settled or a special offer, a Chateau Haut Surget from the Bordeaux region that cost about 24 euro. No regrets as it was a top notch wine.
Annoyingly, considering that most of the countries are now in the Euro, Brittany Ferries still favour the use of the UK pound on board, though in many cases both currencies are noted.
The total bill for this high quality meal, including a litre bottle of awful Vittal water, came to £76.90 or €90.45.
Check out my review of Le Flora - I am cork - on Qype