'The French restaurants I'll never forget'

Meet Carolyn, whose mission is to unearth culinary treasures in a country famed for its food. Surely choosing 5 standout restaurant experiences is impossible – or is it? Relish and save, my friends…

Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

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First, a word or two from me

I’ve had more trips to France than I can remember. The lure of big skies, tree-lined avenues and fields filled with sunflowers turned towards the sun (hence their name in French, les tournesols); of Provençal lavender fields, vivid and fragrant; of clattering piles of fresher-than-fresh oysters in the Île de Ré; of crinkle-cut, Cornwall-like cliffs in Brittany; of impossibly steep, beautiful mountain roads in the Alps; of lush pastures dotted with cows in the Jura; of manicured vineyards in Bourgogne and the Dordogne; of staggeringly expensive wines and less well known finds; of gastronomy and culinary wizardry; of croissants and patisserie…